David Kessler to lead the March 9th Sing Shanty session!!

David Kessler grew up in New England where he learned to sail, sing, and appreciate the region’s coast and history.

He has organized and managed events of all sizes, and founded several singing and educational sailing events. He co-produces the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony and is half of the singing duo Kessler and Perasso.

Jim Scarantino to lead the February 10th Sing Shanty session!!

Join us for another great session of shanty singing, led this month by Jim Scarantino.

Jim discovered sea shanties upon moving to Port Townsend two years ago.  He brings his experience singing classical and opera, country, gospel and hard rock to the monthly gathering.  Jim performs with Nelson's Blood, a new local shanty/maritime band, and with Happenstance, the British/Irish pub band that closed out last year's Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival.

Wayne Palsson

More information about Wayne Palsson, our Shanty Leader for Wednesday January 13th...


Wayne has been singing chanteys and maritime songs for over a decade, focusing on songs with rich tones reflecting the fishing and maritime trades.
Wayne is the host of Northwest Seaport’s Chantey Sing Series and sings in the local group "Strikes A Bell".
His own nautical experience on the high seas and local waters helps to anchor his interpretations of traditional chanteys, new and local sea songs, and even a few overlooked classics by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Wayne Palsson to lead the January 13th Sing Shanty session!! Yay!

Cheqa Rodgers

More information about Che Rodgers, our Shanty Leader for Wednesday Dec 9th...

Che was a self-educated and highly driven child. He started working on boats at around fifteen; and studied boatbuilding and traditional rigging shortly thereafter.

He worked as a rigger for a couple years before taking to the water full-time as a bosun, and later as chief mate on the schooner Spike Africa. He obtained his captain’s license at 19.

Che has sailed on many traditional and modern vessels since, several of them schooners, and spent most of 2014 in the UK aboard a pilot cutter yacht built by Luke Powell of Working Sail. He and the owner (of limited experience) sailed about 1,200 miles over seven-plus months from Falmouth, Cornwall, to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland via the Irish Sea. It was a hell of a learning curve! Currently he’s working on small adventure-cruise vessels in Southeast Alaska.

On to music...Che plays mostly mandolin and banjo, usually in American old-time or Irish circles. Lately he’s been collaborating with fellow local musician and sailor Daniel Macke; often performing as a duo. They play folk-inspired, original compositions on mandolin and bouzouki.

Che also dabbles in instrument building and repair, and he’s slowly building a fiddle with the full intention of actually learning to play the thing one day. He has rebuilt his mandolin after a critical case of "terminal gap-osis", and has enjoyed renovating a couple of banjos from the 1880's to 1890's.

Che Rodgers to Lead December 9th Shanty Sing. Double ARRGH!!!!

Che Rodgers is one of Port Townsend's brightest stars: a fantastic musician and singer, and all-round good egg. This session should be very memorable.

Whateverly Brothers to Lead November 11th Shanty Sing. ARRGH!

Dan Roberts and Chris Glanister of the Whateverly Brothers will lead the next second Wednesday Song Circle on November 11th.

Video: "Son of a Son of a Sailor" with Pint and Dale and Jan Elliott- Glanister at the Conway Muse, October, 2014

Dan Roberts - "As the eldest brother, Dan has the most experience in music and performing. Raised in the Bay Area and coming of age in Berkeley (he swears he has no memory of that), he also studied opera and received the training that makes his voice one of the most notable and powerful in the folk music community. A true folkie, Dan’s repertoire spans decades. It also spans three octaves which allows him to sing lead, bass, or make strange noises. He also plays a mean set of spoons and admits to being a recovering elementary school teacher."

Chris Glanister - "Chris has been hanging around folk music for too many years and it shows (mostly in the waistline...). He grew up in England listening to Burl Ives, Pete Seeger and the popular British folk group, The Spinners, along with Led Zeppelin, the Monkees and lots of classical music. As the
co-founder of the local Seattle celtic band Watch the Sky! he has been entertaining audiences with his whistle playing and vocals for many years.

He started his musical career as a recording and live sound engineer and at some point had to play the music he was hearing. He's since added bohdran, cittern and cowbell and banjo to his musical lineup, and loves the Scottish and maritime influences in the music he plays."

Have another listen - "Haul Away Joe."