Roll & Go CD Release Party

Subject: RE: Roll & Go CD Release Party
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Jul 10 - 08:09 AM

Only 987 Look Out! CD's left on hand. Get your orders in quickly (see link in first post)!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Roll & Go CD Release Party
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 11:47 PM

Julie and Fred-

Hope you did well with your concert at the Yarmouth Clam Festival.

We had a small but attentive crowd in Portland, with a few folks that we hadn't seen for years. The performing space was definitely a challenge. We brought everything we had in terms of sound equipment, tried it out, and decided that it was better to work without it.

Our next public concert will be Saturday, August 7th, 7 pm, at the Wells-Ogunquit Historical Society in Wells, Maine. That space we know is great for sound.

We do have a few CD's left on hand that we'd be happy to mail out.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Roll & Go CD Release Party
From: GUEST,julia L
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 08:37 PM

Hey guys! Congratulations and Good Luck- sorry we can't be there.

Julia & Fred

Subject: RE: Roll & Go CD Release Party
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 03:51 PM

Works for me. We'll reserve you a block of tickets. It takes about 45 minutes to drive from Portsmouth to Portland.

Cheerly,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Roll & Go CD Release Party
From: crism
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 11:22 AM

The CD is good. (There's your review!)

I am planning on driving from Portsmouth after the chantey sing ends there, if anyone wants a ride. At this point, just see me in person…

Subject: Roll & Go CD Release Party
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 08:34 AM

This evening our sea music group Roll & Go celebrates our third CD, appropriately titled Look Out!, at the Maine Irish Heritage Center in Portland, Maine, 7:30 pm. We're not expecting a lot of folks to attend from out of state or from overseas. So here's a link to our updated website where you can find CD notes, full lyrics and MP3 samples, great photos of performers, and an order blank for purchasing CD's: click here for lyrics and MP3 Sample!

We would love to have reviews posted here from people who have already listened to advance copies of Look Out!.

Here's the track list and notes as a teaser:

Sail O Believer – A rousing traditional gospel song from the Quimby family of the Georgia Sea Islands; another version can be found in Slave Songs of the United States (originally published in 1867 and republished in 1995). Led by Dick with full chorus.

Neptune's Daughter – Here's a different take on women and the call of the sea, composed by Bob Watson (UK), © 2003 ROM Watson, used with permission. We especially like the Appalachian style tune. As with all good ballads, one is left to wonder about the details of the story. Led by Carol with full chorus; Charlie on banjo, Jeff on guitar, Norris on whistle.

Bound Away – Based on a poem composed by old sailor-poet Bill Adams (UK & US), adapted for singing by Charlie using the traditional Liverpool Packet capstan shanty tune and incorporating its chorus. This is a joyful song that could have been belted out by the young apprentice lads on their first voyage. Adams was just such an apprentice lad in the 1890's before he was forced ashore in 'Frisco for chronic health reasons. Led by Charlie with full chorus; Charlie on banjo, Jeff and Eli on guitars, Norris on whistle.

A Ballad of John Silver – A somewhat nostalgic pirate poem composed by John Masefield and adapted for singing by Charlie using the traditional tune The Range of the Buffalo. It's a curious mixture of grim reality and wistful thinking. Led by Jeff with backing vocals by Eli; Jeff on guitar, Charlie on concertina, Norris on whistle.

Mary L. MacKay – Based on a poem by Frederick W. Wallace which later became a folk song collected by Helen Creighton. The story describes a record-breaking sail between Portland, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, fueled by Portland rum. Sung by Eli and Norris together.

Lumber – Cicely Fox Smith (UK) was resident in the Pacific Northwest from 1905 to 1913, primarily in Victoria, British Columbia. Charlie adapted this poem for singing by using the traditional Irish tune The Boys Won't Leave the Girls Alone. Here we have someone waxing nostalgic about the hard work of loading the lumber ships when he was young, and the comradeship with his fellow workers. Steveston was a major shipping port for lumber near Vancouver, BC. Led by Charlie with the full chorus; Charlie on banjo, Jeff on guitar, Norris on whistle.

