MUSIC... SOUNDTRACK OF LIFE: LAURA NYRO

LAURA NYRO

I am not interested in conventional limitations when it comes to my songwriting, because for instance, I may bring a certain feminist perspective to my songwriting, because that's how I see life. I'm interested in art, poetry, and music. As that kind of artists, I can do anything. I can say anything. It's about self expression. It knows no package- there is no such thing. That is what being an artist is.

~ Laura Nyro

Upon visiting my physician's office for a follow up visit, we began a new topic...... music. We talked about artists who are overlooked when he asks, "Have you ever heard of Laura Nyro?" My mind went into over drive as I delve into my internal data bank... needles to say it came up blank. He began naming songs I recognized, I had no clue who she was. I decided to research Laura Nyro and her contribution to music. I listened to Stoned Soul Picnic and right away, I was drawn to her reflective, soulful, voice. My inquisitive nature led me to listen to more of her songs and made me a fan for life.

Listening to Poverty Train for the first time, I replayed it several more times. The song is still relevant to this day and made me realize nothing much changed since she wrote it. One can be impoverished financially, morally, mentally.... her lyrics hit tackled them all. Thought provoking, gritty, she held no punches. Such an honest piece of art that imitates life. I consider Laura Nyro a songwriters songwriter.

Daughter of Louis Nigro, a piano tuner and accomplished jazz trumpeter and Gilda Mirksky Nigro, a bookkeeper, Laura Nigro was a self taught pianist and poetry lover. She listened to her mother's Leotine Price, Billie Holiday recordings and composers Ravel and Debussy. Her talents became apparent at the age of 8 years, she composed her first song. She acknowledge the Sunday School at the New York Society of Ethic Culture as her base of education.

She attended the High School of Music and Art in New York along with classmate Janis Ian. Nyro sang Doo-Wop in the subway stations or harmonies on the street corners in the Bronx. "I would go out singing as a teen to a party or out on the street, because there were harmony groups and that was one of my joys in my youth. I mean you can go out and sing. If I look back now, all those years later, it might have had a spiritual, holistic feeling from that," explains Nyro.

She drew inspiration from Soul, Jazz, R&B, Folk, and Protest music of Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, early Bob Dylan, The Beetles, girl groups of the 50's and 60's, Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, early Burt Bacharach -Hal Davis songs sung by Dione Warrick, and Dusty Springfield influenced how she wrote or sang a song, she adored Van Morrison.

Arti Mogull a record executive who signed Bob Dylan to his first major record deal, signed Laura to Verve in 1966. Laura experimented with several monikers, when her debut album More Than a Discovery was released, Laura Nyro officially became her stage name. Though More Than a Discovery was a critical success, it was not a commercial success. This breakthrough album became an abundance of material for artists. At the age 17, she sold the song And When I Die for $5000. Peter, Paul, and Mary recorded the song and was a hit.

At the age of 18, she made her first professional appearance at Hungry i Coffeehouse in San Fransico Sound. She performed at the Monterey Pop Festival (June, 1967), There was a controversy swirling about her performance, she sang Wedding Day Blues and Poverty Train. It was said she thought she was booed and decided not to perform at large venues. Lou Adler, one of the organizers looked at footage of the festival and called Nyro and said, "The only thing that came close to a boo, was Beautiful!"

David Geffin sought to be her agent, and spoke with Mogull. Nyro sued to end her management and recording contract with Verve. The suit was successful, because she was under aged when she signed. Mogull kept her earlier compositions as a result. David and Laura established Tuna Fish Music whereas they would split proceeds evenly. David Brokered a meeting with Clive Davis who offered Laura a contract with Columbia Records and allow her creative control and allows other artist to cover her songs. Eventually she gained her earlier works from Mogull thanks to Clive Davis and David Geffin.

Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (released 1968) was her sophomore effort, released on Columbia Records is to be the her best work. Stoned Soul Picnic, Poverty Train, Eli's Comin' are featured tracks on this album. New York Tendaberry (released 1969), solidified Laura's artistic credibility, it became her most successful album. Christmas and the Beads of Sweat (released 1970), is thought to bridge between her earlier works. The album features Duane Allman on guitar and Alice Coltrane on harp to give a mystical feel to her compositions. The album charted a hit single, Gerry Goffin and Carole King's Up on the Roof.
Gonna Take a Miracle (released 1970), The fifth studio album is an all covers effort produced by Gamble and Huff with Labelle (Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash) as traditional back-up singers. This was her last commercially successful album. Nyro, Labelle, Gamble and Huff expertly blended genres doo-wop, soul, R&B, pop, Brill Building, and gospel. *This is one of my favorite go to Nyro albums. There is only one word to describe Gonna Take a Miracle, Brilliant!!!!!*

Following a four year hiatus from the music industry, she releases Smile (released 1976), Season of Lights *live album* (released 1977), Columbia Records issued the album in the summer of 1977, taking songs from various locations while she toured in 1976. Nested (released1978), addresses womanhood and motherhood. She was pregnant with her son while promoting this album. Mother's Spiritual (released 1984), Laura: Live at the Bottom Line (released 1989) She went on the road to record a live album. Walk the Dog and Light the Light (released1993) The studio version Broken Rainbow, deemed Laura's most important protest song was written for the film Broken Rainbow, which won an Academy Award for best Documentary of 1985. The movie is about the unjust relocation of the Navajo People. Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro (released 1997), The two disc set considered her most thorough compilation piece of her earlier recordings, Nyro chose each track personally. Time and Love: Essential Masters (released 2000), Third retrospective album of sixteen of her most famous compositions into a single disc.

Laura Nyro was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1995 shortly after the release of her greatest hits album. Sadly, she succumbed April 8, 1997. She was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Her music was used by The Alvin Ailey Dance Company's dance piece Cry and the Canadian Ballet used her song Emme. As a stellar songwriter, Laura Nyro stayed true to her art form and most importantly to herself. She wrote what she felt and when she sang it she made you take notice. She made it possible for today's singer/songwriters to sit behind a piano and be intimate and honest with their audience.

"If not for Laura Nyro, the music of Rickie Lee Jones, Joni Mitchell, and Teena Marie might have been very different. When she released her first album in 1966, Nyro was 19 years old who linked high flown poetry to the ecstatic emotions of soul music. Her singing mixed the pure tones of gospel and jazz. ~ Jon Pareles (New York Times)

ARTISTS WHO COVERED LAURA NYRO'S COMPOSITIONS

Peter, Paul, and Mary| Blood Sweat and Tears| 5th Dimension| Three Dog Night| Barbra Streisand| Chet Atkins| The Four Tops| Linda Ronstadt| Diana Ross| Frank Sinatra| Thelma Houston| Peggy Lipton| Carmen McCrae| Suzanne Vega| Phoebe Snow| Roseanne Cash| Sweet Honey in the Rock| Jane Siberry| Mongo Santamaria| Junior Walker and the All Stars| Patti Larkin| George Duke| Maynard Ferguson

http://www.lauranyro.com/
http://rockhall.com/inductees/laura-nyro/

Wedding Bell Blues (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdBOzE1YPDM&feature=related

Poverty Train (live)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YxIGXISEi4