LAURA NYRO - Premium Best (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This entry into the Japan-only Premium Best series highlights the recordings of composer/performer Laura Nyro. Unlike other single-CD North American compilations, this 16-track disc gives sufficient time to her tragically underappreciated post-Smile recordings. Several of these titles are not even available on CD in the States, which is perhaps correlated to the seeming lack of interest. There are actually numerous advantages to this collection -- not the least of which is the artist-sensitive track list. Presumably the Premium Best series is aimed at the casual enthusiast, as the hardcore collector would either already own the contents or buy it anyway if they were a completist. By including seminal album sides such as the imperially haunting "New York Tendaberry" and "Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp," a more accurate overview of Nyro's career is presented here. There is a generous sampling from The First Songs (aka More Than a New Discovery), including many of her signature compositions that became international hits for other artists. "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Blowing Away" are key entries from the 5th Dimension. "And When I Die" became a hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears and likewise "Stoney End" is arguably best remembered by the Barbra Streisand cover version. Two of the most memorable inclusions in Eli and the Thirteenth Confession followed suit by becoming successful hits for Three Dog Night ("Eli's Comin'") and once again the 5th Dimension ("Stoned Soul Picnic"). Representing her acclaimed follow-up long-player, New York Tendaberry, are the previously mentioned title track as well as the single version of "Save the Country," which was uncharacteristically cut in Los Angeles with Bones Howe producing a Hal Blaine-led Wrecking Crew. By comparison, Nyro's final seven albums may not seem as amply represented. However, the tracks from the remainder of her catalog, at the very least, signify these timeless entries. Both Gonna Take a Miracle and Smile are represented by their respective title tracks, while the 1976 concert recording Season of Lights ("Sweet Blindness"), Nested ("Mr. Blue"), Mother's Spiritual ("To a Child"), and Walk the Dog & Light the Light ("A Woman of the World") are embodied by their individual submissions. Once again the Japanese beat U.S. releases to the punch. Lindsay Planer

Tracklist :
1    Save The Country (Single Mix)    2:26
2    Eli's Comin'    3:58
3    Stoned Soul Picnic    3:49
4    New York Tendaberry    5:35
5    Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp    5:35
6    It's Gonna Take A Miracle    3:26
7    Wedding Bell Blues    2:55
8    And When I Die    2:40
9    Blowin' Away    2:21
10    Stoney End    2:46
11    Smile    5:38
12    Sweet Blindness (Live)    3:53
13    Mr. Blue    5:02
14    Mother's Spiritual    3:18
15    To A Child    3:33
16    A Woman Of The World    4:13

LAURA NYRO - Spread Your Wings And Fly (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1    American Dove    5:03
Written-By – Laura Nyro
2    Medley: Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing / (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman 4:10
Written-By – N. Ashford-V. Simpso, C. King-G. Goffin, J. Wexler
3    Spanish Harlem 3:19
Written-By – J. Leiber, P. Spector
4    I Am The Blues    5:04
Written-By – Laura Nyro
5    Medley: Walk On By / Dancing In The Street 4:59
Written-By – B. Bacharach-H. David, I. Hunter, M. Gaye, W. Stevenson
6    Emmie    4:55
Written-By – Laura Nyro
7    Map To The Treasure    6:52
Written-By – Laura Nyro
8    Christmas In My Soul    5:38
Written-By – Laura Nyro
9    Save The Country    4:59
Written-By – Laura Nyro
10    Medley: Timer / O-o-h Child / Up On The Roof 8:41
Written-By – G. Goffin-C. King, L. Nyro, S. Vincent
11    Medley: Lu / Flim Flam Man    3:42
Written-By – Laura Nyro
12    Mother Earth    7:58
Written-By – Laura Nyro    
Credits :
Vocals, Grand Piano – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Time and Love : The Essential Masters (2012) RM | HDCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As a 16-song, single-disc best-of, this does the job very nicely for those who want Nyro's best and most famous songs in one place. Only nine tracks into the CD you've already heard "Sweet Blindness," "Wedding Bell Blues," "And When I Die," "Blowin' Away," "Eli's Comin'," "Stoney End," and "Stoned Soul Picnic," which should be enough to convince anyone that Nyro was a major singer/songwriter. An argument could be made that, as an album-oriented performer whose career spanned about three decades, this is too brief a sampling of her discography, and too lopsided, as just one of the songs was recorded after 1970 (at which point she had yet to reach her 25th birthday). Still, the hard facts are that Nyro's best recordings and compositions were those from the beginning of her career. If you want greater breadth, there's the two-CD Stoned Soul Picnic: The Best of Laura Nyro compilation. But if a best-of's all you want, you don't lose much by springing for Time and Love instead, as disc two of Stoned Soul Picnic really isn't that good. Another good reason to consider this the first choice: Time and Love uses the original 1968 studio version of "Sweet Blindness" (a 1976 live rendition was used on Stoned Soul Picnic). Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1    Sweet Blindness    2:36
Written-By – Laura Nyro
2    Wedding Bell Blues    2:53
Written-By – Laura Nyro
3    And When I Die    2:38
Written-By – Laura Nyro
4    Blowin' Away    2:19
Written-By – Laura Nyro
5    Eli's Comin'    3:58
Written-By – Laura Nyro
6    Goodbye Joe    2:40
Written-By – Laura Nyro
7    Stoney End    2:43
Written-By – Laura Nyro
8    It's Gonna Take A Miracle 3:22
Written-By – B. Weinstein, L. Stallman, T. Randazzo
9    Stoned Soul Picnic    3:47
Written-By – Laura Nyro
10    Lu    2:44
Written-By – Laura Nyro
11    Save The Country    4:30
Written-By – Laura Nyro
12    When I Was A Freeport And You Were The Main Drag    2:46
Written-By – Laura Nyro
13    Blackpatch    3:35
Written-By – Laura Nyro
14    Time And Love    4:18
Written-By – Laura Nyro
15    Sexy Mama 2:41
Written-By – A. Goodman, H. Ray, S. Robinson
16    Up On The Roof 3:15
Written-By – G. Goffin - C. King

LAURA NYRO - More Than a New Discovery (1966-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 12 sides represent singer/songwriter Laura Nyro's earliest professional recordings. More Than a New Discovery was originally issued on the Folkways label in conjunction with Verve Records in early 1967. The contents were subsequently reissued as The First Songs in 1969 after she began to garner national exposure with her first two LPs for Columbia -- Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968) and New York Tendaberry (1969), respectively. Many of these titles became international hits for some of the early '70s most prominent pop music vocalists and bands. Among them, "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Blowing Away" were covered by the Fifth Dimension. "And When I Die" became one of Blood, Sweat & Tears signature pieces. Likewise, "Stoney End," as well as "I Never Meant to Hurt You," are both arguably best known via Barbra Streisand's renditions. Accompanied by a small pop combo, Nyro's prowess as both composer and performer are evidence that she was a disciple of both Tin Pan Alley as well as the Brill Building writers. Additionally, Nyro was able to blend the introspection of a classic torch ballad with an undeniable intimacy inherent in her lyrics. "Buy and Sell," as well as "Billy's Blues," exemplify her marriage of jazz motifs within a uniquely pop music structure. Also immediately discernible is that these were far from simplistic, dealing with the organic elements that tether all of humanity, such as love, death, loss, and even redemption. While artists such as Tim Buckley and Joni Mitchell were attempting to do the same, much of their early catalog is considerably less focused in comparison. For example, "Lazy Susan" incorporates the same acoustic noir that would become the centerpiece of her future epics "Gibsom Street" and the title track to New York Tendaberry. There are a few differences worth noting when comparing More Than a New Discovery and First Songs. After Columbia Records bought Nyro out of her contract with Verve/Forecast, they also issued this collection in 1973 as First Songs, boasting a revised running order, as well as a title change from "Hands Off the Man" -- as listed here -- to "Flim Flam Man." Beginning in 2002, Sony/Legacy began an exhaustive overhaul of Nyro's classic '70s albums. In addition to remastered sound and newly incorporated artwork and liner notes, the series also boasts "bonus tracks" where applicable. Both casual listeners, as well as seasoned connoisseurs, can find much to discover and rediscover on these seminal sides from Laura Nyro. Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    Goodbye Joe    2:34
2    Billy's Blues    3:18
3    And When I Die    2:39
4    Stoney End    2:44
5    Lazy Susan    3:51
6    Hands Off The Man    2:28
7    Wedding Bell Blues    2:40
8    Buy And Sell    3:35
9    He's A Runner    3:39
10    Blowin' Away    2:20
11    I Never Meant To Hurt You    2:52
12    California Shoeshine Boys    2:42
Credits :
Arranged By, Conductor – Herb Bernstein
Written-By, Vocals [Uncredited], Piano [Uncredited] – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968-1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Nyro peaked early, and Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, just her second album, remains her best. It's not only because it contains the original versions of no less than three songs that were big hits for other artists: "Sweet Blindness" (covered by the 5th Dimension), "Stoned Soul Picnic" (also covered by the 5th Dimension), and "Eli's Comin'" (done by Three Dog Night). It's not even just because those three songs are so outstanding. It's because the album as a whole is so outstanding, with its invigorating blend of blue-eyed soul, New York pop, and early confessional singer/songwriting. Nyro sang of love, inscrutably enigmatic romantic daredevils, getting drunk, lonely women, and sensual desire with an infectious joie de vivre. The arrangements superbly complemented the material with lively brass, wailing counterpoint backup vocals, and Nyro's own ebullient piano. Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1    Luckie 3'03
2    Lu 2'46
3    Sweet Blindness 2'41
4    Poverty Train 4'17
5    Lonely Women 3'35
6    Eli's Comin 3'58
7    Timer 3'25
8    Stoned Soul Picnic 4'23
9    Emmie 4'23
10    Woman's Blues 3'48
11    Once It Was Alright Now (Farmer Joe) 3'00
12    December's Boudoir 5'09
13    The Confession 2'48
Credits :
Producer, Vocals, Piano, Written-By – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - New York Tendaberry (1967-2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although New York Tendaberry was nearly as strong a record as its predecessor, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, it wasn't as accessible. In large part that's because, unlike her first two albums, it didn't have three or four songs that would become instantly recognizable hits in the hands of other artists. But it was also because the mood of the record was considerably darker and the production quite a bit starker. It was hardly a gloomy affair, but the emphasis was on soulful laments and arrangements that often featured, in part or whole, nothing but her voice and piano. Without at all sounding blatantly derived from gospel, it often sounded very much in the spirit of gospel in its fervid passion, though using melodies from a wide pop/blues-soul canvas and addressing concerns far more secular and personal. There were crafty, dramatic punctuations of orchestration, yet these were far more subdued than they had been on the more jubilant Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. "Save the Country" (along with the upbeat section of "Time and Love") is really the only song here that has the immediate uplifting impact of her most famous early tunes, and even that track could have benefited from a less-bare setting. It's a rewarding album, but one that takes some effort to fully appreciate. The 2002 CD reissue adds two bonus tracks: the mono single version of "Save the Country," which has a far fuller arrangement than the album take, and the jaunty, previously unreleased "In the Country Way." Richie Unterberger
Tracklist :
1    You Don't Love Me When I Cry    4:19
2    Captain For Dark Mornings    4:33
3    Tom Cat Goodbye    5:26
4    Mercy On Broadway    2:12
5    Save The Country    4:32
6    Gibsom Street    4:42
7    Time And Love    4:19
8    The Man Who Sends Me Home    2:47
9    Sweet Lovin' Baby    3:50
10    Captain Saint Lucifer    3:13
11    New York Tendaberry    5:33
- BONUS TRACKS -    
12    Save The Country (Single Version) (Mono)    2:26
13    In The Country Way 2:10
Written-By – Unknown Artist
Credits :
Piano, Vocals – Laura Nyro
Written-By – Laura Nyro (pistas: 1 to 12)

LAURA NYRO - Christmas and the Beads of Sweat (1970-2008) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Laura Nyro's third Columbia effort is easily the equal of her previous two. The overwhelming strength of her song writing and distinctive arrangements fuel Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. Her unmistakable style of delivery maintains the continual examination of herself as a performer. The results are uniformly interesting and provocative as she continues to draw upon her love of jazz, folk, and R&B -- which would inform Nyro's next album ,Gonna Take a Miracle, featuring the soul vocal trio LaBelle. Conceptually, this album is as potent as her previous effort, New York Tendaberry, but in a much different way. Rather than hanging together thematically, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat features two inclusive and distinctive sides of music -- with different musicians and producers for each. The first five tracks feature Nyro backed by the Swampers from Muscle Shoals, AL, and include the talents of Roger Hawkins (drums), Eddie Hinton (guitar), Dave Hood (bass), Barry Becket (vibraphone), and Jack Jennings (percussion), with Arif Mardin producing. While this pairing might seem initially incongruous, the quintet had been concurrently working with the likes of Dusty Springfield and Cher and had gained a rightful reputation as a consummate backup band. The final four pieces are steeped in noir more atypical of her previous efforts. The all-star cast of New York City session heavyweights are led by Felix Cavaliere (producer) and features fellow Rascals member Dino Danelli (drums), Ralph McDonald (percussion), Chuck Rainey (bass), Cornell Dupree (guitar), Duane Allman (guitar), and Alice Coltrane (stringed harp), among others. As with all of Nyro's recordings, at the heart of this effort are her ageless compositions and arrangements. A motif connecting such disparate tunes as the upbeat "When I Was a Freeport and You Were the Main Drag" to the hauntingly beautiful "Christmas in My Soul" and "Beads of Sweat" is the aching hollowness that came with the disillusionment that Vietnam, Kent State, and racial relations brought upon America in 1970. As she had done with "Save the Country" some four years earlier, Nyro's cathartic expressionism is captured at its most fervent on this album. Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    Brown Earth    4:11
Written-By – Laura Nyro
2    When I Was A Freeport And You Were The Main Drag    2:45
Written-By – Laura Nyro
3    Blackpatch    3:36
Written-By – Laura Nyro
4    Been On A Train    5:51
Written-By – Laura Nyro
5    Up On The Roof 3:16
Written-By – Gerry Goffin And Carol King
6    Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp    5:35
Written-By – Laura Nyro
7    Map To The Treasure    8:14
Written-By – Laura Nyro
8    Beads Of Sweat    4:51
Written-By – Laura Nyro
9    Christmas In My Soul    7:05
Written-By – Laura Nyro
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Stu Scharf (pistas: 1 to 5)
Arranged By – Arif Mardin, Laura Nyro
Bass – Chuck Rainey (pistas: 6 to 9), Dave Hood (pistas: 1 to 5), Richard Davis
Cimbalom [Cimbalim] – Michael Szittai (pistas: 6 to 9)
Conductor – Arif Mardin
Drums – Dino Danelli (pistas: 6 to 9), Roger Hawkins (pistas: 1 to 5)
Electric Guitar – Cornel Dupree (pistas: 6 to 9), Duane Allman, Eddie Hinton (pistas: 1 to 5)
Harp – Alice Coltrane (pistas: 6 to 9)
Organ, Bells – Felix Cavaliere (pistas: 1 to 5)
Oud – Ashad Garabedian (pistas: 6 to 9)
Percussion – Jack Jennings (pistas: 1 to 5), Ralph MacDonald (pistas: 6 to 9)
Vibraphone [Vibes] – Barry Beckett (pistas: 1 to 5)
Woodwind – Joe Farrell (pistas: 6 to 9)

LAURA NYRO AND LABELLE - Gonna Take A Miracle (1971-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With the 1971 release Gonna Take a Miracle, pop composer and vocalist Laura Nyro completed her four-album/four-year deal for Columbia. Nyro's passion for R&B can be traced back to some of her earliest compositions, such as "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Stoned Soul Picnic" -- both of which were covered by the R&B vocal quintet the Fifth Dimension. More recently, her version of "Up on the Roof" was one of the highlights of Christmas and the Beads of Sweat. So, enthusiasts who had paid any attention at all to the course of Nyro's career would not have been surprised by her direction on this project. As much as Gonna Take a Miracle is indeed a Laura Nyro album, it could likewise, and perhaps more accurately, be described as a collaborative effort between Nyro and the female soul trio LaBelle -- featuring Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash -- as well as producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. It is ultimately this team that is responsible for the album's overwhelmingly solid results. Leading off in an apropos style is a succulent cover of the Shirelles hit "I Met Him on a Sunday." The vocal performance is structured as a round -- with each woman singing a consecutive line. The song is rightfully returned to the street corner doo wop tradition from which it originated with the simplicity of unadorned vocals creating an inconspicuous a cappella symphony. Nyro has never sounded so comfortable, easy, or "in her element" than she does backed by an all-star Philly soul ensemble that Gamble and Huff assembled for these sessions. The material reaches beyond just the sounds of Philadelphia, with Motown ("You've Really Got a Hold on Me" and "Nowhere to Run") and Brill Building ("Spanish Harlem"), as well as lesser-known covers of the Charts' "Desiree" and the Baltimore-based Royalettes "It's Gonna Take a Miracle." Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    I Met Him On A Sunday 1:50
Written-By – A. Harris, B. Lee, D. Coley, S. Owens
2    The Bells 2:59
