Youtube is a respite. Its a great place to go when you want to explore and you are stuck at home. I was on the phone with Curtis Harper, drummer for the Glorifying Vines and husband to Mattie Harper, one of the singers in the group a few weeks ago. We were just checking in, he’s been home caring for Mattie since she suffered a stroke about a year ago.

Before Mattie became homebound, The Glorifying Vines were experiencing a renaissance with Music Maker. They had a regular gig in Durham at the Bullpen, got passports, played at Blues To Bop in Switzerland and flew to Telluride and played at Telluride Blues and Brews. They were getting ready to go in the studio when tragedy struck and since then Curt has been spending most of his time, when he’s not driving a school bus, at home with Mattie, caring for her.

A few months ago, Blues to Bop shared some high quality video of their performances with Music Maker. We quickly posted them. Speaking to Curt on the phone he expressed to me how happy seeing these videos on youtube made him. He told me he hooked his computer up to his stereo and was playing the concerts on full blast through his big speakers. He was loving it!

The other night, I decided to do the same and came up with my own “stuck at home” playlist.  Each video is an incomparable showcase of the power of Music Maker’s partner artists’ performances. Make a bowl of popcorn, crack open a beer, turn the lights down and turn the stereo wide open and have a concert in your living room.