Thought this time I’d touch on the subject of shanty sings. We’ve several around here, and as the practice of shanty singing is somewhat obscure nowadays, I’ll take you along to a local shanty sing here in Seattle. So what is a shanty anyway? Mostly they were the work songs sung to help sailors as they did [...]

Just after my last post about shanty sings, the maritime music community lost one of its more influential local Chanteymen. Steve Lewis passed away in on February 11 in Port Townsend of cancer.  He’d been battling this for a while, and when it became obvious that it would not go away, he courageously chose to forgo [...]

Just after my last post about shanty sings, the maritime music community lost one of its more influential local Chanteymen. Steve Lewis passed away in on February 11 in Port Townsend of cancer.  He’d been battling this for a while, and when it became obvious that it would not go away, he courageously chose to forgo [...]

Sorry it’s been a while since I posted, happy New Year to all.  Thought this time I’d touch on the subject of shanty sings. We’ve several around here, and as the practice of shanty singing is somewhat obscure nowadays, I’ll take you along to a local shanty sing here in Seattle. So what is a shanty anyway? [...]

About 20 years ago, my wife and I had a fledgling Celtic band, and we’d just put out our first album, and our marriage had survived. We had given a copy of said album to a well known local maritime musician, and while politely telling us that he did not think much of it, he [...]

About 20 years ago, my wife and I had a fledgling Celtic band, and we’d just put out our first album, and our marriage had survived. We had given a copy of said album to a well known local maritime musician, and while politely telling us that he did not think much of it, he did [...]

There had been much unrest in Everett in 1916, and Shingle Weavers were fighting for the right for a restoration in pay that had been cut due to a slide in the price of shingles. On the evening of November 5th, the Steamer Verona slipped into the bay and headed for a dock. On board were 260 young I.W.W [...]

There had been much unrest in Everett in 1916, and Shingle Weavers were fighting for the right for a restoration in pay that had been cut due to a slide in the price of shingles. On the evening of November 5th, the Steamer Verona slipped into the bay and headed for a dock. On board were 260 young I.W.W [...]

There are quite a few happenings in the maritime music world this time of year, and thought I’d take you to one down in Ilwaco, WA;  down in that very lovely and rugged southwest part of the state.  Usually this time of year, folkies troop down to the annual Shanty Camp at Fort Columbia State Park , but instead, [...]

There are quite a few happenings in the maritime music world this time of year, and I thought I’d take you to one down in Ilwaco, WA.,  down in that very lovely and rugged southwest part of the state. Usually this time of year, folkies troop down to the annual Shanty Camp at Fort Columbia State [...]

Greetings!  The Three Sheets folks asked me to write a blog about maritime music, and so I shall. To me this is perfect symmetry.  I grew up the son of dinghy racing parents in the UK, and spent my childhood camping and sailing all around the UK, especially at Lake Ullswater in the Lake District.   [...]