Lucy Kaplansky coming to Music at the Mission

West Milford — Music at the Mission is known for many things: great open mic, terrific volunteers, and world-class musicians. That tradition continues on Saturday, Sept. 19, when Lucy Kaplansky comes to town. She started out singing in Chicago bars. Then, barely out of high school, Lucy Kaplansky took off for New York City. There she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers—Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, Bill Morrissey, Cliff Eberhardt, and others—where she fit right in. With a beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favorite singing partner, but most often she found herself singing as a duo with Shawn Colvin. People envisioned big things for them; in fact, The New York Times said it was “easy to predict stardom for her.” Lucy temporarily left the musical fast track to pursue a doctorate in psychology and open her own private practice, although she continued to sing. Lucy was often pulled back into the studio by her friends, who now had contracts with record labels, wanting her to sing on their albums. Now, after returning to recording and performing full-time, Kaplansky’s voice continues to remain in high demand by her peers. She harmonized on Colvin’s Grammy-winning Steady On, on Nanci Griffith’s Lone Star State of Mind and Little Love Affairs, and on four of John Gorka’s albums. She also landed soundtrack credits, singing with Suzanne Vega, on Pretty in Pink and with Griffith on The Firm, and several commercial credits as well—including “The Heartbeat of America” for Chevrolet. She can also be heard on the Greg Brown tribute album, Going Driftless. She teamed with Dar Williams and Richard Shindell to form the supergroup Cry Cry Cry, the three choosing to celebrate the amazing revitalization in contemporary songwriting. Kaplansky’s The Red Thread followed the commercial and critical hit “Every Single Day” (released on 9/11/2001) and marked Lucy’s 10th year and fifth album on Red House Records. The Red Thread’s beautiful production was made evident with harmony vocals by Jonatha Brooke, Richard Shindell, Eliza Gilkyson and John Gorka. In 2005, Red House re-released her debut album The Tide, re-mastered with two previously unreleased tracks—Jesse Winchester’s “Everybody Knows But Me” and The Beatles’ “I’ve Just Seen a Face.” Released in 2007, Lucy’s album Over the Hills is a collection of songs that explore love and the dark, winding road that leads us there. Her new life as a mother has not hindered her musical life but has enhanced it, deepening the emotional depth of her songwriting. Lucy continues to tour extensively across North America, reminding audiences why she has been hailed as “a truly gifted performer…full of enchanting songs” (The New Yorker). Opening the evening at the Mission for Lucy, is singer-songwriter Tim Kirkner of Damascus, Md. Upcoming shows include Guggenheim Grotto in October, Richard Shindell in November, and Janis Ian in April 2010. Tickets for Lucy Kaplansky and Guggenheim Grotto are available to the general public at this time. Tickets are available online for all shows to Music at the Mission members only at this time. For further information regarding tickets and membership, please visit www.MusicattheMission.org - or call 800-613-1455. Music at the Mission is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization dedicated to presenting the finest in live music here in the beautiful highlands of West Milford. If you go Lucy Kaplansky Music at the Mission West Milford Presbyterian Church 1452 Union Valley Road Saturday, Sept. 19 8 p.m. For tickets go to www.musicatthemission.org 973-728-4201