2018 is an important year for fans of one of pop music’s greatest songwriters — Laura Nyro — as it marks the 50th Anniversary of the release of Nyro’s seminal album, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. Considered one of the two most important recordings of 1968 — the other being the Fab Four’s The Beatles (aka The White Album) — Eli and the Thirteenth Confession was not only Nyro’s most famous and accessible album, it also featured the debut of such Nyro classics as “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Sweet Blindness” which became hits for The Fifth Dimension and “Eli’s Comin’” which became a hit for Three Dog Night.
To mark the golden anniversary of this groundbreaking recording, singer/pianist/songwriter Christine Spero and her band, The Christine Spero Group, will present a live concert version of their outstanding Laura Nyro tribute CD, Spero Plays Nyro, at Tim McLoone’s Supper Club in Asbury Park, NJ, on July 15 at 8pm.
Praise for Christine Spero’s interpretation of the Laura Nyro songbook comes from such highly-regarded musicians as The Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian, The Young Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere, and Blood, Sweat and Tears’ Steve Katz.
Another proponent of Spero’s tribute artistry is Laura Nyro’s own brother, Jan Nigro, who asserts that Spero “can play and sing Laura’s songs like few others,” going on to explain, “It’s such challenging music to sing, and she does it so beautifully.”
Spero was born in Queens, NY, into a family of musicians. Both her grandmother and great-aunt were classical, ragtime, and silent movie pianists.
At the age of 10, she moved to Long Island. As a teenager, she was tapped to record at New York’s RCA Studios by producer Neil Sedaka to lay down tracks with her group, 7th House. The group’s first 45 rpm single, “Ode To Freedom,” was written by Christine and featured a B-side, “River Queen,” written by Sedaka himself.
Moving from New York to San Francisco, Spero continued to study music and was influenced by numerous classical and jazz musicians, among them the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane.
Christine now lives in the Catskill Mountains of New York, where she continues to write, record, and perform with her band, The Christine Spero Group. The ensemble includes her brother-in-law, saxophonist, percussionist, and music producer, Elliot Spero, along with bassist Scott Petito and drummer Peter O’ Brien.
Spotlight Central recently had an opportunity to chat with Christine Spero about her love for Laura Nyro’s music, her favorite Laura Nyro compositions, and her upcoming Spero Plays Nyro live concert at McLoone’s in Asbury Park.
Spotlight Central: In your opinion, what is it that makes Laura Nyro’s music and lyrics so special?
Christine Spero: For one, the fact that Laura Nyro brought art to pop music. And, in addition, the fact that so much passion and soul came through her music, even though much of it wound up being played by other people in the pop market — for instance, songs like “Wedding Bell Blues” by The Fifth Dimension, “And When I Die” by Blood, Sweat and Tears, and “Stoney End” by Barbara Streisand.
Spotlight Central: Was there a special song or set of songs that was the impetus for your own Laura Nyro tribute album, Spero Plays Nyro?
Christine Spero: I think it was more the fact that I’d been listening to Laura Nyro’s music since I was 16 years old and I didn’t think enough people these days knew who she was. It’s grim — but people just don’t know her music.
But, that said, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession and two of her other albums — New York Tendeberry and Christmas and the Beads of Sweat — were the three albums that we drew upon for the CD, so you could say they were the impetus for the album.
Plus there’s the fact that I owe a large debt regarding the way I play music and the way I feel about playing music to Laura Nyro.
Spotlight Central: And speaking of playing, what are your favorite Laura Nyro songs to play these days?
Christine Spero: I love “Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp.” And I love “Eli’s Comin,’” and “Stoned Soul Picnic.” And I love “Blackpatch” too, — the list is endless!
Spotlight Central: Well, they’re all good!
Christine Spero: Yeah! And I love “New York Tendeberry” — I play that now; it’s such a wonderful portrait of the city. To me, Laura was like a Gershwin of popular music.
Spotlight Central: [Laughs] You just picked at least two of the toughest Laura Nyro songs to perform in terms of their melodies and accompaniments — “Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp” and “New York Tendeberry.”
Christine Spero: Yes, they are challenging, but I love a challenge!
Spotlight Central: So what can people expect to see and hear at your upcoming July 15th Spero Plays Nyro concert at McLoone’s in Asbury Park?
Christine Spero: They can expect to feel like they’ve been transported back to a time when Laura was still doing concerts and when people were exposed to her music on a regular basis through the artists who covered her music, plus through the concerts she did herself. They can also expect to see a group that is very excited about presenting her music, because it was just so unique — so different.
You know, of all the music tribute shows that are out there today and of all of the other artists we know from that period, there is only one Laura — there never was one before her and there never will be one again.
And in addition to getting a chance to appreciate her artistry, concertgoers can expect to experience it with other Laura Nyro fans — the self-described “Nyrotics” — who’ll be in the audience!
The Christine Spero Group will present their live concert version of Spero Plays Nyro at Tim McLoone’s Supper Club on Sunday, July 15th at 8:00 pm; doors open at 6:00 pm. For tickets, please click on timmcloonessupperclub.com. For further information, contact Tim McCloone’s Supper Club at 732–774–1155 or Elliot Spero at 917–743–9759 or ecsperoproductions@gmail.com.
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