Lisa Scherma
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Lisa was surrounded by music from the start. With musically talented parents, she learned folk guitar at a very young age and spent her childhood singing and playing with her family and friends at home and in church. She wrote her very first song when she was about 10 years old, but it wasn’t until she was 15 that she began to write seriously and develop those skills. Although blues has been a big influence in her writing, it is obvious she has been inspired by many different styles of music in that her body of work also includes country, folk, rock, jazz, gospel, Americana and acoustic ballads. Feeling it would stifle her creativity, Lisa likes to refer to herself as “genre-non-specific”. In this way, she explains, she can write as the inspiration comes without having to adhere to any particular format or expectation. In her words, “Just because I haven’t written a reggae song yet, doesn’t mean I won’t!”
With powerful, emotion-filled vocals, her eclectic style has been compared to the likes of Melissa Etheridge, Bonnie Raitt, and Trisha Yearwood. She considers herself a musical storyteller and believes the most important thing is to tell the story right; musically, vocally and emotionally.
Now living in Staten Island, New York, with her husband and daughter, in 2013, Lisa was recognized as a noted Staten Island Blues Musician and inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame. She has been performing in the tristate area most recently as a full band with exceptional musicians, lead guitarist Guy Michetti, bassist, Gardy Louis and drummer, Mike Kane.
The Lisa Scherma Band
The original Lisa Scherma Band was formed in 2003. With the help of friend and eventually, manager, Lloyd Patti, drummer Bill Delaney, lead guitarist John Scarangello, and bassist Jim Amatel, came together quite willingly to form a band supporting her original music. After two great years together, they disbanded. At that point, Lisa went back to playing as a solo artist, continued her writing and eventually started working as a duo and then as a trio. It wasn’t until 2015, when she was ready to record her long overdue first album, that a full band was formed again.
Guy Michetti
© Georgine Benvenuto Photography
This NYC singer-songwriter-guitarist’s mom bought him his first guitar in 1969 at a neighborhood hardware store for $12. That’s when he fell, hard, for all kinds of music.
Michetti modestly declares himself a “jack of all trades and master of none” who simply loves to play all styles of music and try to write songs that he hopes speaks to your heart. His buddy, Nashville songwriter Lex Zaleta, sums up the man and his music: “Guy Michetti is a walking, talking American jukebox. He has mastered every style of music. Whenever I listen to Guy perform, I feel I could be back in Dustbowl Times with Woody Guthrie or in Greenwich Village with Ochs and Dylan. I could just as easily be in 2093 enjoying his newest release — Guy’s music is that timeless. Rarely is that degree of talent wrapped up in so much humility.”
Guy would agree only that he is “a master of exploring all types of music because music is too elusive to master,” and so very evocative, that he “feels like Odysseus hearing the sirens sing. Music is life, and everyone has a song.”
In 2015, Guy was recognized as a Master Blues Artist and inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame.
Gardy Louis
Bio pending...
Mike Kane
Bio pending...
Rick Peterson
Former bass player
© Georgine Benvenuto Photography
Richard (Rick) has been playing music in the Staten Island, New York City, music scene since his teenage years. He has played rhythm guitar with various disco bands in the 70's, rock bands in the 80's, and switched to bass in the 90's to play blues, rock, and jazz.
More recent experiences have been with the Michael Packer Blues band, Celange, Last Call, the Kind, and Lava. In the year 2000, Rick and his wife formed the band Queen Tipsy which still thrives to this day. He also plays with the classic rock band AXE. Rick was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2012. He started playing with Lisa in 2010 first as a duo, then in the trio and eventually in the reincarnation of The Lisa Scherma Band for the recording of Lisa's album in 2015. He continued with the band until the end of 2016.
Bill Delaney
Original Lisa Scherma Band drummer
After knocking around with friends from high school in a band called CRASH, lifetime Staten Island resident, Bill Delaney, decided to get serious about music. He studied with the best drum instructors on the island and gained the confidence to take a chance and answer an ad in the Village Voice. After a successful audition, he joined the band BIG MOUTH and went on to record a demo for Arista records. Oddly enough, Bill’s next band was named THE BITE. One demo and one gig later, it was time to move on. His next venture brought him to a progressive rock band, LUNA VISION, which proved to be the most challenging music at that point in his career. Needing cash, Bill became a regular in the Brooklyn wedding band circuit.
In 1979, he hooked up with the SPINES which, as he describes was a cross between The Ramones and The Sex Pistols on way too much caffeine. In the 1990’s, Bill discovered the blues and met up with some incredible musicians and formed THE OTHER BROTHERS, an Allman Brothers tribute band, playing for many years and opening up for some name acts like Leslie West. From there, hitting the Hoboken bar scene with THE RABBIT BAND, the Elysian Café was their home and to this day remain memories of the best nights of Bill’s life.
In 2003, Bill helped form the first LISA SCHERMA BAND and in May, 2015 began recording tracks for Lisa’s CD “Here In My Heart”. He credits Henry Falco of Moon Studios for “getting the best out of me” during the recording process.
In September of 2015, Bill was recognized as a noted Blues Musician and inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame.