From: stegner_g@cubldr.colorado.edu
Subject: Laura Nyro - unreleased songs
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 07:12:12 GMT

Would like to start a thread on Laura Nyro.  Any info out there on what she's
up to these days would be most appreciated.

Laura's appearances at the Bottom Line, NYC, were the first in 10 years.  These
live appearances were recorded and released as 1989's "Live at the Bottom Line"
collection.  Anyone who saw the shows will know that there were a couple of
songs left out of the album -- She opened up with "The Wind" from GONNA TAKE A
MIRACLE, and followed that with (I think) a traditional blues piece called
"Down South".  Luckily I taped a couple of the early shows on a Tascam 4-track,
and have these two gems down (though not the best quality, but decent).  Her
backup band was as listed on the album.

Following the July and September '88 concerts (and December too, I think), she
came back in the Summer of '89 with a stripped-down version of the same band
(Vivino on guitar, Pagano on drums, and Vickie Randle - now the percussionist
with the Tonight Show band - on bass and percussion.  Wofford and Mata were not
present).  I saw her show in New Brunswick, NJ - it was one of the best shows
I've seen her do.  She introduced a couple more new songs, which to this day
remain unreleased:  One I believe is called "Louise's Church" - the lyrics
center around three "kick-ass" women artists, the only one I can remember is
Billie Holliday.  There's was also a new eco-conscious song (about whales I
think, but not sure).  Unfortunately I got bagged by the New Brunswick State
Theatre ushers with my Tascam this time (damn!), but they just took the tape
and let me go.  So I didn't get these gems down.  Just as well anyway - it's
karmic justice (I have since repented and given up my pirating ways).

From there, Nyro stripped away her band and started making solo appearances. 
The first one I saw was a very intimate performance at a tavern near New Hope,
Pennsylvania.  It was a very magical night because of the small size of the
audience.  But the real experience came on Earth Day 1990 when she played an
encore performance at the Bottom Line (this time with the full backup band). 
This time I got to meet and talk to her backstage.  It's one of those magical
meeting of souls that I'll never forget.  A few months later I moved away from
the east coast, to Boulder, Colo. - and saw her one last time at a small tavern
in Boulder - again a solo performance - and haven't seen her since.

My fascination with Nyro dates back at least 10 years, and her presence has had
an untold effect upon my life.  It was at those early shows in NY that I met
Sandy, who was to become my wife a year later.  The principal thing we had in
common was a common reverence for Laura Nyro.  Both Sandy and I met her
backstage at that NY show in April 1990 and we were floating on air for days
afterward.  Before this meeting, we had given to her, besides flowers, of
course, tapes of our own music, various articles I wrote about her in a Rutgers
student newspaper, a few of the best photos I took of her, and some writings
about ourselves and how she had changed the course of our lives.  We usually
handed these things to her right on stage in between encores, or placed them
near her piano, as we always had front-row seats.  She graciously reciprocated
at the Earth Day concert by saying "I remember you - you sent me a tape of your
music."  I think my head was somewhere in the stratosphere at that point!

Oh, another delightful surprise meeting took place on Martin Luther King Day
1992, when Sandy and I met the person who does various Nyro album covers - his
name is Andy and his company is called Zeppelin Graphics.  We went up to his
office and asked if we could see some of his original album cover artwork, and
he was happy to show us and talk to us about Laura - they're actually old
friends from New York, he first met Laura through Nydia Mata back in the late
60's.  Andy did the artwork for "Season of Lights", "Nested", and "Mother's
Spiritual"

Anyway, besides the 1988 tapes, I have a decent collection of photos of her in
concert, taken from 1988-1990, a few of which could be regarded as classics. 
If you're interested please send me personal E-mail.  If you'd like to start a
Laura Nyro thread in this newsgroup, I'd be delighted -- or better yet, a Laura
Nyro newsgroup (rec.music.laura-nyro??).

Glen Stegner
University of Colorado at Boulder
stegner_g@cubldr.colorado.edu
Newsgroups: rec.music.folk