Written-By – Anna Gordy Gaye, Elgie Stover, I. Bristol, Marvin Gaye
3    Monkey Time/Dancing In The Street 4:54
Written-By – Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, W. Stevenson
4    Desiree 1:50
Written-By – C. Johnson, L. Cooper
5    You've Really Got A Hold On Me 4:05
Written-By – Smokey Robinson
6    Spanish Harlem 2:52
Written-By – Jerry Leiber, Phil Spector
7    Jimmy Mack 2:55
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
8    The Wind 2:54
Written-By – B. Edwards, Nolan Strong
9    Nowhere To Run 5:03
Written-By – Holland-Dozier-Holland
10    It's Gonna Take A Miracle 3:23
Written-By – B. Weinstein, L. Stallman, T. Randazzo
Credits :
Arranged By [Strings], Arranged By [Horns] – Robert Martin, Lenny Pakula, Tom Bell
Bass – Ronnie Baker
Congas, Bongos – Larry Washington, Nydia Mata
Drums – Jim Helmer
Guitar – Norman Harris, Roland Chambers
Organ – Lenny Pakula
Percussion – Vince Montana
Vocals – Nona Hendryx, Patti Labelle, Sarah Dash
Vocals, Piano – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - The First Songs (1973-1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This disc contains a dozen of the first songs that singer/songwriter Laura Nyro ever recorded. They were issued originally as More Than a New Discovery (1967) for the folkie Forecast division of the primarily jazz-oriented Verve Records label. When Columbia Records bought Nyro's back catalog, they reissued the material under the title The First Songs in 1973 as a stopgap release during her self-imposed exile from 1971 until 1976. Pop music enthusiasts will recognize many of the songs, as they became international hits for other artists. "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Blowing Away" are signature tunes for the Fifth Dimension. "And When I Die" likewise became best known by Blood, Sweat & Tears. "Stoney End" and "I Never Meant to Hurt You" both are notable from Barbra Streisand's respective cover versions. For The First Songs, Nyro is accompanied by a small pop combo. Her duality as composer and performer demonstrate her influence from pop music's golden Tin Pan Alley to the more modern Brill Building style. Nyro's ability to synthesize the introspection of a classic torch ballad with an undeniable intimacy inherent in her lyrics is evident on "Buy and Sell," as well as "Billy's Blues" -- which both exemplify her uncanny marriage of jazz within a uniquely pop music structure. Also immediately discernable is that these tunes were far from simplistic, dealing with the organic elements that tether all of humanity, such as love, death, loss, and even redemption. While artists such as Tim Buckley and Joni Mitchell were attempting to do the same, much of their early catalog is considerably less focused in comparison. For example, "Lazy Susan" incorporates the same acoustic noir that would become the centerpiece of her future epics "Gibsom Street" and the title track to New York Tendaberry. There are a few differences between this release and More Than a New Discovery. In addition to altering the title and cover art, The First Songs revises the running order and renames "Hands Off the Man" to "Flim Flam Man." Beginning in 2002, Sony/Legacy commenced an exhaustive overhaul of Nyro's classic '70s albums. In addition to remastered sound, newly incorporated artwork, and liner notes, the series also boasts "bonus tracks" where applicable. Both casual listeners, as well as seasoned connoisseurs, can find much to discover and rediscover on these seminal sides from Laura Nyro. Lindsay Planer
Tracklist :
1    Wedding Bell Blues 2:44
2    Billy's Blues 3:20
3    California Shoeshine Boys 2:45
4    Blowing Away 2:23
5    Lazy Susan 3:53
6    Good By Joe 2:38
7    Flim Flam Man 2:29
8    Stoney End 2:46
9    I Never Meant To Hurt You 2:52
10    He's A Runner 3:40
11    Buy And Sell 3:38
12    And When I Die 2:40
Credits :
Conductor, Arranged By – Herb Bernstein
Written-By, Vocals, Piano – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Smile (1976-2008) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After a five-year hiatus, singer/songwriter Laura Nyro returned in 1976 with Smile. On this disc, Nyro's somewhat idiosyncratic writing and performance style is decidedly subdued. In its stead is a light pop and jazz feel similar to that of Maria Muldaur's mid-'70s recordings. Supporting Nyro instrumentally is virtually a who's-who of New York and Los Angeles studio stalwarts. While the prowess of folks like Will Lee (bass), brothers Randy Brecker (trumpet) and Michael Brecker (flute/sax), Hugh McCracken (guitar), and Rick Marotta (drums) certainly strengthens Nyro's already laid-back material, it likewise reduces her to sounding like a Joni Mitchell ripoff. The undeniable highlight of Smile is the maturity in the songwriting. It becomes obvious that the half-decade away has done some significant good in revealing a decidedly positive evolution in Nyro's approach to her own life. What's more is that the material on this album seems to come from a place of contentment. The influence of her work with the female soul vocal trio LaBelle on Gonna Take a Miracle -- prior to her mini-retirement -- also seems to be a source of inspiration throughout this disc. The high and tight vocal harmonies (all of which are credited to Nyro) are wholly rewarding and hark back to her R&B-induced "Wedding Bell Blues" and "Stoned Soul Picnic." This is most evident on the opening track, "Sexy Mama" (penned by Harry Ray, Joe Robinson, and Al Goodman), which was also a hit for the R&B vocal group the Moments. The intimate nature of "I Am the Blues" and "Midnite Blue" are reminiscent of older Nyro favorites such as "Emmie" and "Captain St. Lucifer." In all, Smile is much like a musical letter from an old acquaintance and casts a direct light onto the next phase in Laura Nyro's recording career. Lindsay Planer  
Tracklist :
1    Sexy Mama 2:42
Bass – Will Lee
Drums – Chris Parker
Guitar – John Tropea
Saxophone – Joe Farrell
Triangle – Paul Messing
Written-By – A. Goodman, H. Ray, S. Robinson
2    Children Of The Junks
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – Chris Parker
Guitar – Huey McCracken
3    Money 4:59
Bass – Bob Babbit
Drums – Alan Schwartzberg
Guitar – Jeff Mironov, Jerry Friedman, John Tropea
Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Tambourine, Wood Block – Jimmy Maeullen
