Lucy Kaplansky – Reunion

LUCY KAPLANSKY

Reunion

Red House

lucykaplansky.com

Family is a thread that runs through many of the original songs on Reunion, Lucy Kaplansky’s seventh solo album (Lucy’s original songs are written in collaboration with Richard Litvin, her husband).

The theme is established in “Scavenger,” the opening track, a song that could be interpreted in several different ways. One interpretation might be that it’s sung from the perspective of a refugee, far from home and family, trying to make his or her way alone, far away from loved ones. Or, perhaps, it’s a song sung from the perspective of a person who has chosen their own path in the world but understands that we are shaped and formed by our family relationships. “You may walk yourself alone/Through the hills of the night/But you’ll walk with the ones you love/In the valley of your life/You’ll always stand with the ones you keep/In the valley of your life.”

In the poignant “Mother’s Day,” she reflects on her loving and happy relationship with her daughter, a relationship made possible by another mother. “I’ve had a picture in my head all day/A mother wraps up her baby and walks way.”

The album’s centerpiece is “Reunion,” a song about two important family reunions in Toronto. In the verses, she recalls a 1971 trip – she would have been about 11 then – to her father’s hometown of Toronto for a big family reunion beginning with a visit to her grandmother’s bakery. During the reunion she comes to realize how much of the family is inside her father, who left Toronto for the U.S. as a young man (much like, perhaps, the protagonist in “Scavenger”). And, in the chorus, Lucy recalls another trip to Toronto, 40 years later, and another reunion with her Canadian cousins, all of whom, like herself, have lost their fathers. “Here we are together/Just daughters and sons/This is our reunion.”

In three of the most moving songs, Lucy reflects on the passing of her parents. In “I’ll See You Again,” she sets the scene of the night her parents met and of their final parting. In “My Father’s Son,” she sings from her father’s perspective, at the end of his life, as he repairs his relationship with Lucy’s brother, and in “Sleep Well,” she wishes a goodnight to her dying mother.

Lucy is also a gifted interpreter of songs she didn’t write and offers four excellent covers on Reunion including superb versions of “The Beauty Way,” written by her Red Horse mate Eliza Gilkyson, and, in this year marking the centennial  of Woody Guthrie’s birth, “This Morning I Am Born Again,” a set of Woody's joyous lyrics set to music by Slaid Cleaves.

The cover painting, by the way, is a scene from Lucy’s grandmother’s Toronto bakery. It was painted by Avrom Yanovsky, a noted political cartoonist who once worked at the bakery and the father of Lovin’ Spoonful guitarist Zal Yanovsky.

Pictured: John Gorka, who sings harmony on “Mother’s Day,” Mike Regenstreif and Lucy Kaplansky at the 2012 Ottawa Folk Festival.

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Ottawa Folk Festival – Sunday and wrap-up

After all the rain on Saturday, the weather for the Ottawa Folk Festival on Sunday was much better – cool with a mix of sun and non-threatening cloud.

As I’ve noted before, I consider the daytime programming – particularly the workshops – to be the heart and soul of a folk festival and I spent almost all of Sunday parked at the workshop stage where I heard a lot of fine music and was rewarded with much of the spontaneous interaction that folk festival workshops are noted for.

The first of Sunday’s scheduled workshops was an on-stage interview with actor/singer-songwriter Jill Hennessy. Unfortunately, we arrived late – just in time to hear her perform one of her alt-country songs at the end of the session. I would have liked to have heard more.

The rest of the workshops were multi-artist, round robin style song swaps with vaguely-defined thematic titles which pretty much allowed the artists to take them wherever they wanted to go. First up was Any Way You String It, hosted by Arthur McGregor of the Ottawa Folklore Centre who was playing his banjo for the occasion. Other participants included country artist Nudie of Nudie and the Turks, Newfoundland folk trio The Once and the sublime singer-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson (who was joined for a song by the equally sublime singer-songwriters John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky, her partners in the folk supergroup Red Horse).

Among the workshop’s highlights were Arthur’s instrumental banjo interpretation of “The Star Spangled Banner,” Nudie’s dipping into Sam Cooke’s early years for some Soul Stirrers gospel, The Once getting all the artists playing and the whole audience singing on Bob Dylan’s “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” and Eliza’s sing-along rendition of “Slouching Towards Bethlehem.”

Next up was Hellos & Goodbyes hosted by Lucy Kaplansky with British folksinger John Smith and a stripped down version of the indie-rock band Said the Whale.

