AMM Calendar - Coming Events

June 13/14 - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Them Eastport Oyster Boys
Wednesday, June 13 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, June 14 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
For the past decade, Them Eastport Oyster Boys, the duo of Jefferson Holland and Kevin Brooks has been delighting audiences throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed with their irrepressible brand of humorous tunes inspired by living in a community where the best things in life are a “good hat, a good dog and a good boat.” Their original songs, all inspired by the Bay, swing from island rhythms to “Country/Western Shore,” some poking fun at stinkpotters, others paying homage to the plight of the waterman. They were featured in the 2004 Smithsonian Folk Life Festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and recently returned from their tour in Ireland. In his “day job,” Jeff works as the director of the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Kevin Brooks volunteers on the Museum’s Board of Directors. They contribute their time and talents to the Museum for this concert series.

June 20/21 - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Tom Wisner
Wednesday, June 20 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, June 21 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
Tom Wisner, the “guru” of Chesapeake Bay folk music, is a singer, songwriter, and educator from the Patuxent River watershed. Since the 1960s, Wisner has pioneered the use of original songs and stories to heighten awareness of the national treasure known as the Chesapeake Bay. His masterpiece, “Chesapeake Born,” inspired a National Geographic Special documentary. His first three albums are part of the National Smithsonian Folkways collection. He was a featured entertainer at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival in 2004.

Saturday, June 23 - 11th Annual Eastport A Rockin'
Music Fest and Street Party - 11 a.m. - 7:30 p.m
Kayak Raffle winners announced at the fest. - read more...

June 27/28 - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - William Pint & Felicia Dale
Wednesday, June 27 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, June 28 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
Maritime musicians William Pint & Felicia Dale offer Annapolitans a taste of the sea from different regions—the West Indies, Wales and Brittany, as well as their own Puget Sound. With vocals and guitar, mandola, Irish pennywhistles, percussion and the exotic sounds of the hurdy gurdy, the Seattle duo bring an energetic and contemporary spirit to their repertoire. Their music fits into the world of modern folk, rock and popular song, but it’s rich with the myth, narrative, rhythm, rhyme and lyric associated with the days of the Tall Ships. The daughter of a sea captain, Dale grew up in an environment steeped in the traditional lore of the sea. Pint headed west to escape Wisconsin winters, and the rich seafaring history of the Pacific Northwest soon led him to explore the songs of deepwater sailors. Together Pint and Dale have won an ardent following across the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands.

July 5 - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Scurvy Crew
(NOTE: There will be no concert on Wednesday, July 4.)
Thursday, July 5 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
A delightful bunch of young people from Southern Maryland, the Scurvy Crew has been singing sea songs for several years now, entertaining audiences with their lively performances and colorful costumes. Ranging from traditional work songs to hilarious “chantey nouveaux,” the group’s material can be saucy or somber, but is always spirited. Expect a reunion of sorts for this performance, as returning college students swell the ranks. This will be their first appearance for the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

July 11/12  - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Steve Keith
Wednesday, July 11 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, July 12 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
Steve Keith is a self-described “picker-songwriter” from Whitestone, Virginia. A multi-talented musician, Steve first sailed into Annapolis on his sailboat Rocinante in 2000, and became a welcome addition to the vibrant music scene so vital to Annapolis’ history. He appeared weekly at local Irish pubs, and has played many other venues throughout the Northern Chesapeake Bay area. Steve has recorded two CDs dedicated to the people of the Chesapeake. Little Hinkley Yawl is a collection of mostly original songs about sailing. Fresh Fish, featuring more of Steve's salty songs, includes two future classics, “Blackbeard,” and a song for the region’s staunchly independent watermen called “My Deadrise, My Flies and My Beer,” featuring Junior Brown and his band. He also appears on the compilation album of Chesapeake Bay musicians entitled Thomas Point Light, produced by the Museum’s Chesapeake Music Institute in 2004.

July 18/19  - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Geoff Kaufman
Wednesday, July 18 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, July 19 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
For the past 28 years, Geoff Kaufman has been leading audiences to find truth, humor, and beauty in folk music. Whether singing sailor songs with his quartet, Forebitter; or environmental songs on board the Sloop Clearwater in the Hudson River; or in solo performances at coffeehouses throughout the northeast United States and festivals in Europe, Geoff has entertained and touched audiences near and far. Songs of the sea, songs of the earth, songs of the heart and the spirit—all of these are in Geoff Kaufman's ditty bag. Ancient ballads, work songs, and songs of love; poignant songs of people in struggle, humorous glimpses of human foibles, and insights into history—all of these are likely to be woven into one of Geoff's concerts. And he is sure to invite the audience to sing along.

