Whatever happened to Mary Chapin Carpenter, you may ask? Good question! After debuting in 1987 with a breakthrough album, “Hometown Girl,” she went on to win five Grammy Awards and is the only artist to have won four consecutive Grammies for Best Female Country Vocal Performance, which she received from 1992 to 1995. By 2005 she had sold 12 million records. In October of 2012 she was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

But again we ask: whatever happened to Mary Chapin Carpenter? She used to appear often on shows like “Late Night With David Letterman” and “Austin City Limits,” as well as the popular outdoor venue Wolf Trap. Then she just sort of disappeared.

It turns out that while performing in the spring of 2007, she experienced severe chest and back pain. She continued her show until a bout of breathlessness landed her in the ER, where she was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism. After her recovery she fell into a deep depression. Thankfully, she's active again with her singing and songwriting, and her work on  behalf of various charities, including CARE and Habitat for Humanity. She's also done fundraising concerts for such causes as the elimination of landmines.

“Between Here and Gone” enshrines some of her best work. Some have called it a somber album because it addresses the events of September 11th and the death of singer/songwriter Dave Carter. But it has received some of the best reviews of Ms. Carpenter's career. It encompasses what could be called pop music for adults. Her acoustic/folk approach is distinctive. The CD presents songs that address travel, life's transitions, the fragility of life, the elusiveness of happiness, the end of romances.

One highlight is the song “My Heaven,” which was inspired by Alice Sebold’s novel, “The Lovely Bones.” Mary sings it from the perspective of being in heaven with loved ones and looking down on the earthly scene below.  Another favorite is “Grand Central Station,” told from the standpoint of a New York City iron worker, who is standing on the bucket brigade at Ground Zero and hears the voices of the dead, desperate to find their way home.

The opener, “What Would You Say To Me,” is an uptempo country tune that leavens the slower-paced album and doesn't quite fit, but we're glad she included it anyway. “Beautiful Racket” and “Girls Like Me” find their wisdom in Mary's new and married life.

A song that deeply touched us was “Luna’s Gone.” Listen closely to the lyrics: “Little wild child we loved so true / Guess the wind in the trees is all she left behind her / Guess it’s part of the plan to know we’ll never find her...” Chapin poetically captures the pain of seeing a young woman head out into the world and leave her family and friends behind.

“River” and “Elysium” are both love songs and the melodies and arrangements are outstanding. In “One Small Heart,” MCC is traveling the open road. Finally, “The Shelter of Storms” is the bittersweet song of lost love and the wisdom that comes from looking back on it. The lush arrangement and low timbre of her voice, along with a poignant echoing of the french horn make this track a jewel.

You need to get re-acquainted with Mary Chapin Carpenter or listen to her for the first time. She is a very distinctive artist.

To sample some of the tracks, click the speaker icon below to hear them. Then scroll down the page to order today!