Lori Lieberman, Best Known For 'Killing Me Softly,' Releases 19th  Album   'The Girl and the Cat'

 

At age 20? singer-songwriter Lori Lieberman wrote the? poem that became the iconic?hit ?song ?"Killing Me Softly."? She ?recorded it in 1971?and was ?enthusiastically embraced by the singer-songwriter? world which led ?to ?touring with ?notable artists including? Randy Newman, Leonard Cohen? and ?John Sebastian.?

Her? 19th ?album "The Girl ?And ?The Cat" ?is a ?cross-genre, unique? collaboration? with ?renowned ?Dutch string group,?the? Matangi Quartet ?known for their classical and popular? styles. Lieberman composed most of the songs, and wrote the string arrangements. The album recorded in Los Angeles and Amsterdam is mixed by ?the legendary Bob? Clearmountain? (Rolling Stones, Springsteen, David Bowie). ?Lieberman and the ?Matangi ?Quartet ?team up on October 4th ?for a concert at Carnegie Hall (Zankel ?Hall) NYC ?followed by ?a tour ?in the? Netherlands.?

Lieberman has been? captivating audiences with her recordings and performances ?since she was a teenager in the early 70's.? In addition to her success in America, she ?found a real connection for her music in ?the Netherlands, who embraced her sound and ?has continued to? welcome ?her back over the last four? decades.

All of the songs on "The Girl and the Cat" serve as a mirror that reflect experiences and challenges. On the title track, a mother struggles with her daughter's addictions and has to find her own way, and let go.?? "It's an album that organically went from one piece to another.? It's written straight from the heart and details my life, struggles?and inspirations", said Lieberman.?

"Along with the cat, went the girl??

How silly of me to think I could keep her??

I walk past her room and cover my eyes??

Put in the trash, her needles and?lies..."??

After reading Marian Fontana's? V for Virginia ?that ?talks about ?an annual ?meeting ?with a friend ?whose common link is the tragedy of 911 when both their firefighter husbands ran into the flames.? Lieberman reached out to the writer to explore adapting her story to a song.?"Martha and Me", tells the story of the widows and their unlikely relationship based on loss and?ends in resignation and hope.??

"Still we lift up our glass for what's yet to be??

Here's to them and to bravery??

And to Martha and me."??

After so many years, Lieberman has finally decided to record her own version of ?Don McLean's?"Empty Chairs,"? which inspired her poem that became the hit song "Killing? Me Softly." ??"I sing the song now ?as a tribute to that evening? of ?seeing Don play? at the Troubadour, and the way the song made me feel." says? Lieberman. "And I sing? it with? compassion for the girl I once was, and with gathering strength to the woman I've become."??

With a career that spans four decades,?The Girl? And? The Cat ?is another ?example of ?how ?this exceptional musician continues to? evolve? artistically, ?explore genres, and foster? new ?collaborations? to continue bringing? her stellar voice to her fans, old and new.?

Listen to "Blue in London," a selected song off the new album, below.

Tracklist

You Can't Take It Back???
Empty Chairs???
Girl Writing A Letter???
Martha and Me???
The Girl and the Cat???
Hallie???
Blue in London???
Exhibit A???
Woman???
Broken???
Traveler???
As Long As???
Like Blue???

 

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