Vibraphone [Vibes] – David Friedman
4    I Am The Blues 5:45
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – Alan Schwartzberg
Guitar – Joe Beck, John Tropea
Trumpet – Randy Brecker
Vibraphone [Vibes] – David Friedman
5    Stormy Love 4:30
Bass – Bob Babbit
Congas – Nydia Mata
Drums – Alan Schwartzberg
Flute – George Young
Guitar – Jeff Mironov, Jerry Freedman, John Tropea
6    The Cat-Song
Bass – Will Lee
Drums – Chris Parker
Flute, Saxophone – Michael Brecker
Guitar – John Tropea
Shaker – Rubin Bassine
Trumpet – Randy Brecker
7    Midnite Blue 3:07
Bass – Will Lee
Congas – Carter CC Collins
Drums – Chris Parker
Guitar – Greg Bennett, John Tropea
8    Smile 5:36
Bass – Richard Davis
Congas – Carter CC Collins
Drums – Rick Maratta
Flute, Saxophone – George Young
Guitar – Jeff Mironov, John Tropea
Koto – Nisako Yoshida, Reiko Kamota
Vibraphone [Vibes] – David Friedman
- BONUS TRACKS -
9    Someone Loves You    1:58
10    Get Me My Cap    2:54
11    Coffee Morning    3:48

LAURA NYRO - Season Of Lights ... Laura Nyro In Concert (Complete Version) (1977-2008) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

From the opening moments of Season of Lights, as the band slides smoothly into "Money" from Laura Nyro's then-current album, Smile, you know that this record was cut at the perfect moment in Nyro's career -- her performance combines the understated sense of release of someone who is back from a long sabbatical (in this case, five years away from recording or performing), and the cool, smooth professionalism of a natural performer who has found a perfect accompaniment, in this case mixing elements of pop and light jazz. She gave listeners fresh reconsiderations of ten-year-old works like "And When I Die," which she does in a slow, lyrical, yet slightly funky manner, as though neither she nor any of her audience had ever heard of Blood, Sweat & Tears -- talk about reclaiming a song for herself, once one hears this rendition it's difficult to take David Clayton-Thomas' performance of it seriously ever again -- and "The Confession." "Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp" becomes the vehicle for Nyro's introduction of the band, before she begins stretching her upper range, accompanied by Jeanie Fineberg's flute, John Tropea's guitar, and Michael Mainieri's vibraphone. "When I Was a Freeport (And You Were the Main Drag)" is the kind of song that, ideally, should only ever have been presented live, showing off Nyro at her most gently beguiling and accessible, teasing the audience with the play of her words and her voice, an approach that she emulates on "Captain St. Lucifer." The original ten songs from the original LP were a decent representation of where Nyro was at the time, though one can bet that if Clive Davis had still been president of Columbia Records, Season of Lights would have been the double LP that was intended. [In 1995, Sony Music of Japan issued an expanded edition, and complete versions of the concert appeared in the 2000s.] Bruce Eder  
Tracklist :
1    Money    6:04
2    Sweet Lovin' Baby    2:19
3    And When I Die    4:03
4    The Morning News    2:31
5    Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp    4:56
6    I Am The Blues    7:00
7    When I Was A Freeport And You Were The Main Drag    3:42
8    Captain St. Lucifer    6:02
9    Smile    4:06
10    Mars    3:24
11    Sweet Blindness    3:47
12    The Cat Song    4:21
13    Emmie    3:56
14    The Confession    3:10
15    Timer    6:15
16    Midnite Blue    4:05
- BONUS TRACKS -
17    Timer    3:26
18    Emmie    4:04
Credits :
Bass – Richard Davis
Clavinet, Vibraphone, Marimba [Baliphone] – Michael Manieri
Congas, Percussion – Nydia "Liberty" Mata
Drums – Andy Newmark
Electric Guitar – John Tropea
Flute – Jeanie Fineberg
Painting [Paintings] – Rokuro Taniuchi
Percussion [2nd Percussion] – Carter C.C. Collins
Saxophone – Jeanie Fineberg, Jeff King   
Trumpet – Ellen Seeling
Acoustic Guitar, Piano, Vocals, Written-By – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Nested (1978-2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Nested was Laura Nyro's second studio album of new original material to be released after her career hiatus of the first half of the 1970s, following 1976's Smile. Like that predecessor, it was a more restrained affair, musically and lyrically, than some of her more intense efforts of the late '60s, such as New York Tendaberry. In fact, such catchy soul-pop songs as "Rhythm & Blues" and "The Sweet Sky" sounded almost as if they could have appeared on her 1967 debut album More Than a New Discovery and been covered for hits. But Nyro's highly personal perspective was also on display on the record, starting with the lead-off track, "Mr. Blue (The Song of Communications)," an account of an attempt to re-establish relations with a lover, in which she paused to speak quoted dialogue from him to her: "I've heard of liberation but sweetheart -- you're in outer space," and "you can be so arrogant, and you don't know anything about being cool." In "American Dreamer," she turned from her personal life to her professional life, apparently recalling the early business deal that resulted in a former manager ending up with half the proceeds from her song publishing royalties. The chorus, another quoted passage, goes "There's nothing we can do/we could not get there in time/It's too late -- /she signed on the dotted line." But the overwhelming theme of the album, as its title suggested, concerned Nyro's pregnancy. In "Crazy Love," sung with only her own piano accompaniment, she first referred to her "unborn star," and by the album's close with "Child in a Universe" and "The Nest," impending childbirth had become a major concern. As such, Nested could be viewed as the next installment in Nyro's allusive musical autobiography. William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist :
1     Mr. Blue (The Song of Communications) 5:03
Laura Nyro
2     Rhythm and Blues 3:01
Laura Nyro    
3     My Innocence 3:26
Laura Nyro    
4     Crazy Love 4:22
Laura Nyro
5     American Dreamer 4:10
Laura Nyro
6     Springblown 4:25     
Laura Nyro    
7     The Sweet Sky 3:34
Laura Nyro
8     Light (Pop's Principle) 2:54
Laura Nyro    
9     Child in a Universe 4:14
Laura Nyro
10     The Nest 2:26
Laura Nyro
Credits :
Bass – Will Lee (pistas: 2 to 4, 6 to 10)
Drums – Andy Newmark
Guitar – John Tropea, Vinnie Cusano
Harmonica – John Sebastian
Percussion – Nydia "Liberty" Mata
Guitar [Ensemble], Organ [Church],  Piano [Electric & Acoustic], Strings [Ensemble] – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Live in Japan (1994-2003) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This ten-track budget-priced collection, excerpted and resequenced from a longer version released in Japan, presents Laura Nyro at the piano along with a female vocal trio, performing a combination of the hit songs she penned, some 1950s and '60s hits of others she loved, and some of her newer material of the early 1990s. Four rock & roll oldies, the Shirelles' "Dedicated to the One I Love," the Miracles' "Ooh Baby Baby," Dionne Warwick's "Walk On By," and the Everly Brothers' "Let It Be Me," are interrupted by three of Nyro's own oldies, "And When I Die," "Save the Country," and "Wedding Bell Blues." This abbreviated version of the set then concludes with three then-recent songs, "Light a Flame (The Animal Rights Song)," "Louise's Church," and "Woman of the World," songs that continue to seem more preachy and less personal than her earlier work. But in this intimate context, with the singer and her piano presenting each song directly and with a calm confidence, the material holds together well. Fans without access to the far more expensive import might want to pick up this minor but pleasing addition to their Nyro collections. William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist :
1     Dedicated to the One I Love 3:28
Ralph Bass / Lowman Pauling
2     Ooh Baby Baby 2:16
Warren "Pete" Moore
3     And When I Die 2:41
Laura Nyro
4     Save the Country 2:53
Laura Nyro    
5     Wedding Bell Blues 2:17
Laura Nyro
6     Walk on By 2:19
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
7     Let It Be Me 2:55
Gilbert Bécaud / Sonny Curtis / Pierre Delanoë
8     Light a Flame (The Animal Rights Song) 3:32
Laura Nyro     
9     Louise's Church 3:23
Laura Nyro
10     Woman of the World 4:33

LAURA NYRO - Mother's Spiritual (1984-2009) RM | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Laura Nyro was the prototypical confessional singer/songwriter, beginning her career with craftsmanlike compositions that could be and were covered for hits by other artists, but turning, by the time of her third album, New York Tendaberry, to work that was too personal and idiosyncratic to be performed effectively by anybody but her. Her studio albums of new original material began to come less frequently after her fourth, Christmas and the Beads of Sweat, appeared in 1970, and Mother's Spiritual was only her third such LP in over 13 years and her first in five and a half when it appeared initially in January 1984. Confessional singer/songwriters present a certain challenge to their loyal listeners (and the listeners they retain tend to be very loyal). Since they are writing out of intimate, autobiographical concerns, their writing tends to change over the years as their lives change, and listeners may or may not continue to identify with them. Nyro's early confessional work was romantic and dramatic, but by the time of her previous album, Nested, in 1978, she had become more comfortable and was anticipating the birth of a child, all of which was reflected in the album, naturally. Mother's Spiritual picked up the story from there, as she presented her toddler, whose voice was actually heard on the disc. And the songs were very much those of a thirtysomething single mother of a small child living in American suburbia in the early 1980s. This was a woman who was devoted to her child and concerned about the world that child was going to grow up in, a world she found still dominated by war and other negative aspects of civilization. She looked at politics, for example ("The Right to Vote"), and saw no one worth supporting. She worried about consumer culture ("A Free Thinker"). She supported environmental awareness to the point of name-checking Greenpeace ("The Brighter Song"). As a feminist, she expected a male partner to share domestic duties ("Talk to a Green Tree"), but while she still wanted "everything" from a relationship ("Roadnotes"), she was no longer sure that romantic love was as transcendent as she had thought previously, or even if it should be heterosexual. ("I'm not waiting/for Miss or Mr. Right," she sang in "Melody in the Sky.") At very least, all of this represented a development from the way she had looked at things 15 years before, and while many of her early fans may have made similar journeys through life, they may not have been in as complete agreement with her as they had been before, especially because she was spelling things out so directly. Their adjustment might have been made easier if Nyro had been more musically accessible, but her record label, Columbia, seemed to have long since given up any idea (if it ever had one) of participating creatively in her work, contenting itself merely to release albums of music she wrote, recorded, and produced on her own in her home studio. Mother's Spiritual may have pleased the artist herself, but, with its loosely structured jazz-pop arrangements, seemingly written (or improvised) around her highly individual piano playing and singing, it was the sort of disc that demanded close and repeated listening to appreciate, listening that already devoted fans might be expected to do, but not others, which may help explain why the album turned out to be commercially negligible. Nevertheless, it stands up as another chapter in Nyro's ongoing musical autobiography, and the 2009 reissue on the Iconoclassic label increases its value by adding a live take of the song "Man in the Moon" as a bonus track and informative liner notes by Nyro biographer Michele Kort. William Ruhlmann  
Tracklist :
1    To A Child...    3:54
2    The Right To Vote    3:06
3    A Wilderness    2:59
4    Melody In The Sky    3:46
5    Late For Love    3:01
6    A Free Thinker    3:16
7    Man In The Moon    2:55
8    Talk To A Green Tree    3:41
9    Trees Of The Ages    3:49
10    The Brightest Song    2:31
11    Roadnotes    3:21
12    Sophia    4:41
13    Mother's Spiritual    3:17
14    Refrain    1:09
- BONUS TRACKS -    
15    Man In The Moon (Live)    3:29
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – Jan Nigro
