Over night sensation? Not if you have been listening to Cubic Feet, Multiplex, Strangelove, The Gordon Michael's Band, Crack the Sky, Living Colour or countless other groups in the Eastern U.S. with whom Mr. Lissauer has either played or produced. His playing blends the heart of emotional expression with the head of technical wizardry. "My father played wonderful old folk songs for us (he had a huge collection of early folk and blues with which he DJ'd at Johns Hopkins’ WJHU radio in Baltimore), and at age six I made him teach me how.. I never stopped." Growing up in Baltimore, Maryland and Ontario, Canada he was exposed to and developed a love of languages and words that remain a hallmark of his writing today. Playing concerts for the school by the 4th grade and warming up for Steppenwolf as a teenager, led to a BA in composition, studying under Hank Levy at Towson University and culminating in a personal program with the late, great guitarist; Larry Wooldridge (Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald etc.). Graduating into a full-time life on the road, New Wave, Jazz, Prog-rock, Original, Folk, Fusion and more featured his dazzling guitar playing.
{Band History: Out of TU Woody was immediately hired by the popular Gordon Michael's band (A&M records) where his sophisticated musicianship, multiple instruments and stage presence made him an instant favorite with the crowds. Playing full-time continued with various bands and styles during the years like Cinematrix w/Laura Hunter (Chrysalis Records), Crack the Sky (Lifesong Records), U.S. Bang (gigs with Kix, Aerosmith's Joe Perry etc.), Multiplex - the first band to take the 'New Wave' music full-time in the Mid Atlantic. Touring up and down the East Coast and Caribbean continued with Strangelove, Zanzibar, even Maryland's 1988 number one country band, The Alamo Band. On keyboards with Pebbles and the Bam Bam Boys, he once played in front of more than 80,000 people. All the while he was writing and working on the CDs of his own original group, Cubic Feet, which got signed to a lucrative publishing deal by Warner Brothers 1989. Cubic Feet CDs, produced by the famous Peter Solley (The Romantics, Peter Frampton, Oingo Boingo etc.), and engineered by Shelly Yakus (Tom Petty, Stevie Nicks etc.) have achieved international airplay, cracked the top 100 at a mainstream radio station, reached the top ten on several college stations, and even been number one! Becoming comfortable as a producer in the studio, Woody has made recordings for dozens of artists in many styles and learned to work the intricate modern studio like an instrument}.
All that experience taught him how to express himself on almost every instrument and on his debut solo CD he puts it much of it on display. In 1998 he teamed up with English folk recording artist (& sister) Kate Lissauer, well-known Eastern Shore singer Chris Noyes, Cindy Leo & others to infuse a female and Celtic component into his sound. This, combined with the futuristic drum tracks, exotic instruments, sophisticated production, and strange chords; creates unique recordings that change from song to song! A must-hear!
Woody's voice is also like many instruments, sometimes growling sometimes soaring, always emotional. Find out why this CD has been called "One of the most naturally musical recordings I’ve ever heard. Inventive mix of a wide variety of genres, each painted with delicate nuances appropriate to it’s style." by Glenn Hammett, writer for the Absolute Sound, Hi Fi Heretic, Tracking Angle and Sounds Like… magazines. Woody has been compared to Joseph Arthur, David Grey, Beck, Bowie, Peter Gabriel and Radiohead.
