Lo-Flo Records presents “In the City” featuring the talents of Lynne Marta, George Ball, and Jane McNealy. “In the City” is an upbeat funk track and homage to New York, its people, and city life, written by McNealy in the 1970s. As with many of the label’s releases, they have been mined from the prolific composer’s extensive archive that hearkens back to the beginning of her professional output in the late 1960s. A full-length music video for “In the City,” created by Jeremy Gladen, features a collage of retro imagery depicting life in ’70s New York.
“In the City” was originally written by Jane McNealy in the 1970s, during a period when she had been writing jazz, R&B, and pop music for over a decade, all while co-writing numerous musicals with her long-time collaborator Alice Kuhns. “In the City” is an upbeat funk track and homage to New York, its people, and city life.
The song brought together the vocal talents of
Lynne Marta and George Ball, bridging McNealy’s dual worlds of theater and music. Ball, a seasoned off-Broadway performer, had previously worked with McNealy and Kuhns on their musical Gauguin, while Marta, also a theater singer and actor, had worked with the duo on their debut musical, To Be Fred. The trio—Marta, Ball, and McNealy—came together on vocals, with McNealy accompanying on piano.
The recording session was produced and orchestrated by Jim Androne, who also played guitar, bass, and drums. The result is a richly textured piece that remains a favorite for McNealy, particularly for its dynamic rhythmic and harmonic shifts.
She reflects on the song’s inspiration, explaining: “‘In the City’ was originally written about kids living in the backstreets of New York City and Coney Island. It’s a fantasy—a form of escape. The song is upbeat and hopeful, full of dreams and alive with the energy of the here and now.”