Bass – Lisa Sunshine
Drums – Terry Silverlight
Electric Guitar – John Bristo
Percussion – Nydia "Liberty" Mata
Violin – Julie Lyonn Lieberman
Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Piano, Producer, Written-By – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Laura : Laura Nyro Live at the Bottom Line (1989) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Listening to this CD, this reviewer found himself swept up in its upbeat, ebullient introduction ("The Confession"), and then he had to resist the impulse to cry just a little. Officially titled Laura, and subtitled (and usually referred to as) Laura Nyro Live at the Bottom Line, this disc has been out of print since the mid-'90s, and so for many listeners it's like finding a long lost, intimate photo album, or even a home movie, of a deceased beloved friend or relative. It catches Nyro at her most delightfully assertive, ranging across her whole musical history, from "And When I Die" to "The Japanese Restaurant Song," with very personalized detours into numbers like "Up on the Roof" and "Hi Heel Sneakers" (gee, Laura Nyro overlapping repertoire with the Rolling Stones...and holding up). Vocally she was in superb form, having given up smoking at that point, and psychically, she manages to be reflective and outgoing at the same time, soaring beguilingly on the new material, so that numbers like "Roll of the Ocean" are as alluring as her decade-old hits. She is so tuned in to the music, her new band, and the crowd that she never fails to surprise in the course of living up to expectations -- the transition into "The Wild World" and the performance itself are almost worth the price of admission on the CD. And as good as she was that night, Diane Wilson was her match on harmony vocals, and the 1988-vintage live recording has held up as well across the years. This is a much smaller band than the one she had on Season of Light, her Columbia live album from the 1970s, and the Bottom Line is a more intimate venue than anywhere that album was recorded. Thus, not only Nyro's voice, but Jimmy Vivino's guitar and the rhythm section of Frank Pagano and David Wofford all sound up close and personal, and Pagano's drumming even generates a peculiarly melodic quality that's picked up well. Nyro slides across styles and sounds, morphing effortlessly but overpowering everywhere she stops, on soul, folk, jazz, gospel -- the first time this reviewer heard this performance of "And When I Die," he couldn't listen to the Blood, Sweat & Tears version for six months, and then only with wincing. The only flaw with the CD is a minor technical one -- the index numbers on the back are one off from the songs' actual indexing, which should only be the worst flaw on any CD. It's strange to think, as this is being written, that Nyro and the Bottom Line are now both gone -- anyone wondering why the artist and the room were legends couldn't do better than this release to get their questions answered. Bruce Eder  
Tracklist :
1    The Confession
2    High Heeled Sneakers    5:49
3    Roll Of The Ocean    4:31
4    Companion    5:23
5    The Wild World    3:40
6    My Innocence/Sophia    3:13
7    To A Child    3:57
8    And When I Die    3:16
9    Park Song    3:10
10    Broken Rainbow    4:19
11    Women Of The One World    1:44
12    Emmie    3:45
13    Wedding Bell Blues    3:48
14    The Japanese Restaurant Song    5:54
15    Stoned Soul Picnic    3:40
16    Medley: La La Means I Love You/Trees Of The Ages/Up On The Roof    5:40
Credits :
Bass – David Wofford
Drums – Frank Pagano
Guitar – Jimmy Vivino
Harmony Vocals – Diane Wilson
Mandolin [Electric] – Jimmy Vivino
Percussion – Nydia "Liberty" Mata
Voice, Keyboards, Written-By – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Live from Mountain Stage (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Laura Nyro's career became difficult to follow in the late '80s and early '90s. In 1984, she emerged with Mother's Spiritual, her first album in six years, on Columbia Records, the label she had joined in 1968. She returned to occasional performances a few years later, and in 1989, Cypress Records, a short-lived label, issued Live at the Bottom Line, which featured several new songs, even though Columbia continued to claim her as an exclusive recording artist. She returned to Columbia four years later with what turned out to be her final studio album, Walk the Dog & Light the Light. The archival Live From Mountain Stage, drawn from a performance recorded for the radio series on November 11, 1990, and released a decade later, comes from in the midst of this period. Nyro repeats "Roll of the Ocean" and "Japanese Restaurant" (aka "The Japanese Restaurant Song"), two of the new songs from Live at the Bottom Line, and she previews three numbers that will appear on Walk the Dog & Light the Light: the covers "Oh Yeah Maybe Baby (The Heebie Jeebies)" and "I'm So Proud/Dedicated to the One I Love," and the new original "Lite the Flame," an animal rights song. She also plays her seasonal medley "Let It Be Me/The Christmas Song," then just-released on the various artists album Acoustic Christmas, and selects four songs from her catalog: "And When I Die" from More Than a New Discovery, "Emmie" from Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, "My Innocence" from Nested, and "To a Child" from Mother's Spiritual. She accompanies herself on electric piano and sings powerfully, if without the dramatic style of her early work. The disc runs less than 30 minutes, but it provides a well-rounded sampling of Nyro's career, and the performances have an intimate directness. William Ruhlmann
Tracklist :
 1     Oh Yeah Maybe Baby (The Heebie Jeebies) 2:26
Hank Hunter / Phil Spector
2     My Innocence 2:16
Laura Nyro
3     To a Child 3:18
Laura Nyro
4     And When I Die 2:46
Laura Nyro    
5     Let It Be Me/The Christmas Song 2:43
Gilbert Bécaud / Manny Curtis / Pierre Delanoë
6     Roll of the Ocean 2:52     
Laura Nyro
7     Lite a Flame 3:12
Laura Nyro    
8     Emmie 3:12
Laura Nyro
9     Japanese Restaurant 4:05
Laura Nyro
10     I'm So Proud/Dedicated to the One I Love 3:04
Ralph Bass / Curtis Mayfield / Lowman Pauling

