Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)

Subject: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: curmudgeon
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 04:37 PM

The monthly shanty, forebitter, and Ballad session will be at the Press Room in Portsmouth NH, 3:30 - 7;30 PM on 15 October.

It would be nice to have a good turnout so as to compare notes on the Festival. But we've found that numbers do no necessarily improve the potency of the punch _ Tom

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 08:19 PM

I'm certainly planning to be there. And I'll see if Dick Dufresne wants to carpool with me.

I'm hoping that the Press Room won't be quite as crowded as it was at the Festival.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Oct 11 - 08:43 PM

I'm hoping my upper respiratory tract issues will get better instead of worse by then.

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: GUEST,Peadar (formerly) of Portsmouth
Date: 11 Oct 11 - 12:20 PM

Hoping to be there for a bit before I have to leave for our Mudhook gig in Durham that night.

If anyone would like to join us after the shanty sing, we're performing at the Unitarian Church in Durham from 7 - 10 p.m.

Details on Facebook by clicking HERE

If you didn't get a chance to see us at the PMFF, it'll be worth the drive.

Peter

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: NbptErnie
Date: 14 Oct 11 - 04:45 PM

I'll be there, and hopefully we will have that good turnout ... along with that potent punch.

Ernie

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 15 Oct 11 - 12:57 PM

Looks like great weather.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Bupkes
Date: 15 Oct 11 - 02:39 PM

Remind me to sing Bob Clayton & Annie Storr's new song "Socialize/Privatize", fresh from the streets of the DC area Occupy Wall Street.

Marty

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: GUEST,Peadar (formerly) of Portsmouth
Date: 16 Oct 11 - 12:50 AM

Alas, my afternoon got away from me and I didn't get to swing by as planned. Anxious to hear what went down...other than Blood Red Roses, of course. ;-)

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 16 Oct 11 - 09:52 AM

It was a nice gathering at the Press Room, The usual crowd was there, and the kitchen rhythm section was in full autumn bloom. I enjoy the large turnout that was gathered and crammed in there at the Maritime Folk Festival but this was much more laid back.

There was even a set of music hall songs, given me a chance to refresh Pity the Downtrodden Landlord before I present it at an urban folk festival in NYC next Saturday.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 16 Oct 11 - 11:02 AM

Will list attendees and songs later after I get home from work.

Linn

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 10:33 AM

Well, Mudcat was down last night, so my start on this was delayed. Photos, though, at Facebook.

Roll call - Tom Hall (Curmudgeon), Linn Schulz (Bat Goddess), Charlie Ipcar (Charley Noble) Dianne Lavoie, Chris Maden, Chris Vaughn (our resident Scots songwriter whose CD of his own songs -- nicely accompanied and arranged by Dave Hallowell, Jim Prendergast and more -- was just released), Ernie Pigeon (NbptErnie), Jeri, Marty Stock (Bupkes), Susan Young, Dan Young (later), Bill Lehrmann and Carol Pierson, Justine Donovan, Steve Smith, and Barry O'Brien (representing Gloucester).

1.[Shovelin' the Coal] - name? - Charlie Ipcar
2. He Bang, She Bang - Chris Maden
3. Hang On, John - Ernie Pigeon
4. Titanic - Jeri
5. Cannery Shed - Linn Schulz
6. The Night At Dago Tom's - Charlie
7. Clear Away the Morning - Dianne Lavoie
8. Cruisin' 'Round Yarmouth - Linn
9. Leave Her, Johnny, Leave Her - Ernie
10. Jolly Roving Tar - Chris Maden
11. If Wishes Were Fishes - Marty Stock
12. Bonnie Bunch of Thyme - Dianne
13. Dundee Weaver - Linn (more good advice)
14. So They Said Goodbye - Charlie
15. Mr. Eneos - Ernie
16. Let Her Go Down - Chris Maden
17. The Rosabella - Marty
18. Drink To the Laddies - Susan Young
19. Fire Marengo - Jeri
20. Sailor's Prayer - Linn
21. Rathlin' Head - Charlie
22. Little Sally Racket - Ernie
23. Haul Away, Joe - Chris Maden
24. What Will We Do? - Justine Donovan
25. Sandgate Girl's Lament - Linn
26. Sally Free and Easy - Chris Maden
27. It All Makes Work For the Working Man to Do - Dianne
28. Pity the Downtrodden Landlord - Charlie
29. The Man Who Waters the Workers' Beer - Linn
30. The Mermaid - Susan
31. Round the Corn, Sally - Barry O'Brien
32. All For Me Grog - Dianne
[plus a chorus of Sally Rogers & Howie Burstine's parody "Gone To the Dogs" from Linn]
33. Nellie J. Banks (Rum In the Hold) - Ernie
34. Banks of the Lea - Susan
35. Drink To the Men Who've Gone Ashore - Charlie

More later. UPS just delivered a large package from my sister and I have to go investigate -- a quilt my grandmother made, seasons 2-5 of Boston Legal...who knows what else?

