Dan's Papers - January 30, 2009

Oldies and doo wop fans certainly have something to be excited about . The Debra Liso Band, featuring Prentiss McNeil, has a slew of upcoming gigs all over eastern Long Island. For 25 years, McNeil sang with The Drifters, known for hits such as "Under the Boardwalk" and "Save the Last Dance for Me.".

The band will be at Regulars Music Café in Southampton on Jan. 30 and Feb. 13, Digger O'Dell's in Riverhead on Feb. 6 and The Trolley Barn Restaurant in Speonk the next night. Check out myspace.com/debralisoband for their full schedule.

McNeil, who grew up in Deer Park, currently calls Riverhead home. He fell in love with music at a young age, attending Quintano's School for Young Professionals, a professional music high school in New York City, with budding stars such as Bernadette Peters and guitarist Leslie West of Mountain and McNeil always knew he wanted to make a living as a performer. After graduating, he toured and performed with groups of his own. Then his manager said The Drifters wanted him to audition for a spot in the group in 1975.

"I remember they drove up to my house in a limo, had me sing and then said, 'Are you ready to go on the road? Get three suits, your underwear and let's go,'" McNeil said. "I asked them, 'For how long?' And they said, 'There's no telling.' I was on the road a year-and-a-half that first tour.'"

He sang with The Drifters until 2000, and met Liso at a party for her father about two years ago. Liso, a sax player, grew up on the North Fork and currently lives in Riverhead. Though she's also played in bands, she is the choral teacher and musical director at Hampton Bays High School (HBHS).

Liso and McNeil, after meeting, played in the Sahara band for about a year before branching off to start their own project, The Debra Liso Band, which was named Dan's "Best of the Best" band for the North Fork for 2008. McNeil earned "Best of the Best" vocalist honors. "It just kind of fell together, our playing together," Liso said.

The group plays mostly covers, primarily R & B and soul, including Barry White, The Tramps, Jackie Wilson, KC and the Sunshine Band, even The Doobie Brothers. And, of course, they play a lot of The Drifters' songs. But, rather than simply mimicking the originals, the group takes each song and adds its signature style. "We're a cover band, but not a copy band," Liso said.

Liso has also been writing original songs, which will be added to the band's repertoire soon. In fact, through McNeil's agent, Gary Reynolds, whose son is a producer for Chuck D and Public Enemy, a song they've written will find its way onto the soundtrack for a movie the hip hop moguls are working on. The band will be hitting the recording studio soon to do a three-song EP of all original material.

Liso also produces local oldies shows, which often feature McNeil and her band. The next one, a benefit for HBHS's music program, will be on April 18. Scheduled to perform are McNeil, The Cascades, Steve Mitchell as Elvis, her brother, Larry Liso, as Frank Sinatra, and more. Keep checking myspace.com/debralisoband for more information.