Spread Your Wings And Fly: Live At The Fillmore East May 30 1971

Full title: Spread Your Wings And Fly: Live At The Fillmore East.
Personnel: Laura Nyro (vocals, piano).
Liner Note Author: Amalie R. Rothschild.
Recording information: Fillmore East, New York, New York (05/30/1971).
Before Tori Amos and Rickie Lee Jones, there was Laura Nyro. Drawing upon inspiration from gospel, folk, jazz, pop, and Broadway, Nyro was an innovative, consummate singer/songwriter (long before the term became commonplace), whose songs became pop standards via hit versions by other performers (including the 5th Dimension, Barbra Streisand, and Blood, Sweat & Tears). SPREAD YOUR WINGS AND FLY: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST MAY 30, 1971 is a previously unreleased document of an "unplugged" performance of Nyro's unaccompanied voice and piano, shortly before the legendary New York City rock palace would shutter its doors.
While some of Nyro's best-known songs ("Wedding Bell Blues," "And When I Die") aren't present, we do get marvelous, almost unbearably beautiful and soulful cover versions of pop and R&B/soul classics (including a medley of "Dancing in the Street" and "Walk On By"). In addition, two lengthy original songs make their debut here--"American Dove" and "Mother Earth." While perhaps not the best place for beginners to acquaint themselves with Nyro's brilliance (try TIME & LOVE: THE ESSENTIAL MASTERS), devotees will treasure this opportunity to hear her in a pure, unadorned setting.