Lucy Kaplansky was an up-and-coming folksinger in the Greenwich Village music scene in the ’80s and ’90s, but after a few years she dropped out to pursue a doctorate in psychology, and eventually opened a practice in the city. She never quit singing, though, and was often pulled back into the studio by friends like Nanci Griffith, Suzanne Vega, John Gorka, and Shawn Colvin to add her trademark harmonies to their albums. In 1993 Shawn Colvin finally convinced her to go into the studio to record an album all her own. “The Tide” was the very first “Hot Pick” on the newly-debuted Americana radio chart. Before long Kaplansky found herself very much in demand and touring so heavily that something had to give. Fortunately for music fans, it was her psychology career. Kaplansky never looked back.

Kaplansky’s latest CD, “The Red Thread,” is a celebration of home and family. The songs on this album were inspired by the 9/11 attacks, which Lucy witnessed from her home in New York City. In addition to the profound effects on Lucy’s life of that tragic day in 2001, she has been transformed into a different kind of songwriter by the adoption of her daughter, Molly, from China. The home and family motif is a strong one in “The Red Thread,” which was named after an ancient Chinese tradition that says that all newborns have an invisible red thread connected to all the people they will meet in their lifetimes. This recording represents a turning point for Lucy as a performer in its depth and range of material. From the rootsy simplicity/minimalism of “Cowboy Singer” and “Brooklyn Train” to the sonic complexity of pop-rockers “Love Song New York” and “Line in the Sand,” it will be apparent to all that Lucy has created her most compelling and appealing album to date.

As well as being a solo performer, Kaplansky has collaborated with fellow folk artists Dar Williams and Richard Shindell as part of the group “Cry, Cry, Cry.” Lucy and Richard still perform together frequently. However, the release of Cry, Cry, Cry was a real turning point in all of their careers — a loving tribute to fellow singer-songwriters like Greg Brown, Robert Earl Keen, and Julie Miller, it was one of the CD highlights of the ’90s.

Photo by C. Taylor Crothers