LAURA NYRO - Angel in the Dark (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Angel in the Dark is a lovely recording featuring the graceful vocals and finely crafted songs that everyone expects from Laura Nyro. These sessions were completed in the summer of 1995 and represent the last music Nyro recorded. The title cut and "Sweet Dream Fade" mine the same soul terrain as her late '60s recordings, featuring horns and underlined by heavy guitar riffs. These upbeat pieces perfectly integrate voice, arrangements, and lyrics to create an organic whole, and are two of the best cuts on the album. Slower, piano-based songs like "Triple Goddess Twilight," "He Was Too Good to Me," and "Serious Playground" are mixed in-between these songs. These pieces are quieter and introspective, with Nyro's voice more intimate. It is almost as though she was sitting at the piano, late at night, and singing to herself. There are also several covers including "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "Let It Be Me." The first of these is over five minutes and has been slowed down so much that it drags. In fact, she slows down all of the covers as if to convert them into heartfelt ballads. This works best on "Ooh Baby, Baby," partly because the arrangement is fuller and more dynamic. One other standout is the upbeat "Gardenia Talk," filled with lively percussion and a sensual vocal. Angel in the Dark is a fine coda, perfect for late-night listening, and a perfect companion to Nyro's other recordings. Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
Tracklist :
1    Angel in the Dark 4:06
Laura Nyro
2     Triple Goddess Twilight 4:01
Laura Nyro     
3     Will You Love Me Tomorrow 6:01
Gerry Goffin / Carole King    
4     He Was Too Good to Me 2:38
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers    
5     Sweet Dream Fade 4:28
Laura Nyro
6     Serious Playground 4:18
Laura Nyro
7     Be Aware 3:03
Burt Bacharach / Hal David    
8     Let It Be Me 2:15
Gilbert Bécaud / Manny Curtis / Pierre Delanoë
9     Gardenia Talk 2:46
Laura Nyro    
10     Ooo Baby Baby 3:26
Warren "Pete" Moore / Smokey Robinson    
11     Embraceable You 2:09
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin    
12     La-La (Means I Love You) 4:20
Thom Bell / William "Poogie" Hart    
13     Walk on By 2:18
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
14     Animal Grace 1:29
Laura Nyro
15     Don't Hurt Child 3:24
Laura Nyro
16     Coda 5:32
Laura Nyro
Credits :
Acoustic Guitar – John Tropea (pistas: 15)
Bass – Freddie Washington (pistas: 1, 5, 9, 15), Will Lee (pistas: 3, 7, 10, 12)
Drums – Bernard Purdie (pistas: 1, 5, 9, 15, 16), Chris Parker (2) (pistas: 3, 7, 10, 12)
Electric Guitar – John Tropea (pistas: 1, 5, 9, 15)
Guitar – Jeff Pevar (pistas: 3, 7, 10, 12)
Harmony Vocals – Laura Nyro (pistas: 1, 2, 6, 14 to 16)
Percussion – Bashiri Johnson (pistas: 1, 5, 9, 15, 16), Carole Steele (pistas: 3, 7, 10, 12)
Piano [Acoustic] – Laura Nyro (pistas: 2, 3, 4, 6 to 8, 10, 11, 14, 15)
Piano [Electric] – Laura Nyro (pistas: 1, 5, 9, 12, 13, 16)
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (pistas: 1, 5)
Trumpet – Randy Brecker (pistas: 1, 5)
Vocals – Laura Nyro

LAURA NYRO - Live / The Loom's Desire (2002) 2CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Culled from recordings made at New York's Bottom Line on Christmas Eve in 1993 and 1994, just a few years before her passing, these two dates on Live! The Loom's Desire offer as intimate a portrait of Nyro as we are likely to ever get from a recording. Using only her piano and two different harmony groups, Nyro runs through material from her own recordings and from the street-corner doo wop singing of her childhood. 1993's group has a six-piece backing group, making the sound full of depth and warmth, giving a kind of holiday intimacy to the proceedings -- especially on tracks like Nolan Strong's "Wind" and "Dedicated to the One I Love." There are a few more recent tracks that offer her views on animal rights, but they are woven though her more well-known songs. The big winners on the first set are "Emmie," which is chilling in its sheer desire, and the gospel-like raucousness of "And When I Die." On the 1994 concert, with a smaller group -- just a trio -- the effect is more riveting; there is an immediacy here that offers no sentimentality at all. On tracks like "Save the Country," there is a conviction not heard before, even in Nyro. On "Broken Rainbow," passion and heartbreak drip like rain from the petals of flowers. Most of the music is more recent, but it plays exactly the same as it if it were recorded in her "prime." There was no period on Nyro's life as a songwriter that wasn't a prime (check out the medley of "Blowin' Away" and "Wedding Bell Blues"). The set closes with Smokey Robinson's "Ooh Baby, Baby," and it is the most fitting goodbye, a way of tenderly sending off the crowd into the night with all the wishes a holiday season has to offer, but also with the appreciation and gratitude that she was so well-received. There is no goodbye like the one that has no idea that there will be no more hellos, and that's how this set whispers to a close, with the promise of a tomorrow that never arrived. Thom Jurek
Tracklist 1 :
1993 Concert
1     Oh Yeah, Maybe Baby 3:08
Hank Hunter / Phil Spector
2     Dedicated to the One I Love 3:15
Ralph Bass / Lowman Pauling    
3     Wind 2:10
Bernard Edwards / Quentin Eubanks / Juan Gutiérrez / Willie Hunter / Nolan Strong
4     Lite a Flame (The Animal Rights Song) 3:31
Laura Nyro
5     Walk the Dog and Light the Light (Song of the Road) 3:07
Laura Nyro    
6     To a Child 3:26
Laura Nyro        
7     And When I Die 2:49
Laura Nyro
8     Japanese Restaurant Song 3:49
Laura Nyro    
9     My Innocence/Sophia 2:27
Laura Nyro    
10     Wedding Bell Blues 2:21
Laura Nyro     
11     Art of Love 3:35     
Laura Nyro    
12     Emmie 4:29
Laura Nyro        
13     Let It Be Me 3:01
Gilbert Bécaud / Manny Curtis / Pierre Delanoë
Tracklist 2 :
1994 Concert
1     Angel in the Dark 4:23
Laura Nyro    
2     Gardenia Talk 2:52
Laura Nyro
3     Save the Country 2:39
Laura Nyro
4     Louise's Church 3:14
Laura Nyron     
5     Wild World 2:36     
Laura Nyro    
6     A Woman of the World 4:16
Laura Nyro
7     The Descent of Luna Rosé 2:50
Laura Nyro    
8     Broken Rainbow 3:52
Laura Nyro    
9     Blowin' Away/Wedding Bell Blues 3:29
Laura Nyro    
10     Trees of the Ages/Emmie 6:18     
Laura Nyro    
11     Ooh Baby, Baby 3:46
Warren "Pete" Moore