July 25/26  - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Bob Zentz
Wednesday, July 25 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, July 26 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
Bob Zentz, a singer, songwriter, and storyteller from Norfolk, Virginia, has five recordings of traditional and original songs. His Chesapeake Bay songs like “This Old Bay” and “The Last Skipjack” have become true classics that have been included in a number of anthologies. He was featured in the 2004 Smithsonian Folklife Festival and performs concerts and educational programs throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Bob takes time to tell the stories behind the songs, and he accompanies his rich baritone voice with dozens of “unplugged” folk instruments. One minute he’ll be singing an original ditty about his experiences on the Bay, the next he’ll throw in a traditional Celtic tune, a ballad or a sea chantey, and then he’ll recite poetry set to his own special brand of music.

August 1/2  - Summertime Maritime Concert Series
Wednesday, August 1 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus - Royal Oak Musicians
Thursday, August 2 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier - Don Shappelle
The Royal Oak Musicians, a trio comprised of Ed Klein, Lynn Henderson and Jay Brown, sing original songs from the Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay and the watermen who earn their pay on her waters. Dr. Ed Klein works as a dentist for his “day job,” but since moving to Royal Oak, a village near St. Michaels, he has devoted his free time to collecting, writing, performing and recording songs about the watermen. Lynn Henderson’s vocals have been referred to in the Easton Star Democrat as “sweet and melancholy,” particularly on the skipjack song, “What’s Gonna Happen to the Old Nellie Byrd?” Jay Brown’s singing, both leads and harmony, and sprightly guitar picking add depth and dimension to the presentation. The Royal Oak Musicians will appear on Wednesday night only.

Don Shappelle, singer/songwriter from the Susquehanna rivershed, sings songs inspired by the beauty and history of the Susquehanna, the people, boats, and places of the mighty river that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. “Listening to him singing from aboard a traditional Chesapeake Bay workboat is an especially appropriate setting for his body of work,” explains Annapolis Maritime Museum Director Jeff Holland. He will perform solo for the Thursday noon concert.

August 8/9  - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Calico Jack
Wednesday, August 8 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, August 9 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
Calico Jack is actually the dynamic folk duo of Janie Meneely and Paul DiBlasi. A veteran chanteyman with the colorful group, Pyrates Royale, DiBlasi can send his mellow baritone over the deck and back. He brings a vast repertoire of classic work songs to the group along with a flair for the guitar. Singer/songwriter Janie Meneely (whose own soprano voice, she says, “carries pretty well”) has shared the stage with Them Eastport Oyster Boys and, before that, Crab Alley. Her nautically inspired tunes have been recorded by artists throughout the country. “Together, Janie and Paul are sheer delight,” says Museum Director Jeff Holland. “Sometimes sober, sometimes saucy, they slide easily between old and new. Janie’s strong regional roots have led her to develop a hefty list of Bay-inspired songs, but her ditties are just as apt to poke fun at time-honored traditions. Paul’s mastery of classic sea chanteys will have an audience singing along in no time. Their voices blend together beautifully.” Calico Jack released its first CD, The Oyster Wife, in 2006.

August 15/16 - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Deanna Dove
Wednesday, August 15 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, August 16 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
Deanna Dove has been entertaining all her life. She was born on the Patuxent River on Broomes Island, Maryland. When this little girl wasn't listening to music, she was crabbing or fishing on the river and the adjacent Chesapeake Bay. At an early age, Deanna and her sisters formed the Dove Sisters Trio, singing popular southern gospel hymns. Her lifelong experiences on the Chesapeake Bay contribute to her compositional writing style. Her powerful, earthy vocal style earned her the accolade of “musical Nirvana” during a 1998 review of her band, “Deanna Dove & Blues Power.” Dove’s solo debut CD entitled Chesapeake was released in May 2003. The title track, “Chesapeake” is currently the theme song for the “Voices of the Chesapeake Bay,” a Sunday morning radio program on WRNR 103.1, and has recently been released on the 2005 compilation disc entitled, Songs of the Chesapeake Bay.

August 22/23 - Summertime Maritime Concert Series - Chesapeake Scenes
Wednesday, August 22 - 7 to 8:30 p.m., Museum Campus
Thursday, August 23 - noon, City Dock, Market House pier
“Banjo Man” Tom McHugh, Tom Anthony, Bill Matthews and Andrew McCown pack a powerful punch when they present a performance of Chesapeake Scenes, a mixture of songs, story and recitation about the vanishing traditions of the Bay. McHugh, founder of The Mainstay, in Rock Hall, Md., has been on the local music scene for about 15 years now, when he returned to Chestertown after a stint as a professor at Vassar College. Rooted in folk tradition, his songs come straight from the heart and describe people and places that are passing away. Anthony adds bass, Matthews adds guitar and McCown adds poetry with a mellow and sensitive voice that captures the language of the Eastern Shoremen, including their laughter and their tears. McHugh will be performing solo for the Thursday noon concert.