Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton Bring Down the House While Passing the Baton

By Noe Gutierrez

The Desert Trip shows seemed like bookends to an amazing Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton show at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort & Spa last Thursday. Coachella Valley Weekly was invited by the desert’s premiere promoter Jimi FITZ Fitzgerald of CV 104.3 to witness the amazing voice of Fischer who had sung as back-up vocalist for The Rolling Stones for 27 years.

Sitting near Rolling Stones members Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Daryl Jones (bass), Sasha Allen (background vocalist) and Tim Ries (sax) only solidified the importance of Fischer and her place in music history.

Also in the audience were local luminaries Wendy Jayne, Barry Minniefield, Michael Anthony Gagliardi, Ted Walker, John & Gina Carey.

FITZ had this to say about the evening:

“Lisa Fischer, and her replacement in The Rolling Stones, Sasha Allen, had never met before this historical musical moment. What a way to end the show with Lisa passing the GRAND BATON to Sasha! I’m still just catching my breath. In all my years in the music business that night is #1 and I’ve been blessed to have had many magical moments. I don’t know what else to say. If you’re interested please check out the history of tonight. I was so thrilled to be able to have set the stage for Lisa and Sasha to meet and perform for the first time ever with no rehearsal, a totally impromptu version of “Wild Horses” that brought the house down and brought me to tears. So grateful and so full from that night in so many ways…MUSIC IS THE POWER…!”

The Wednesday prior the Renaissance screened “20 Feet from Stardom” the 2013 documentary featuring Fischer in their new RTheatre. They also hosted a Q & A with Fischer.

Fischer has worked with Tina Turner, Sting and Luther Vandross. Her voice is her instrument. She effortlessly sang what she felt and rendered songs like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” with passion and sensitivity. When she returns to the desert, because she will per FITZ, please make a valiant effort to see her and the versatile Grand Baton do their thing.

{Photos by Marc Glassman}