Laura Nyro's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession: Transcending the dichotomies of the Woodstock Years

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Despite the critical acclaim that greeted her work, the esteem of her peers (Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones among many others), and numerous covers by well-known performers (ranging from Sinatra to the Staple Singers), Bronx-born singer-songwriter Laura Nyro (1947-1997) remains for many an unfamiliar or forgotten figure, especially when compared to the musical icons of the 1960s. This paper argues that Nyro deserves much wider recognition for providing lasting innovative songs and performances that rival with the best work of the period. Furthermore, it seeks to explore some of the paradoxes and dichotomies of the Woodstock Years that may account for this relative neglect. I first provide a brief biographical sketch, emphasizing early influences, which included jazz (Billie Holiday, John Coltane, Miles Davis), 20th century impressionist composers (Ravel, Debussy), folk (Pete Seeger), and girl groups (The Shirelles). The central section of the paper focuses on her second album, Eli and the Thirteenth Confession, released by Columbia Records in 1968, and generally recognized as her first masterpiece. An analysis of the lyrics and music shows how Nyro bridged the gap between many of the real or perceived dichotomies drawn up in this highly polarized era: rock/pop, folk/jazz, high-brow/popular, traditional/experimental, black/white, straight/gay, God/the Devil, introverted confessionalism/extroverted entertainment. Finally, I point out how her work and its reception both reflect and shed light on the sometimes conflicting musical and cultural values of the Woodstock Years. Like Carole King, she was a piano-playing songstress profoundly influenced by the African-American tradition (gospel, doowop, Motown) as well as the structurally constrained commercial craft of the Brill Building songwriting teams, at a time when the "Dionysian" cultural heroes highlighted by the media, usually men, were wielding electric guitars and embarking on lengthy free-form improvisation. Sung by others but sadly undersung as a creative artist in her own right, Laura Nyro's richly textured work stands out, over forty years later, as a major contribution to the American songbook.