Laura Nyro – Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)
One of the unsung heroes of ‘popular music’, Laura was a natural and self-taught singer and pianist from a Polish Jewish immigrant background in the Bronx, New York. She sung in a completely different style, neither ‘pop’ or ‘folk’ with a more jazz-inflected take on melody. She never achieved real fame but was what later became known as a musicians musician; her songs were recorded by many others, including Barbra Streisand and 5th Dimension who had hits with a more commercial take on her music. This record was her second, but her first that made any impact. With a soulful voice more reminiscent of black singers she managed to cross musical boundaries. Best on this are ‘Sweet Blindness’, ‘Stoned Soul Picnic’ and ‘Emmie’. She retired from music when she had her only child briefly resuming in the late 80’s. She sadly died at age 49.