Haul Away Joe – This traditional halyard shanty tells a story of a sailor's many loves, real or imagined. Led by Eli with full chorus.

Leona – Nelson Dale (Norris's brother) composed this ghostly ballad, © 2009, used with permission, using the name of a family-owned sailing ship from the 19th century. Norris's great-great-grandfather Joseph Norris was skipper and part-owner of Leona when she sailed from Thomaston in 1854. The rest of the story is pure fiction but makes a fine nautical tale. Led by Norris with full chorus; Jeff on guitar.

The Salvage Men – Composed by ex-Coastguardsman Joe McGrath, © 1986, used with permission, whom we met in the Portland Folk Club back in the 1980's. Charlie revised the tune and did some minor rewording. It's a chilling song about the predatory wreckers who used to frequent some coasts. Led by Jeff with backing vocals by Charlie and full chorus; Jeff on guitar, Charlie on banjo, Norris on whistle.

The Wreck of the Lady Washington – Based on a true incident involving a tall-ship replica's unfortunate encounter with a railroad bridge on the upper Columbia River. Micki Perry knew members of the crew and composed this memorable ballad, © 1991, used with permission. The tune is based on the traditional whaling ballad Greenland Fisheries. Led by Charlie with full chorus; Charlie on banjo, Jeff and Eli on guitars, Norris on washtub bass and whistle.

Marco Polo – Composed by Jim Stewart (Canada) as part of The Marco Polo Suite, © SOCAN 1986, used with permission. The song describes the history of this unconventional, record-breaking clipper ship. Led by Norris with full chorus.

Fisherman's Song – Words and music by Andy M. Stewart, © 1981 Strathmore Music and Film Services, used with permission. This is an all too realistic ballad of the risks of falling in love with a fisherman, and the hard choices such men have in earning a livelihood. Led by Eli with backing vocals by Carol; Eli and Jeff on guitars.

Mobile Bay – Based on a poem by C. Fox Smith and adapted for singing by Charlie. Here we have an old sailor reminiscing about his experience in the cotton port of Mobile, Alabama, where something bad evidently went down. This poem contains phrases from the traditional stevedore/halyard shanty Roll the Cotton Down, a version of which Smith collected and published in A Book of Shanties. Led by Dick with full chorus, with Charlie on banjo.

Rio Grande – a traditional capstan shanty which C. Fox Smith traces to the Rio Grande River in Southern Brazil. Led by Eli with full chorus.

Sugar in the Hold – A traditional loading shanty sung using William Pint and Felicia Dale's re-arrangement, © 1987, used with permission. Led by Jeff with full chorus; Jeff on guitar, Charlie on concertina, Norris on washtub bass.

Roll the Woodpile Down – a traditional stevedore shanty which Stan Hugill traces from the Gulf ports to the high sea where it functioned as a halyard shanty. Led by Eli with full chorus.

Saturday Night at Sea – Based on an old sea poem composed in 1838 by Judge Joseph Howe, as adapted for singing by Norris. It's a classic rendering of the kind of sentimental song the ship's officers might sing to one another in their leisure time. Led by Norris with full chorus; Norris on whistle, Eli and Jeff on guitars.

The Long Road Home – C. Fox Smith most likely composed this poem as she reflected back on her imminent departure from Victoria, British Columbia. Peter Massey (UK) did a fine job of setting this poem to music, producing a hard-driving song, © 2005, used with permission. Charlie did some further revision of Smith's words. Led by Jeff with backing vocals by Charlie on the verse and full chorus; Jeff and Eli on guitars, Charlie on banjo, Norris on whistle.

Again what we have on this CD is a mixture of traditional and contemporary songs of the sea. Some are presented as a capalla shanties with harmony on the chorus or refrain while others have full instrumentation including guitars, banjo, concertina, penny whistle, and/or washtup bass.

Enjoy!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble