Liz Mandeville & the Blue Points

I typically arrive one or more hours before the event to set up equipment.

I can provide PA, Backline and Lights, which can be negotiated into the fee, as they require extra work for the group to haul and set up. I am keenly aware of volume and want to keep my good hearing, so we will play at levels that will be entertaining, not painful!

In Blues settings I usually play with drums, bass, two guitars (one guitarist is me!) and either a blues harp or sax player. I set up mics and monitors in front, the PA speakers to either side of the performance space and lights above them.
In Jazz settings I perform with a keyboard player with an optional horn player as well. We have a small PA, full keys and laptop computer.

My style is professional, and my band will be professionally attired as well. If you have a theme for your event please let me know and we will tweak our appearance and song list to fit with your ideas.

The band usually kicks things off with two or three songs and then introduces me. I then come on stage and sing a song or two to get the feel of the audience before picking up my guitar. I like to build the set and change keys, tempo and the type of song I play, so I keep the audience entertained. You won't hear the same old blues, all in the same key from me! If the crowd is dancing I'll play music to keep them on the floor. If they're chatting or networking, like a corporate event, I'll keep it low and in the background.

In a Blues situation I'll usually play one ballad in each set to allow for slow dancers, but mostly I like to keep it up beat. I also move around a lot, do dance steps, get the audience involved, make wise-cracks, MC, do announcements, and clown around. We are serious musicians and I take my job seriously but this isn't Yoga! We're here to have fun and make people feel good.

In the case of a wedding or working with a party planner it's helpful to have the plan of what their vision is so I can aid in moving the show along. Once again, in that case, I like to know what is the Bride and Groom dance, are they doing the garter, dollar dance or what have you and if they have a special request for those I will learn a new song or two.

I am also equipped to sing Swing, Bossa and Jazz standards if the party requests that. If you want to hire me for a Jazz gig, I have a wide range of material I can draw from. I don't play jazz guitar, but I'd hire a keyboard player, bass player and drummer to work with me. If the budget allowed I could also add a horn player or guitarist. My Jazz song list includes songs made famous by Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, the Gershwins, Bert Bacharach, Jobim, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra and more.

Depending on what the buyer wants I can offer a smoking, set of award winning original music that spans the genres of Chicago Blues to Soul to Funk to Rock to Cajun. If you want to hear American Pop Music, I can also do covers of Classic 60's & 70's Soul and Rock, and even a little Country, Aretha, Sam and Dave, James Brown, Motown, Al Green, Glady's Knight, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, The Doors, The Stones, The Animals, The Who, Johnny Cash, Nancy Sinatra and so on. Everything I play is blues based, and fun based.

After the event we'll need about an hour to pack up our equipment and move it out to the van.
I have both Venmo and Chase Quickpay to expidite the payment process.

2021 Blues Blast Music Award Nominee for Best Female Blues Singer, Liz Mandeville, released her fourth album for Blue Kitty Music, “Playing With Fire,” March 7, 2020. It reached #3 on the Living Blues Charts and was named to their Top 50 Releases list for that year. Written in cooperation with 5 artists from around the world of Blues this album represents nearly every decade and style of blues being played internationally today.
Liz, who was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame in 2013, started her career in 1983 playing club dates in Chicago bars. She expanded to tour nationally and in Canada eventually landing a recording contract with Earwig Music Company. She recorded 5 albums for Earwig whose president, Michael Frank, recognized Liz’s songwriting talent and her strong ability as a vocal interpreter.
By the time of her first release with Earwig in 1996, Liz was singing with the Aron Burton Blues Band and is featured on his “Live From Buddy Guys” CD. She’s had regular house gigs at every major blues club in Chicago. She’s featured on the Blue Chicago recording “The Red Hot Mamas.” That same year she graduated with honors from Chicago’s Columbia College with a BA in Music. She paid her way by singing the Blues at night and going to class during the day!
Liz sings, plays guitar and washboard, writes and produces. She also sings Jazz standards in a duo with multi-keyboardist Brian James. The duo perform Swing, Rat Pack, and Yacht Rock standards with a keyboard triggered rhythm section that sounds like a full band. Her shows are energetic, fun, and peppered with sassy good humor.
She’s won the International Songwriting Contest and The USA Songwriting Contest. All her Earwig Albums were nominated for Chicago Music Awards. Most of the music Liz releases is original compositions. In the past few years she’s started to collaborate with Blues artists from around the world, giving exposure and a showcase to up and coming artists from Italy, France, Holland, Japan and the US.
In 2011, she won the Windy City Blues Challenge and started her own record label, Blue Kitty Music. She’s produced, performed on and released 4 albums for that label and is working on more music. Her records have consistently charted in the top 10. “Playing With Fire” has charted despite the Coronavirus lockdown.
Liz has toured internationally, headlining the Durban South Africa International Blues Fest twice! She’s played festivals and concerts in 16 countries on 3 continents, and been a headliner on the European Blues Cruise.
In Chicago she played the last concert at Buddy Guy’s Legends, before the Covid shut down, with her band Liz Mandeville & the Blue Points. Liz received a glowing endorsement from Buddy himself who, despite the threat of Covid, took the stage with Liz midway thru her show, gave her a big hug and told the crowd “This little girl is the REAL DEAL” and proceeded to sing with the band.
Liz is proud to be an Officer in the American Legion Auxiliary, supporting our nation’s veterans. She’s also a Certified Yoga Instructor and Certified Sound Healer & Advanced ThetaHealer, giving shamanic healing using ancient traditional tools. But for Liz the BLUES is her main instrument for healing. As Willie Dixon said, “If you don’t like the Blues you got a hole in your soul.” Well if your soul needs fixing listen to Liz Mandeville!

For an additional fee we can provide PA, back line and Lights appropriate for small venues, indoor and outdoor events. For anything larger than 350 people we'll need the event planner to hire a pro staging company.
We need to be provided with a secure dressing area, bottled water, and we need to be paid the day of the event.
Our basic back-line consists of a full, single bass, drum kit. Bass amp, two guitar amps and five vocal mics. Stage plot on request.