Linn

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 11:13 AM

Package unwrapped (my sister owns shares in a tape company...) - Blind Faith and early Moody Blues CDs, a couple movie DVDs ("Eat, Pray, Love", "Wilde"...), a couple books, and a great cat draft stopper. My sister and I are always shipping books to each other. I should probably take the small package I have for her to the post office today... And Tom, who is doing some cleaning out of papers, found an article that he wrote back in 1994 that he's been looking for for years.

Okay, moving right along...

36. London Julie - Justine
37. Once More a-Lumbering Go - Marty
38. Out On the Rolling Sea - Barry O'Brien
39. Whiskey-O, Johnny-O - Linn
40. Boney Was a Warrior - Ernie
41. Mobile Bay (Roll the Cotton Down) - Charlie
42. Jeannie C. - Dianne
43. The Clearing Times - Chris Vaughn (on his CD!)
44. Hanging Johnny - Chris Maden
Dan Young's 40th birthday was Saturday, so we had to embarrass him...
45. Why Were You Born So Beautiful? - Linn
46. Happy Birthday to the Hallelujah Chorus - Linn
47. Happy Birthday Dirge - Chris Maden
48. Hard Times In Old Virginia - Justine
49. West Indies Blues - Charlie
50. Rolla Bolla - Ernie
51. Run Come See Jerusalem - Marty
52. Sitting On the River On the Levee - Chris Maden
53. John Kanaka - Dianne
54. Nelson's Prayer - Chris Maden

Dot's it...

Linn

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Oct 11 - 01:16 PM

LInn-

Lovely list!

My first song is titled Tramps (Chanty for Steam) by Ron Baxter of Fleetwood, UK. I think it's a keeper -- good chorus and interesting details about triple expansion steam cargo ships from around the turn of the 19th century.

Great to hear Justine leading songs again. Ernie is certainly making good progress on leading traditional shanties; it's not easy to pick the right key to power a shanty in even a friendly sea music session and he nailed several. In contrast, some of the new ones I'm working up need, I think, to be pitched in a higher key. Or maybe the room was just extra noisy.

I haven't heard "If Wishes Were Fishes" for years. Thanks, Marty!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: NbptErnie
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 06:36 PM

Hi all,

There was some interest in a couple of the songs I led last Saturday, and I promised to post some details, so here's what I know:

The song Nellie J Banks was written by Lennie Gallant. There's a rather rollicking version of it done by the Killicks that you can find on You Tube, and I've toned it down a bit for the way I like it. The Nellie J. Banks was an actual rum runner of some note, and was captained by Isreal Lillington. Her rum running days were ended when she was captured by the government on August 9, 1938.

I don't know who actually put "Hang On Jon" to music, and the only person I've heard do it is Bob Stuart, who did it at the 2011 PMFF, so it may have been him. The story line is derived (but abbreviated) from the children's tall tale John Tabor's Ride, written by Blair Lent in 1966 (there is another children's tale of the same name by Edward C Day, but that weaves a different story line). I don't know why Bob changed the name from John to Jon, but he seems to have. You can hear him do this song on his reverbnation page. I'll try to contact him to ask if he wrote it.

Ernie

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Oct 11 - 10:20 PM

Ernie-

Gordon Bok recorded "Hang on John" on Peter Kagan and the Wind.

I'm not sure where Bok got the song.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: NbptErnie
Date: 19 Oct 11 - 02:16 PM

Charlie,

Thanks for the reference to Bok's recording. I went to my old vinyl collection and pulled out that 1972 album. In the pamphlet that accompanies the record, Bok credits Bob Stuart with writing it (copyright 1972), so I guess that resolves the issue. Bok refers to a "John Taylor", as being the character in the song ... and to tell the truth, that is what the name sounds like to me in Bob's singing, so it probably is how Bob wrote it. However, the children's tale/legend is of a "John Tabor", and Bob titles his song as "Hang on Jon". So a few differences in first and last names. Bok acknowledges that he may not have stayed true to the original lyrics, and that "you should still hear Bob sing it", which happily, I did. I'm planning on staying with Bob Stuart's lyrics, but changing the name from Taylor to Tabor.

Ernie

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: GUEST,Peadar (formerly) of Portsmouth
Date: 19 Oct 11 - 04:14 PM

Should document that Chris Vaughan's song is titled "Celts"...unless he changed the title for the CD.

Pete

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Oct 11 - 05:27 PM

Ernie-

Excellent! I love the stories that go along with the songs.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: KathyW
Date: 19 Oct 11 - 09:03 PM

I obviously wasn't there, but the description of "Nellie J Banks" made me want to look it up. The tune sounded extremely familiar. Then I realized: the song is on one of the first albums of maritime music I ever bought. It was a compilation that included a recording of the song by a group called "Jar O Comfort." Excellent song, thanks for the reminder of it!

Subject: RE: Oct, Shanty Session@The Press Room(NH)
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 20 Oct 11 - 08:56 PM

Right, Peter, and I knew that...sometimes my mental database goes AWOL when I'm jotting down titles.

Linn