I received an advance copy of a disc about a month ago as I remember. No disc insert but probably with some kind of cut sheet which obviously got lost somewhere along the way.
In any event I put it in my briefcase, moved it to my car, took it into my office and never got around to listening to it. This afternoon I ran across it while in the car and had an opportunity to listen so I did. And I love it. I have added 6 from the record titled "This Song Is To You" which after reading the disc itself is co-produced by Ray Kennedy. The tracks are Long Hot Summer, Pedestal, Love Loves To Fly, Steely Dan, Train of Love & Drinking Cup.
I don't know anything about Ms. Chapman except what I found of the internet. So what I know is that she is very attractive and the following which I lifted from her site.
There’s something in the water around the Washington D.C. area. From Emmylou Harris to Mary Chapin Carpenter, our Nation’s Capital has delivered smart, female singer songwriters whose voices and songs enjoy a home with music fans from all genres. Stephanie Chapman, the oldest daughter of five children, considers herself lucky to not only be from the same fertile territory as these women, but also to have had them as role models for cutting an original path through Nashville’s field of dreams.
Born in a small town in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle and raised in Round Hill, Virginia, Stephanie grew up with a geographic and demographic backdrop as eclectic as her father’s music tastes. She spent her childhood in the country, literally playing in cow pastures with her siblings, and grew up to earn two degrees, write for various publications, and work in the Pentagon. At the same time she was exposed to Broadway musicals and Frank Sinatra, Stephanie learned from her father to love Bluegrass, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. It only makes sense that this amalgamation of influence, both in music and in life, would lead to a songwriter whose songs appeal to a wide audience. Proof of this are two different yet equally-respected artists who have recorded Stephanie’s songs, Bonnie Raitt and Trisha Yearwood.
Though Stephanie counts her happy childhood as fodder for many of the songs she writes, the road to writing songs about the human conditions of love, loss and heartache was not always smooth. A few months into her sophomore year of college Stephanie was hit by a car while walking to campus and suffered a severely broken leg which she almost lost. While the outcome could have been much worse, Stephanie says the accident that literally knocked her off her feet changed her life. “There are people who’ve been through so much more; but for a small moment in my life I really thought I was going to die. I’ve always been sensitive to the world around me, but from then on I couldn’t help but notice the slightest happiness or sadness in the world. I feel things deeply and I get to experience the joy of writing about them.”
In a world where there can often be more bad news than good, the need for beautiful music is great. Stephanie’s songs seem increasingly poignant and somehow find a balance between sorrowful and uplifting; as if to say that first we recognize hardships and then we find the beauty in them. The voice that shares this message is uplifting too. Stephanie’s shimmering vocals hearken back to Linda Ronstadt and her songwriting style recalls Rodney Crowell. Having shared a stage with legends like Merle Haggard and Ricky Skaggs, Stephanie’s music has thrived equally among rowdy, loyal Merle fans and the scrutinizing ears of bluegrass lovers; once again proving the constant appeal of touching lyrics sung beautifully.
The path, although not always easy to see, has been charted by many before her. For the sake of music lovers all around, let’s hope Stephanie Chapman’s music can be enjoyed by many for years to come.
