Suzanne Vega

$20.00/$14.50
On Sale: August 24, 2009; 10:00am
In 1985 Suzanne Vega rewrote the book on what American female singer-songwriters could say and do, releasing her self-titled debut on A & M Records with the startling "Marlene on the Wall" as its calling card. While that album was a hit in the U.K., it was her platinum follow up, Solitude Standing that made Suzanne a star. First with the surprise hit single, "Luka" and then with "Tom's Diner", the worldwide remix phenom, she now had the critics and the public in her thrall. Suzanne kicked open the door through which entered Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, Shawn Colvin and the entire Lilith Fair revolution.
With seven studio albums, a Grammy(c) Award, and three additional nominations to her credit, Suzanne's latest recording, Beauty & Crime is a love letter to her hometown of New York City and was hailed "as original, gritty and gorgeous as ever" by Newsweek and "... lovely and literate" by People Magazine. Suzanne Vega is so much more than her music. She hosted a public radio series about 20th Century American Composers called American Mavericks which won a Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, wrote The Passionate Eye, a book of poems and essays, and currently blogs for the New York Times. An innovative educator and founding member of the Musician's Cooperative songwriter workshops in the Village, her unique composition, writing and performance techniques have influenced a generation of musicians.
Fun Fact: Suzanne hired Pat DiNizio, the frontman from The Smithereens, (who performed at this years Down by the Riverside concert series) as an assistant when they both worked in an office, before both their careers took off. Dennis Diken's liner notes from the CD version of "Especially for You": " Suzanne Vega had been Pat's boss at an office job in NYC and once had the honor of 'firing his butt'." No hard feelings, as Suzanne appeared on Pat's song "In A Lonely Place" on The Smithereen's 1986 record "Especially For You."