by Martin Siberok
http://www.hour.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=18639
November 5th, 2009
Suzanne Vega
Vega: Breaking herself down into themes
New York singing/songwriting icon Suzanne Vega on the importance of Suzanne
Suzanne Vega has been busy working in the studio for most of this year. But instead of recording new material, she has turned her attention to the body of work she's produced over the last 25 years.
The New York City singer/songwriter is re-recording many of her old songs and doing acoustic versions of them for a series of four thematic albums to be released over the next two years.
"The first group of songs I'll be releasing are my love songs, which will come out in time for Valentine's Day. After 'love' comes 'people and places,' with songs like Luka, Tom's Diner and In Liverpool. The third theme will be 'states of being,' with Cracking and Blood Makes Noise, and the last will be 'family.'"
Vega is looking forward to coming to Montreal. "I love Montreal - it's a tiny bit of Europe, but not so far away and without the jet lag. Plus, it's where Leonard Cohen is from."
Vega admits she's a big Cohen fan. "On my birthday [July 11], I actually opened for him at a show just outside of London. That was a thrill - I couldn't have had a better birthday present."
She says she's been a fan ever since she heard the song Suzanne as a young girl. "When I went to camp or to a new place and I introduced myself as Suzanne, people would start singing the song. For years I didn't get it, until I finally heard Judy Collins' version of it. And when I finally heard Leonard's version, it made me fall in love with him."
For her two Montreal shows, Vega - accompanied
by bassist Mike Visceglia and guitarist Gerry Leonard - will be performing a mix of material taken from her most recent album, Beauty and Crime, as well as her love songs and the hits. "It's going to be a little bit of everything."
The only new song Vega will be performing is the Picasso-inspired The Man Who Played God, which is her contribution to the yet-to-be released Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse album, Dark Night of the Soul.
Suzanne Vega
At L'Astral (305 Ste-Catherine W.), Nov. 7 and 8