Clearly Lucy, who called Eliza Gilkyson up to sing with her on one song and John Gorka on another, carried the workshop with several of the songs from her stunning new CD, Reunion, including the title track which recalls a 1971 family reunion in Toronto when she was 11 and a recent concert trip to Toronto attended by many of her Canadian cousins.

John demonstrated his songwriting roots in traditional British folk music and also played a version of Richard Thompson’s “Beeswing” that was quite lovely despite nervousness that caused him to trip-up in a couple of verses. John’s work with open guitar tunings was quite creative. Said the Whale, playing without their bassist and drummer, seemed a bit like a fish – or whale – out of water in the folk festival workshop setting.

Toward the end of the workshop, I dashed over to the main stage to see Chris White, one of the most tireless animators of Ottawa’s folk music scene, receive the Helen Verger Award. Named for the founder of Rasputin’s the late, lamented Ottawa folk café, the award has been presented annually by the Ottawa Folk Festival to someone for outstanding contributions to Canadian folk music. Chris, the Ottawa Folk Festival’s founding artistic director and guiding spirit for 16 years, was a most deserving choice for the award.

Then it was back to the workshop stage for City Slickers, Country Songs, hosted by Pat Moore, followed. Also on hand were Gordie McKeeman & (one of) His Rhythm Boys, Catriona Sturton and Amy Helm.

Pat, accompanied by guitarist Pat McLaughlin, was a charming host and contributed several excellent performances in both straight country and Ray Charlesesque country/R&B. Catriona particularly shined on a harmonica/guitar instrumental.

But, clearly, the stars of this workshop were Gordie and Amy. Gordie was also playing without his bassist and drummer, but his infectious fiddling and step-dancing and Peter Cann’s hot guitar playing more than carried the day with their down-home tunes.

Amy, who played mandolin, was accompanied by guitarist Dan Littleton and called up Byron Isaacs – who also plays in her band and was a band mate in Ollabelle – to sing harmony on a couple of songs. Amy was the only person I heard sing a Woody Guthrie song at the festival in this centennial year of Woody’s birth. Her rocking version of Woody’s “I Ain’t Got No Home” was reminiscent of the version by Bob Dylan and The Band (which included Amy’s dad, Levon Helm) from the 1968 Woody Guthrie memorial concert at Carnegie Hall. She also did a stunning version of Dylan’s “Every Grain of Sand.”

There was lots of musical exchanges and jamming by all of the artists throughout the City Slickers, Country Songs workshop.

Then it was back over to the larger stage area to see most of Michael Jerome Browne’s concert set. Performing solo and  playing multiple instruments including guitar, fretless gourd banjo and fiddle, Michael showed his mastery of various traditional and contemporary roots styles – blues, folk, Appalachian, Cajun, etc. – in a repertoire that ranged from traditional folk material to an Al Green soul classic and several of Michael’s excellent original songs written in collaboration with lyricist B. Markus.

And that was it for me at this year’s Ottawa Folk Festival. Scheduling conflicts meant I couldn’t stay for the Sunday evening concerts. Among those I particularly wanted to see were Amy Helm and Red Horse (Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky.)

The festival also continued with a Monday night concert headlined by Bon Iver which apparently attracted a massive crowd to Hog’s Back Park.

Last words

I’m very happy the Ottawa Folk Festival attracted the big crowds it did this year. It portends well for the future.

As I noted in my first report, the Ottawa Folk Festival has really become two festivals in one – an indie rock event and a folk festival. Unfortunately, the overbearing sound bleed from the big stages sometimes overpowered the quieter folk stages.

I fully understand why Bluesfest director Mark Monahan has gone in the indie rock direction with most of the programming. Clearly, his choices brought in the biggest – and youngest – crowds in the festival’s history. But the two streams of programming needn’t compete the way they do.

My suggestion would be to program a real folk festival during the daytime and the louder rock acts at night. The big crowds of university students and folks in their 20s, for the most part, only show up at night anyway.

Expand the workshop schedule on Saturday and Sunday with more stages and creative, visionary programming that doesn’t seem like it’s almost an afterthought – including having much more and much more diverse traditional music. Shut down the huge main stage during the day and restrict daytime concerts on the bigger side stages to folk and/or acoustic artists. There’s so many of them around. It will also bring in a lot more of the traditional folk festival audience, many of whom feel alienated from the current festival format.

