"Here
it is nearly April already. Robin Dudley writes the community arts column for
the PT Leader. When she interviewed us a few weeks ago I asked her if
she would be interested in leading a sing. She jumped at the chance.
She has sailed numerous tall ships from as many ports around the world.
We’re looking forward to her leading and are hoping that some of the
Adventurous crew will join her." ~ Mike James
When asked to share his bio with us, Dano writes, "I was born at a very young age, in fact I was an infant at the time, to two parents; my Mother & Father... I grew up in Mystic, CT. I fell in the water while crabbing when I was 5 years old and never came back out! I'm a licensed Captain of both sail and motor vessels and have been working aboard ships for over 30 years. The first half of my career was all in tall ships so I come by my shanty singing honestly. I'm also a story teller with a unique spin. I recite original humorous sea stories in ballad style. I've performed at the Fisher Poets Gathering in Astoria for the past 6 years, I've won the Seattle Maritime Festival "Stories of the Sea" Contest 4 times, and have also won the Northwest Folklife Festival Liar's Contest."For more about Dano Quinn, here's the link to a recent article about Dano on Three Sheets Northwest by Deborah Bach: Salty stories and tall tales on Dano Quinn CD.
"Folklife has begun and is in full swing. If you are planning to attend the Maritime Showcase at the Traditional Stage on Saturday (3 to 6 pm), I recommend that you bring a festival chair for yourself. There are not a lot of seats for folks at that stage. Looks like the weather is going to hold for Saturday. Note to that the times in the on-line schedule are correct, and those in the printed schedule are not correct.
Also a quick correction and note for Tom Rawson's performances. On Saturday, 7:10 p.m. Tom is at the Folklife Cafe with his regular repertoire of traditional and contemporary folk songs. Tom will be leading a Pete Seeger kids songs sing along, but that will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday at the Cornish Courtyard.
Check out the festival web site schedule on your own by clicking here."
Saturday, May 24
The Maritime Showcase at the Trad Stage 3 to 6 pm:
3:00pm The Baggywrinkles Trad Stage3:30pm John Gothard Trad Stage 4:05pm Strikes A Bell Trad Stage 4:40pm Broadside and the Handsome Cabin Boys Trad Stage 5:10pm Shanghaied on the Willamette Trad Stage 5:40pm William Pint & Felicia Dale Trad Stage \
2:00 pm Children's Pete Seeger Singalong with Tom Rawson Cornish Courtyard
7:10pm Tom Rawson Folklife Cafe
Sunday, May 25
12:00pm Songs of the Columbia EMP JBL Theatre (Narrative Stage) 6:00pm John Denver Sing Along Cornish Courtyard (Workshop with Dan Maher and Nadine Sanders)
7:00pm Sea Chanteys and Maritime Songs Cornish Courtyard (Workshop with Wayne Palsson and Friends)
Monday, May 26
1:00pm Pete Seeger Tribute: Hosted by Peter McKee, Tom Rawson, Lou Truskoff, Jean Geiger and Dan Maher Fisher Green Stage
Update by Wayne Palsson, NW Seaport Chantey Sing Host
 |
| 1613 Wood Carving |
 |
| March Comes in Like a Lion |
When Mark Olson was seventeen years old, the sea tried to claim him. A deal was struck with Poseidon on the deck of that smoldering wreak that has held for thirty-three years. Always just one step ahead of Davie Jones, Mark has navigated the waters of the West Coast in everything from a rubber raft to a traditional square-rigger. It was during his many adventures that Mr. Olson found himself using shanties as part of everyday life. He has had the fortune to ship with several of the world’s renowned shantymen and maintains the unique perspective of using music not only as a tool to motivate and keep a working rhythm, but additionally - to keep our history alive.
One and All,
A monumental moment in America's sailing history came and went with little fanfare, back in 1989. Washington State was turning 100 years old, and as we looked back at how far we had come, few noticed the many things we had lost along the way. That was the year Aberdeen launched a replica of the first vessel to carry the (then new) independent colonial flag to the west coast of what was to become the 48 contiguous United States of America. There were many problems with the replica, the most notable being (in my mind) the sad fact that during her maiden voyage the crew of the brig Lady Washington set none of her square sails, due to the simple fact that not one crew member knew how. Far across the Pacific, in the rapidly crumbling Soviet Union, their beautiful fleet of sail training tall ships had fallen into such disrepair that officers had to patrol the decks 24/7 while visiting foreign ports, in order to keep their frightened crews from jumping ship and defecting. Even as late as 1997, when the pride of the U.S. Navy, the frigate Constitution celebrated her 200th birthday, by setting sail for the first time in many decades, an embarrassed command staff had to outsource the task of training her crew to those outside the Navy, because it seemed that the greatest water-borne war machine on Earth had actually forgotten how to sail.Fortunately our story did not end there. History had not yet truly died. It was merely slumbering in the memories, hearts, and imaginations of a scattered population. These people only needed a touchstone: the sight of sails rising up over a distant horizon - the smell of musty old pages that rustled as they were slowly leafed through - the sound of voices raised in the songs of old - to bring them together. Synergy, dreams, blood, and sweat, would do the rest. Each person held a piece of our shared past, and together they began to rebuild our history.Yesterday is far from dead. Come take a first-hand look at a scattering of truly remarkable historical artifacts, supplied by local families, dating from the age of sail and steam. Add your strong voice and knowledge to our shanty circle and hear just how far we have come. Who knows? You might carry that missing piece, and bring us one step closer to reclaiming fully what was nearly lost.We will see you Thursday, the 5th of July....Mark OlsonSing Shanties Song Circle LeaderNOTICE: Our July 5 Song Circle will not meet in the cafe as we have in the past. The new cafe, Velocity, is under new management; for the time being the cafe closes at 2:00 p.m. We will meet upstairs in the Maritime Meeting Room from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., as usual. The space is really great, but beverages and food will not be available, so you may want to bring your own non-alcoholic beverage and a snack.Directions as follows: The Maritime Meeting Room is on the 2nd floor of the Maritime Heritage Building (yellow building). If you go up the stairs between the red and yellow buildings and look right, there are a set of double doors that lead into the building; the library is to the right. Once inside go straight on about 20 feet and the Maritime Meeting Room is on the left with restrooms to the right across the foyer.
