Steady Keel Off A Leeward Shore - A Seafarer's Life

By Paul Rootsical

 

A Seafarer's Life: Music and Song

A Collection of folk tunes & songs about the sea and the lives of everyday people during the eras of exploration & colonialism. From the humble life of Jack Tar aboardship on the high seas and on foreign shores to the loved ones that he left behind back at home, from slaveships & privateers to haulers, whalers, traders, frigates & gunboats and then, finally, the long-awaited return to a friendly shore & home port...

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Popular historic, traditional seaman's songs, jigs, reels & melodies sail astern with more contemporary compositions. Show Of Hands feature on 4 tracks, painting a story of epic proportions with Tall Ships. Fiddler/singer Barry Dransfield is a specialist in the field and features heavily with several classics as do Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick. Regular June Tabor co-collaborators Mark Emerson, Andy Cutting & Tim Harries carry the swing with great interpretations of Jamaica & Enlist For A Soldier. Amazing June Tabor combinations with Martin Simpson & the Oysterband also. Eliza Carthy & Bob Dylan chip in with traditional sea ballads while Fairport Convention & Steeleye Span bring a little rock n roll on board.

It is hardly surprising that songs of the seas are so heavily represented in the folk book repertoire seeing that tales of overseas travel, wars & adventure were singularly the most exciting & glamourous topics of the ages and music being a chief vehicle for newscasting & storytelling. Sailors took their songs from home with them and, likewise, brought fresh new music back home with them.

Continuous mix 3hrs14

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