And then, use the evenings for the louder indie-rock concerts that bring in the huge crowds. As I said, those crowds only show up at night anyway.

Kudos to Mark and the rest of the Bluesfest team for maintaining some of the Ottawa Folk Festival traditions including the kidzone, dance area, and environmental policies, and for banning smoking on the festival grounds.

And kudos, too, to the great corps of volunteers, another Ottawa Folk Festival tradition.

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--Mike Regenstreif

Ottawa Folk Festival announces lineup

The Ottawa Folk Festival – taking place this year from Thursday, September 6 through Monday, September 10 – and in its second year under Bluesfest administration, has announced its initial lineup and, like last year, it almost looks like there are two distinct festivals happening. Although there’s some overlap in the audiences, they attract two very different kinds of crowds.

Getting most of the attention is an indie-rock headliner-oriented, bluesfesty kind of festival that mostly plays out on the main stage with some spillover onto the smaller stages. Clearly, this aspect of the festival is after the younger demographic that wants to party late into the night. The move into September, when university students are back in town, is a move to attract more of this crowd – as are such acts as Bon Iver, Kathleen Edwards, Great Lake Swimmers and Great Big Sea (who do have have a lot of folk roots in their music).

Then, there’s the traditional folk festival centred on the smaller stages, and on the daytime workshop stages, with maybe a bit of spillover onto the main stage. This is the aspect of the festival meant to attract the kind of people who have been supporting folk festivals for years and years and decades, who support folk artists and go to folk clubs, who love the music without regard to what may be hip or popular at a particular moment in time.

Among the artists I’m most looking forward to seeing at the Ottawa Folk Festival this year are Red Horse, a trio that brings together Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky, all three of whom are superb singer-songwriters. Although I’ve seen all them individually many times, I’ve not heard them live as a trio yet. The Red Horse album was great and you can see my review at this link.

The Once from Newfoundland is another group whose recordings I really like but have not yet had a chance to see live. My review of their first album is at this link.

One of the main stage performers I am looking forward to is Amy Helm. Her work as lead singer of Ollabelle and backing her father, the late Levon Helm, has been great.

Old Man Luedecke – who I wrote about at this link – and Michael Jerome Browne – whose latest album I reviewed at this link – and Corb Lund – whose latest album I reviewed at this link – are artists I’ve seen many times before, who I always enjoy, and who I highly recommend.

I was also pleased to see Pat Moore on the bill. She’s got several fine CDs and is a strong live performer.

Two others acts whose videos I looked at online and now want to see are Belle Starr and Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys.

All of the artists I’ve mentioned plus many others and the ticket information is now available on the Ottawa Folk Festival website.

I await with interest announcements of other artists and the unveiling of the workshop schedule.

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--Mike Regenstreif

Lucy Kaplansky coming to Montreal, March 4

One of the concerts I’ve most been looking forward to this season is the return to Montreal of the superb New York-based singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky.

I remember being quite impressed hearing her do a song or two in New York City – more than 30 years ago – when she was half of Simon & Kaplansky, a duo with Elliot Simon. She later had a duo with Shawn Colvin before leaving the music business to get her PhD and establish a practice as a clinical psychologist.

Lucy returned to music making in the early-1990s and her first album was released in 1994 – I first played it on Folk Roots/Folk Branches on December 1, 1994. That album and all of her subsequent releases – including the Cry Cry Cry collaboration with Dar Williams and Richard Shindell – were staples of Folk Roots/Folk Branches programming until the show ended in 2007. Lucy was a guest on the show in 1999 in a conversation we recorded that summer at the Ottawa Folk Festival.

I’ve loved the three concerts that I’ve seen Lucy do over the years and anticipate a great evening on Friday, March 4, 8:00 pm, at La Sala Rossa (4848 St. Laurent). Contact Hello Darlin’ Productions at 514-524-9224 for information or ticket reservations.

Lucy’s most recent album is Red Horse, a collaboration with Eliza Gilkyson and John Gorka. My review is here.

Below are my reviews of her albums Over the Hills (Montreal Gazette, April 12, 2007) and Every Single Day (Sing Out! magazine, Spring 2002).

