News Release

Annapolis Maritime Museum / 723 Second St / Annapolis, MD 21403
Contact: Jeff Holland / 410-295-0104

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Oct. 20, 2011

Contact:  Janie Meneely / 443-786-0463 / janiemeneely@gmail.com

Calico Jack and Bob Zentz Present ‘Season of the Sailor’

Annapolis duo Calico Jack (Janie Meneely and Paul DiBlasi) join forces with Virginia native and traveling troubadour Bob Zentz for an evening of original and traditional seasonal songs from the maritime tradition on Sunday, December 18, at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. Sit back with a cup of eggnog and sing along with songs sailors sang during the long winter months at sea, songs they wrote about spending the holidays afloat, and the songs and stories they enjoyed on their rare times at home during the holidays. Calico Jack will offer the Chesapeake Bay in winter: dredging, root beer, and the annual fireman’s feast, while Zentz will dig into his compendium of sea lore from the Bay and beyond.

“When Bob gets on stage, you think at first that there’s going to be an auction,” says concert presenter Janie Meneely. “He surrounds himself with every kind of stringed instrument imaginable—bouzouki, cittern, autoharp, ukulele, not to mention one or two guitars. But when he starts to play, it’s all about the music. Bob is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on traditional folk music, and when he plays, everyone just starts singing along.”

Zentz likes to tell the story behind the songs, introducing his audiences to the troubles, turmoils or celebrations that led to the creation of much of the music he presents. “You always walk away with a new piece of information,” says Meneely. “The music comes from surprising sources.”

Meneely, a songwriter and chronicler of all things Chesapeake, adds her own vision of Chesapeake Bay traditions, joined by her partner Paul DiBlasi. Calling themselves Calico Jack (after a ne’er do well pirate) they have been performing Chesapeake Bay songs and stories for nearly a decade. “Expect some new songs with a holiday twist,” says Meneely, who culls her material from years of living on the Eastern Shore and interviewing watermen from all over the Chesapeake region.

Admission to the concert is $15 in advance, $20 at the door. To purchase tickets, call 410-295-0104 or go to www.amaritime.org. For more information about the show, call Janie Meneely at 443-786-0463.

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