Lisa LaRue – Forged from Fire | Progressive Rock Central.com

I have been looking forward to reviewing one of Lisa LaRue’s albums for a while. Everyone I had spoken with said her albums are terrific. So, now is the time to discover her latest album, Forged from Fire.

Forged from Fire is her latest album, and it will be released on October 3 of this year, on Melodic Revolution Records.

Lisa LaRue’s band is made up of Lisa on keyboards; John Baker on guitar; John Baker, Onur Cobanoglu, and Alexandra Livshitz on vocals; One Heart on bass, drums, and additional keyboards and guitars.

For those of you who are new to Lisa LaRue; she is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She is also a progressive rock keyboardist and composer whose career spans over three decades.

Forged from Fire, per her PR release, “is a coming-of-(old)-age odyssey, a deeply personal, autobiographical work that captures one vivid facet of Lisa’s life journey. Both lyrically and musically, it traces the keystone moments, profound discoveries, lingering questions, and hard-won answers that have tempered and shaped the person she is today. Influenced by symphonic rock icons like Yes, Kansas, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Lisa launched her recording career with Dreamscapes, including a collaboration with Gong’s Gilli Smyth.

She made history as the first female Native American artist signed to Sound of America Records with Beloved Tribal Women, featuring 14 paintings by Muscogee Creek artist Joan Hill. A pioneer in global collaboration, LaRue founded Lisa LaRue Project 2K9 (later Lisa LaRue 2KX), working with musicians worldwide. She has collaborated with John Payne (Asia), Michael Sadler (Saga), and contributed to projects with Esquire, United Progressive Fraternity, and Federico Fantacone.

LaRue is also known for “Children’s Songs in the Cherokee Language,” and is recognized in the Houghton Mifflin Encyclopedia of Women’s History. Honored with multiple awards, including Native American Artist of the Year, she lives in Topeka, Kansas with her husband John Baker.

Lisa likes to call her music: “Genre-bending Native American Progressive Rock.”

“Phoenix Rising,” is the first song on the album, and it is an instrumental, that begins with Lisa playing some jazzy and innovative keyboard melodies, supported well with drums and electric guitar soloing. An over 2-minute guitar and keyboard sonata. Welcome to the peaceful sounds of Lisa LaRue!

“Traces In Spaces,” opens with organ sounds, before some electric keyboards light the soundscape. Drums support the melody, but this is Lisa’s show. Jake Livgren sings the lyrics about this interesting journey. The organ playing that comes in later does take you back to ELP and others. The Hammond sounds are great as well. The Hackett-like guitar and flute like keyboards complete this song perfectly.

“The Invisible Horizon,” has a slow, morning sunrise sound to the keyboards. Then, drums and faster paced keyboards soar into the soundscape of this wonderful melody.

“Tornado Alley,” has a very cool eerie opening, complete with acoustic guitar, flute sounds, and soft piano. Very “Trick of the Tail,” or “Wind and Wuthering,” like sounds. This song features dual vocals from Onur Cobanoglu and Alexandra Livshitz. The terror of tornados, which flair up each spring, throughout the Great Plains and Midwest regions of the country is something to be feared. The string sounds are full of excitement. Kansas sounds abound throughout this song. An over 7-minute journey that will take you back to the band, Kansas’ long tracks.

“They Were Young,” opens with soft piano. Other keyboards are added as the soundscape expands. A touching melody that only gets better as strings are added.

“Frame 313,” is about the President Kennedy assassination in Dallas, in 1963. The radio news audio at the outset recalls the day, after a gunshot is heard. The keyboards, drums, and guitar, capture the solemn moments well. Then, the soundscape expands with louder electric guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums. An over 4-minute instrumental which tries to distill the gravity of what happened on that fateful day that changed the world forever.

“White Hair and Chocolate,” opens with deep strings, lead electric guitar, bass, and brilliant keyboards. This one really sounds like a Kansas song. John Baker, sings in his best Steve Walsh voice. The piano and electric guitar, along with the strings are brilliant.

“Under Their Influence,” opens with some very cool, ELP like keyboards, then the Tony Banks’ stringed keyboard sounds of “Trick of the Tail” and so many others, leaps to the front of the soundscape. The drums take over, and then the melody builds as the instrumental carries on. An over 7-minute splendid display of keyboards, strings, drums, organ, and guitar.

“Forged from Fire,” features John Baker on vocals, for the album’s closing track. A song about overcoming the difficulties of life; filled with wonderful electric guitar, bass, and drums. The keyboards serve mostly as background, until, just past the midway mark, where they add the frosting to the cake. Love the dramatic ending…but I won’t reveal it!

Lisa LaRue’s Forged from Fire, is a warm introduction to her immense discography. She is an accomplished keyboardist, who can play several keyboard instruments as an expert musician with years of experience, playing with some very well-known talent. This album of her life’s journey is a warm introduction to her as a person and musician. Every track on this album is worth your time and investment. Lisa LaRue was forged by fire and trials, like all of us, who reach a certain age. She will perform for you on this album and take you away from the melancholy of the years, with her emotional keyboard melodies. Lisa LaRue’s Forged from Fire, is an album not to be missed!

Forged from Fire was produced and mixed by Lisa LaRue at The Grateful Shed. It was mastered by John Baker. Cover artwork by Lisa LaRue-Baker. Album design by 785 Arts LL. Back cover photo by Staci Dawn.

Album Track List:

1. Phoenix Rising 02:44

2. Traces In Spaces (feat Jake Livgren) CD Bonus Track 04:53

3. The Invisible Horizon 03:51

4. Tornado Alley (feat John Baker & Alexandra Livshitz) 07:02

5. They Were Young (Bubba & Snooks) 03:18

6. Frame 313 04:21 7. White Hair and Chocolate (feat John Baker) 05:29

8. Under Their Influence 07:36

9. forged from fire (feat John Baker) 03:17

Band Website and Social Media Links:

The Band Online Website: https://lisalaruemusic.com/

Bandcamp: https://lisalaruemrrartist.bandcamp.com/