- Lucy Kaplansky
The Red Thread
Red House Records CD 166
- By Bonny Holder
 Lucy
Kaplansky is one of the handful of "folk singers" who,
to me, represent New York City. With her long curly hair and
her tough 'n tender white t-shirt, denim jacket and bellbottom
jeans, she more or less resembles Elaine on Seinfeld.
The first time I met her, casually, at an east coast festival,
I half expected her to yank my bib straps and say "you talking
to ME? YOU TALKIN' TO ME?"
Instead, she said: "Is this the first time you've seen
me play, or have you seen me before?" Same thing? Perhaps.
She's not a cowgirl or a honky tonk queen. She's much too
urban. She's put in her share of road mileage, late nights in
clubs, workshop stages at festivals, and she's also released
a whole handful of albums, including one as 1/3rd of the group
"Cry Cry Cry", with Richard Shindell and Dar Williams.
The Red Thread is her new one, and, I think, her best
to date. The title comes from a Chinese belief that one is born
connected by "red threads" to all the people who are
destined to become influential and necessary to you in your life.
They can be tangled, or invisible, or almost forgotten, but
they exist with the person during all lifetime, and beyond.
It may be helpful to the listen to know that Lucy and her
husband and collaborator, Richard Litvin, recently adopted a
baby daughter, Molly Fuxaing (now 13 months old) from China.
Although many of these songs were written before the adoption,
you can tell that the idea of being parents was on their minds.
In "This Is Home," Lucy sings: When I found you,
I knew that you'd be mine. It wasn't my first kiss, it wasn't
my first time. It was the first time I gave my heart when it
wasn't just a loan. I put it in your hands and followed you
home.
"The Red Thread" takes this theme further: I
remember when you told me if we run out of time, how happy you
were just to know she'll be mine. And when I wrap her up warm
you'll be right next to me, 'cause they say the red threat that
ties me to you, ties her to me.
As well as singing Kaplansky-Litvin compositions, Lucy covers
four other songwriters here she does a fine job on James
McMurtry's "Off and Running," Buddy Miller's "Hole
In My Head," and Bill Morrisey's "Love Song/New York."
Unfortunately, her version of Dave Carter's "Cowboy Singer"
is strangely bordering on monotonous. Singers covering Carter's
songs tend to slow 'em down, perhaps from respect for the late
songwriter. Still, it's good to hear the song, at any tempo.
The most moving song on the CD is "Land of the Living",
written just post-9/11. This song has emerged as one of the
most important musical documentaries of that terrible day. The
song tells the story of Lucy arriving home in NYC following a
tour, a few days later, hailing a cab to Manhattan, and being
picked up by a middle-eastern driver.
Then I got in a taxi, said `Hudson Street, please.' He
started the meter and he looked at me. I glanced at his name
on the back of his seat, and I looked out the window at the ghost-filled
streets.
I noticed cuts on his hand and his face, and I said, `You're
bleeding, are you OK?' He said, `I'm not so good, got beat up
today, and I'm not one of them, no matter what they say.'
The lyrics paint a very vivid picture of the city:
Back home, fire's still burning, I can see it in the air.
Pictures of faces posted everywhere. They say `hazel eyes,
chestnut hair, mother of two missing down there.'
I pass the firemen on duty tonight, carpets of flowers
in candlelight, and thank you in a child's scrawl, tapes to the
3r5d St. firehouse wall. There's shadows of the lost on the
faces I see, brothers and strangers in this island of grief.
There's death in the air, but there's life on this street.
There's life. On this street.
The playing and production on this CD are so good, you almost
don't notice them. Jon Herington excels on guitars, Duke Levine
sparkles on national steel, Ben Wittman grooves on drums and
percussion, and there are guest vocals by Richard Shindell, John
Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson and Jonatha Brooke.
This is another fine Red House Records production.
www.lucykaplansky.com
www.redhouserecords.com
You can contact Bonny Holder at bonny-at-rockzilla.net
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