In August, 2008, Taylor revealed his wealth of recorded art and his desire to give something to the community. He asked for ideas.

I had been following the cycle of speculation and greed in the oil markets and the grief on the winter horizon. I recalled an article about state sponsored “warming centers” in communities across Maine. On one hand, I was grateful for a prompt and practical response. However, I was equally appalled that in our country, amid vast wealth and promise, this problem required a solution straight out of Charles Dickens.

I turned to Taylor mentioning this and suggested HEAT! Taylor's reply was immediate. We went to work. We haven't looked back.

Our Initiative:
HEAT is a benefit CD dedicated to warming the hearts and hearths of those struggling to survive this winter.

HEAT offers music and lyrics that speak to singer/songwriter, folk, jazz, classical, blues and indie audiences.

HEAT was compiled from live performances at The Maple Room in Lewiston, Maine.

HEAT will donate all net proceeds for distribution to families in need. Our goal is to sell 10,000 copies. We have the fuel. Let's turn up the HEAT!

Gil Helmick
Executive Producer

I’ve been a professional musician for more than twenty years and have performed or recorded with most of my favorite musicians in the world.

My wife Rebecca and I opened The Maple Room in 2007 to reflect the “magic” of music. We invited our favorite musicians, musical heroes and living legends, along with artists that we had “discovered” – artists that composed the rich soundtrack to our lives, who spoke a “secret language” of the heart and spirit.

And they came. I sat in with them on stage. I played with some for the first time. I played with others like we'd always played. These artists are the Einstein's and Edisons of their field, music. An intimate listening room was born and a year of amazing concerts followed. Some of the most poignant artists in the world arrived.

The Maple Room’s 95 seat capacity provides a unique listening environment designed to allow the artist and the audience intimate access to the human element in music. Given that and the newness of our venue, many within the larger community missed these amazing performances. Now we share these performances with you on CD.

Distilling a year of performances to just 20+ songs was a serious project. These compositions had to harmonize as a statement, be sonically compatible and convey a congruent mood. A labor of love - this is the cream from our first year's harvest. May they heat your soul and warm your heart.

Taylor Mesplé
The Maple Room/Old Port Records