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”As far removed stylistically from the reigning royalty of female jazz vocalists as John Coltrane is from Grover Washington, …exceptionally expressive, dramatic, ecstatic … masterful …stunning, life-affirming …This is jazz vocalizing filled with passion and commitment.” Presence receives five stars ***** “ masterpiece”
— Best of the Year DownBeat Magazine
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“14th Vision Festival 2009 Saturday evening turned out to be the most consistently thrilling, the biggest surprise of the festival, singer/pianist Lisa Sokolov … Spectacular … intoxicating … Sokolov’s charismatic performance was spellbinding.”
— Ken Weiss JAZZ INSIDE MAGAZINE
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“A visionary improviser and a strikingly original innovator … Sokolov can truly be said to be pushing the envelope of the jazz idiom into the Post Modern Era.”
— Royal Stokes OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
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“Sokolov delves into the magical possibilities of the voice and the beauty and mystery of words. A Quiet Thing.., extends the power of her earlier recordings, continuing her progression towards the majestic and ecstatic “silence” of the universe. a musical adventurer: Even when she sings something familiar, she constantly surprises. …ethereal and then down-and-dirty … a master of breath and sound control,. …stunning Sokolov’s performance at Sweet Rhythm last month was dazzlingly instructional, demonstrating the power in her voice and her appealing mix of spontaneity and total control. … powerful… …funky and ever-evolving… breathtaking” Donald Elfman All About Jazz Best of 2009
— Donald Elfman All About Jazz Best of 2009
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“The dominant strand that runs through the work is the human voice, which features on the bulk of the music, with a brilliantly daring solo performance by Lisa Sokolov standing as a peak in the vast landscape of sounds presented”
THE BEST NEW JAZZ ALBUMS: EDITOR’S CHOICE, FEBRUARY 2021 JAZZWISE
MIGRATIONS OF SILENCE MAKES NY TIMES 10 BEST JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2021
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“Imagine a singer who can move (sometimes within a single phrase) from the sweetness of Norah Jones to the rasp of Janis Joplin and who can do so while maintaining a strong sense of swing and a probing improvisational focus. Even that, however, doesn’t quite describe the offbeat Sokolov. Listening to her wide-open performance of a program that includes everything from “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” to “Chain of Fools” makes it precisely clear why she has been, for the past two decades, a vital participant in Manhattan’s avant-garde jazz scene. But that’s not to say that “Presence” is a difficult listen. To the contrary, it is filled with fascinating moments, with the sheer out-of-the-box energies of an artist who is shifting and shaping her music in search of ever-new perspectives.”
— LA TIMES
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“…the beguiling and potent voice of Lisa Sokolov … impassioned singing; extraordinary technique..”
— NEW YORK TIMES
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“If this isn’t range, I don’t know what is. Sokolov’s voice is huge, able to range in expression from playfully coquettish to snarling blues in the course of a single phrase. She synthesizes mainstream vocal traditions-clearly influenced as much by Nina Simone as Sarah Vaughn-with avant-garde approaches to song, miles away from cookie-cutter versions of standards This is an album brimming with personality and warmth.”
— CADENCE
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“…a vast pallet of expressive inflections over such a dizzying range of repertoire … visceral …caressing lyrical purity… blows through your soul... Sokolov¹s virtuosity is always at the service of the music, and there's an emotional charge to her improvisations that readily distinguishes her from the self-conscious retro of better-known divas.”
— PLAYBILL
