Reviews for Lisa Bigwood

Lisa Bigwood is all about surviving and healing. She not only speaks of it in her music, she lives it in her daily life.

Having escaped a verbally and physically abusive marriage and broken out on her own with her two daughters, Bigwood's music relates pain and regret with the strength to overcome. Although her music can
best be classified as folk-country, make no mistake: this lady can sing the blues.

Her music appears to be an outlet for years of frustration once bottled up inside her and finally set free. On Like No One Else, her debut album on CEG Records, the part-time nurse sings of the pain of abusive and
loveless relationships in "Seems Like Another Life," "Livin' On A Budget" and "Love's Not Made." And she sings of wanting to escape and wondering where her life is headed in songs such as "I Wish I Knew," "Carolina" and "Waltz With Me Joe."

Like the emotions welled up inside of her, Bigwood is ready to burst onto the scene. With a strong performance April 25 at Kudzu's in Memphis during Crossroads '96, she could do just that.

"That could be a very big tool," says CEG President Robert Case. "The big thing is maybe getting a major label to look at her. The exposure could take her to the next level. This is the icing on the cake. A year ago
nobody knew who she was, and now she was just voted No. 1 Entertainer in her area by Rochester (N.Y.) Chronicle."

While Crossroads could be the breaking event for the singer, Bigwood is no stranger to showcases. The Rochester, N.Y. native was one of 30 artists selected from a field of 800 to perform at the Kerrville Folk
Festival in Texas last year. And she was selected from a group of about 500 to showcase her talents at the 1995 Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado.

"She did those things and did some shows around her hometown," Case explains. "In September, she began her second album, Woodland, which we finished in October and is tentatively scheduled to be released in
June."

In addition, she played at NACA East Coast Region Showcase last month in Albany, N.Y., and is looking to book more college dates this year. Case says he is currently in negotiation with colleges in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and the New England Region.

"We've been getting wonderful success up there," Case says, "and I've geared my efforts toward that region because sales are doing well. She hasn't gone anywhere else in the country to play colleges, but she has
played festivals. That's been another outlet to expose her.

"We're just playing it by ear," he continues. "One of the things we're planning for the fall is to try to get her into the Heart of America Conference Showcase."

Case has been in the music industry about eight years. He earned a degree from the Colorado Art Institute and began promoting bands. He started in the business to serve as a management function with Case
Entertainment Group Inc., but decided in 1993 to establish CEG Records.

Not only is Case hoping to expose Bigwood to audiences in the United States, he is also working on deals to expand her fan base internationally.

"There are some things we are doing outside the United States," Case explains. "We are trying to do some deals in Asia, which could be profitable. There are three or four countries I want to take her product into and distribute it over there."

And if her product does well, an international tour might follow close behind.

"Possibly," Case says. "If we can get someone over there who's interested in distributing it and manufacturing it, we've talked about taking her over there and touring."

But for now, the concentration will be in the States. Case, who is a member of NACA, NARM, NARD and NARAS, says it is hard to break an artist.

"It's very difficult." he admits. "If you don't get a lot of airplay, it's hard to sell records. You have to go to the retailer and have her do in-stores and start the buzz that way."

People seem to be listening. Her record release party at Milestones drew more then 500 fans - the largest turnout ever at the Rochester club. She has also played at clubs such as McGinnity's, Java Joe's, the Cactus Cafe in Brighton, N.Y., and Buffalo's Left Bank Cafe, among others. Case submitted Bigwood's material to the Grammy association, who included her on the Grammy's nomination list.

"We are looking at doing a lot more projects with her," Case notes, "so I'm hoping some good things happen with this release. I'm hoping that we'll get another Grammy nomination, and this time we'll go and win the
thing."

Case says that although Bigwood will stick to her roots and true feelings, the second album will be slightly more upbeat and mainstream.

"We're hoping that we just keep moving ahead. I just hope the people in Memphis like her, and we continue to be more successful," he adds. "My company as a whole has done a lot of good things for her, and I hope we can get her the exposure she needs."