Recreate the warmth of home with these three pieces of music.
The Great City (Album) — Hilary Gardner, 2014
Growing up, I never thought that my hometown would produce any talent beyond hockey players and dog mushers. That has all changed, and I am happy to say that Wasilla, Alaska, will be known for more than a politician who can see Russia from her yard. Hilary Gardner brings her sultry, soulful and wistful vocal talents to this tribute to her adopted home, New York City, a majestic and daunting metropolis that both fulfills and feasts on people’s dreams every day. Standards from Sinatra, Johnny Mercer and Nancy Wilson are intertwined with some amazing renditions of contemporary artists like Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell, weaving a marvelous canvas of the dirty, the clean, and the iconic life of being a musician in New York City.
I Feel Home (Single) — O.A.R., Any Time Now, 2002
Rockville, Maryland, jam band O.A.R. started out as a small college ensemble that has grown way beyond the college circuit. From their years of live performances around the country, they have cultivated a die-hard following that rivals that of Dave Matthews, and they’ve released more live albums than actual studio ones. The road can take its toll on musicians, and you can hear in lead singer Marc Roberge’s voice the desire and need to find home again and see the things that matter most: friends, family and familiarity. The live version of the song captures all of this desire and the sincerity that a studio version never could. Written way before the group became well-known, Roberge’s lyrics capture that fleeting essence of friendship and the time spent hanging out “back in the day.” It’s a musical experience that helps him stay grounded and sane in a world where “home” is a shifting memory.
A House Is a Home (Single) — Ben & Ellen Harper, Childhood Home, 2014
Childhood Home, released on Mother’s Day this year, is Grammy winner Ben Harper’s 12th album. Teaming up with his mother, Ellen Harper, to create 10 raw and acoustically stark tracks, he takes us full circle back to his folk roots, after his forays into rock and soul. “A House Is a Home” is the beautifully poignant opening track that harkens back to the great early folk songs of the ’50s and ’60s. Harper’s smooth, soulful vocals interweave simply and naturally with Ellen’s maternally bluegrass voice to tell the truth about what family life is like for most of us. The home may be a mess or the lawn may need a mow, but the family inside is what matters the most. Working to make sure home and family are taken care of and cherished as they rightly deserve is the ongoing theme of this simple but sweet track.
