A city of extremes, New York represents different things to different people. For singer- songwriter Suzanne Vega, its infinite variety is a constant source of inspiration.
"Beauty & Crime," released last summer by EMI Japan, is a detailed look at a metropolis that's a part of America, yet a world unto itself. The album, her first studio effort since 2001, is a collection of ministories in song form. She recounts the turbulent marriage of Frank Sinatra and actress Ava Gardner, examines the inner turmoil of a firefighter in the aftermath of 9/11 and ponders perceptions of beauty in the novels of Edith Wharton. The common thread is the city that, in "New York is a Woman," is likened to a self-confident charmer with no shortage of suitors eager to have their hearts broken.
Though technically not a native, the California-born Vega has impeccable credentials as a chronicler of her hometown. She's lived nearly all of her life in Manhattan — or, more accurately, all over Manhattan.