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It was about 12 years ago when we first saw Lucy play at the Borderline having been hooked by her debut CD and we’ve taken every opportunity we’ve had to see her since. Being pretty big fans, this is a very exciting show for us and a rare opportunity to see her play in such an intimate setting.
Over the Hills, the latest CD from New York City singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky, is her most personal recording to date, with a stunning range of material, from stories about family to a compelling collection of classic songs by other writers, performed with Lucy’s distinctive interpretive sensibility. Over the Hills is Lucy’s story and her reflection upon her times.
While Lucy’s last album The Red Thread is about her journey to adopt her daughter Molly from China, Over the Hills is the story of how her family came to be in America and the struggles they have endured. The album connects to universal themes of love, joy, loss and dreams for the future. “As a mother, I find myself thinking about what kind of life and what kind of world my daughter Molly will experience,” Lucy says.
Lucy is joined by a parade of friends, who lend their vocal harmonies—Eliza Gilkyson, Buddy Miller, Richard Shindell and Jonatha Brooke. Rediscovering her musical roots, Lucy returns to a more acoustic sound that is influenced by the music she first fell in love with—folk and classic country.
Lucy started out singing in Chicago bars. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky moved to New York City. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers—Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Bill Morrissey, Cliff Eberhardt, and others.
With a beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favourite singing partner, but most often she found herself singing as a duo with Shawn Colvin. People envisioned big things for them; in fact, The New York Times said it was “easy to predict stardom for her.” But then Lucy dropped it all.
Convinced that her calling was in another direction, Lucy left the musical fast track to pursue a doctorate in Psychology. Upon completing her degree, Dr. Kaplansky took a job at a New York hospital working with chronically mentally ill adults, and also started a private practice.
Lucy was often pulled back into the studio by her friends, (who now had contracts with record labels) wanting her to sing on their albums. She harmonized on Colvin’s Grammy-winning Steady On, on Nanci Griffith’s Lone Star State of Mind and Little Love Affairs, and on four of John Gorka’s albums. She also landed soundtrack credits, singing with Suzanne Vega on Pretty in Pink and with Griffith on The Firm, and several commercial credits as well—including “The Heartbeat of America” for Chevrolet.
Then Shawn Colvin—who was itching to produce a record—hooked up with Lucy, her ex-singing partner. They went into the studio, and it all came together. When Lucy’s solo tapes got into the hands of Bob Feldman, president of Red House Records, he was blown away. Suddenly, Lucy was back in the music business. She signed with Red House and started playing gigs. Red House released The Tide in 1994 to rave reviews, and within six months Lucy signed with a major booking agency—Fleming Tamulevich & Associates—and began touring so much it required leaving her two psychologist positions behind.
Lucy’s second album, Flesh and Bone (1996), was produced by Anton Sanko (producer of Suzanne Vega’s Days of Open Hand), and it clearly showed a performer and songwriter stepping into her own. Some of Lucy’s favorite singing partners joined her in the studio, including Jennifer Kimball (formerly of The Story), Richard Shindell, and John Gorka. Where The Tide had showcased Lucy’s formidable interpretive skills, Flesh and Bone emphasized her development as a gifted songsmith. The album is graced with eight absorbing original songs, as well as four sharp covers.
After releasing, The Tide, Lucy’s success took flight with back-to-back hit albums Ten Year Night and Every Single Day. Both received the AFIM award (Association For Independent Music) for best pop album of the year. Lucy’s rising popularity has led to appearances on the CBS Morning Show, NPR’s Weekend and Morning Editions, Mountain Stage, West Coast Live, Acoustic Cafe, and Vin Scelsa’s Idiot’s Delight.
A longer version of the biography above appears on her website.
You can find-out more about Lucy at her website www.lucykaplansky.com
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