--Mike Regenstreif

LUCY KAPLANSKY
Over the Hills
Red House

Themes of familial joys and grief, and continuity of the generations, runs through the finely-crafted and movingly delivered original songs that Lucy Kaplansky offers on her sixth album. She sings about the joys of raising an inquisitive young daughter in "Manhattan Moon" and says goodbye to her dying father in "Today’s the Day." "The Gift" is a poignant tribute to both her grandfather and father as she acknowledges the gift of music they passed down to her. In addition to her own songs, Kaplansky also puts her distinctive stamp on such numbers as "Someday Soon," Ian Tyson’s classic about a young girl in love with a rodeo cowboy, and "Ring of Fire," a hit June Carter wrote for future husband Johnny Cash. ****

--Mike Regenstreif

LUCY KAPLANSKY
Every Single Day
Red House

On her fourth solo album, Lucy Kaplansky brings her considerable skills to bear on a set of songs that examine human relationships and frailties with the combined skills of a singer and songwriter (her songs are collaborations with her husband, Richard Litvin) who is informed with the insights of a highly trained psychologist (Kaplansky has a PhD in psychology and had a clinical practice in New York City for some years before returning to music on a full time basis). So when she sings about an egocentric singer in “Every Single Day” or the lonely person in the midst of the big city in “Nowhere” or the illicit lovers in “Guilty As Sin,” there is much deeper analysis than one often encounters in contemporary songs.

The most moving song on the album is “Song For Molly,” a beautiful, quiet piece in which Kaplansky recalls the relationship that she had at 13 with her institutionalized grandmother in the grips of Alzheimer’s or some other memory-robbing disease.

In addition to her original material, Kaplansky also turns in strong versions of songs drawn from other writers.
My favorite of her covers is Julie Miller’s “Broken Things,” in which the broken-hearted protagonist finds that its never too late to find love again. Her version of the Louvin Brothers’ “The Angels Rejoiced Last Night,” shows Kaplansky’s great affinity for traditional country.

Most of these songs have a layered, produced sound that’s closer to pop music than contemporary folk usually gets, but Kaplansky never lets the arrangements overtake either the songs or her voice.

--Mike Regenstreif

Red Horse -- Gilkyson, Gorka, Kaplansky

RED HORSE
Red Horse
Red House Records
redhouserecords.com/redhorse.html

Red Horse is a project that brings together three of today’s finest singer-songwriters, Eliza Gilkyson, John Gorka and Lucy Kaplansky, as a kind of contemporary folk supergroup (something that Lucy did about a dozen years ago with Dar Williams and Richard Shindell as Cry Cry Cry). There are 12 songs with each taking the lead vocal on four with the others providing some gorgeous harmonies. Each sings one of their own songs, one written by each of the other two, and one cover tune.

It’s a lovely, compelling CD filled with exquisite arrangements of superbly written songs. Given the three principals, how could it be anything but?

Eliza opens the album with a lovely version of Neil Young’s “I Am a Child,” that perfectly captures the song’s naïveté. Later in the album Eliza offers lovely versions of Lucy’s “Promise Me,” a slow, luxurious love song; John’s “Forget to Breathe,” a dreamer’s imagining of a more perfect world; and her own “Walk Away from Love,” a song she first recorded on Hard Times In Babylon.

Lucy’s first song is a fine reprise of her love song “Scorpion,” originally recorded on Flesh and Bone. She goes on to sing sublime versions of Eliza’s “Sanctuary,” a song I’ve always interpreted as a kind of prayer from someone dealing with something dark and difficult; John’s “Blue Chalk,” a compassionate song about others in those dark and difficult places; and the traditional “Wayfaring Stranger.”

John’s first song in the spotlight is Eliza’s “Wild Horse,” a new song to me (it’s not on any of the seven of Eliza’s albums on my shelves) that captures the essence of a free spirit in an arrangement that is seemingly perfect in its sparseness. John goes for a fuller production in his folk-rock version of Lucy’s love song, “Don’t Mind Me,” and then gets beautifully sparse again on the very folkish “Coshieville,” a song written by Stuart McGregor but which I associate with the great Scottish folksinger Archie Fisher, and his own “If These Walls Could Talk,” which I also don’t recognize and assume to be a new song.

This is a CD I expect to listen to often in the months – indeed, years – to come. My one criticism is that the album was recorded in three different places with the files passed around so that the others could add their parts. While this approach resulted in a beautiful album, I miss the spontaneity that could have only come from Eliza, John and Lucy being in the studio and singing live from the floor together.

The cover art, by the way, is a painting by Tom Russell, a great singer and songwriter who has also become increasingly recognized for his great visual art.

--Mike Regenstreif