MUSIC REVIEWS
MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER’S BETWEEN HERE AND GONE

Mary Chapin Carpenter’s recently released CD Between Here and Gone is another sensational collection by this truly great artist. The CD features 12 cuts with the basic theme of travel and transition, the fragility of life, and the loneliness and despair caused by the isolation of an individual by today’s society.

Chapin’s haunting vocal style adds tremendous sincerity to the songs and theme of this work especially on the song “My Heaven,” inspired by the book The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Another touching song on the CD is “Grand Central Station.” In this song a New York City ironworker is manning a bucket on the bucket brigade at Ground Zero and hears the voices of the dead, desperate to find their way home. Other works on this CD include “What Would You Say To Me,” “Goodnight America,” and the title cut “Between Here and Gone.”

The CD features Chad Cromwell on drums, Matt Rollings on Keyboards, Dan Dugmore on steel guitar, and many other artists who back up Mary Chapin Carpenter’s vocals and acoustic guitar. The CD was produced by Mary Chapin Carpenter and Matt Rollings.

For those readers who may be unfamiliar with Mary Chapin Carpenter’s music, she has a collection of songs out now, the Essential Mary Chapin Carpenter. This CD contains hits such as “Stones in the Road,” “Shut Up and Kiss Me,” “Down at the Twist and Shout,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” and “Halley Came to Jackson.” It is a great intro to the music of Mary Chapin Carpenter.

The long awaited sophomore CD by Norah Jones also arrived earlier this year. Once again the shear simplicity of the production has made Feels Like Home a must have for the light Jazz enthusiast. This 13 song CD includes several real surprises including Jones’ cover of the Tom Waits song “The Long Way Home,” a unique duet, “Creppin In,” with Dolly Partin, and her soul-baring piano/vocal rendition of Duke Ellington’s Melancholia,” entitled “Don't Miss You at All,” for this CD. Other good songs include “Sunrise,” “Carnival Town,” and “Above Ground.”

On Feels Like Home Jones is backed by her Handsome Band along with guest appearances by Dolly Parton, Levon Helm and Garth Hudson of the Band, and jazz drummer Brian Blade. Arif Mardin’s and Norah Jones produced the CD. Feels Like Home, may not seem as strong as Come Away With Me at first, but it will grow on you if you give it a chance.

Yo-Yo Ma’s Obrigado Brazil, released last year is a blend of classical music and South American rhythms. The CD features the sounds of the cello, guitar, flute, percussion, piano, and many other instruments to capture the unique flavor of the Latin-South American sound. From classical to samba and bossa nova, the music of Obrigado Brazil is creative and surprising. It is a great companion to his is 1997 Grammy Award winning CD, Soul of the Tango. At last count Yo-Yo Ma had won 14 Grammy Awards, so if you are missing these CDs your collection may be incomplete.