Lisa Lynne

From childhood onward, Celtic harpist Lisa Lynne Franco immersed herself in musical study, first gravitating toward folk traditions that prompted her to master the guitar and mandolin before she joined a neighborhood rock ensemble on bass. During her time at Hollywood’s Musician’s Institute of Technology she maintained a busy schedule as a sought-after session musician; after encountering the harp in 1985 she simultaneously launched the progressive rock band Bigger Than Blue. Although the group secured a contract with Germany’s Innovative Concepts label, visa complications ended its run, leading Franco to perform every part herself on the 1991 debut album Bigger Than Blue. She went on to record three additional titles for the same imprint—Romantic Dreams, My Way, and Silken Wings—while assembling the ensemble Celestial Winds, whose performances along the Venice Beach boardwalk attracted a devoted audience. In 1994 a collection drawn from the band’s earlier cassette recordings appeared under the title Celestial Winds I, with Christmas Morning following later the same year. After releasing Oceans of Love in 1995, Franco resumed working alone and issued Moonsongs the following year. Two independent albums from 1997, Love & Peace and Fairie Tales—the latter made with Elfin Love Tribe—emerged alongside her contributions to various Windham Hill compilations. She formally signed with the label in 1998; her first project there, Daughters of the Celtic Moon, was released under the simplified name Lisa Lynne. Seasons of the Soul arrived in 1999.