Calico Jack, the maritime duo of Janie Meneely and Paul DiBlasi will perform in a free outdoor concert at the Mainstay in Rock Hall, MD on Saturday July 28 at 700 p.m. Admission is $15. The concert is free. Bring a comfortable chair. In the case of rain or extreme heat, the concert will move indoors. For information and reservations call 410-639-9133. Information is also available at the Mainstay’s website.
The folk duo Calico Jack celebrates the maritime history, the characters, and the traditions of the Chesapeake Bay and other large bodies of water. They cover a lot of ground…or water, from pirates to Point Lookout, from the raucous ruminations of ne’er-do-well sea captains to more thoughtful ballads about the people who make a living working the Bay, sliding easily from old to new.
Singer/songwriter Janie Meneely delves deep into the well of Chesapeake lore to produce songs evocative of the waterman’s way of life, and her nautically inspired tunes have been recorded by artists throughout the country. Paul DiBlasi, a former member of the colorful Pyrates Royale adds his mellow baritone, full-throated gusto and flair for harmony to the mix. His repertoire of classic work songs complements Meneely’s portfolio of originals giving voice to the watermen and the other maritime characters they sing about.
“Music at Oyster Court” is sponsored by the Sener-Johnston Family Fund at MidShore Community Foundation, the Rock Hall Business Association, the Kent County Arts Council and The Mainstay. Audience members are encouraged to bring a comfortable chair but not alcohol as the Mainstay will have a bar open. In case of rain or extreme heat, the concert will move indoors to the air-conditioned Mainstay.
Songwriter Meneely began her musical career in the group Crab Alley, which showcased original songs about the Bay and recreational boating. Since then she has produced three albums of Bay-inspired tunes. The first, a solo CD called “Give Me a River” released in 2001, includes a dozen original songs that range from the haunting “Red Sky,” to the ever-popular “Twiddles.” Her second Chesapeake-centric CD, “The Oyster Wife,” includes instrumentation and back-up vocals from her Calico Jack cohort, Paul DiBlasi (guitar and vocals), but also includes tracks with Geoff Kaufman (concertina), Chelle Fulk (fiddle) and the Seattle-based duo of William Pint and Felicia Dale. From a ballad about a waterman’s untimely end in a winter storm (“Old Bill”) to the upbeat humor of “Toadfish,” Meneely’s take on tournament fishing, the songs on the album sparkle with Chesapeake wit and wonder. A more far-reaching collection of general maritime material is included on a third album, “You Don’t Know Jack,” released in 2008. A fourth album is in production.
”There’s so much to sing about the Chesapeake Bay,” says Meneely who grew up on the Annapolis waterfront back when City Dock was crammed with workboats. “We’re trying to preserve the traditions and stories of the watermen and their communities. So many people have moved to the Chesapeake region from far away places, and they have no idea what a skipjack is. They don’t know any Bay history. They haven’t heard the stories told around the liar’s bench in an Eastern Shore country store.”
Meneely tries to capture the essence of those moments in her songs, whether she’s retelling ghost stories or describing a workday aboard an oyster dredger, “freezin’ our butts off on Chesapeake Bay.” Ultimately, she says, she wants her music, in some small part, to kindle an appreciation of the Bay and its traditions. “I use my art to preserve the resource,” Meneely says, “the same way a painter might capture a lighthouse on canvas. It’s just that you can whistle my art on the way to work or sing it in the car with your kids.”
Meneely is joined on stage most often by her real-life partner, singer and guitarist Paul DiBlasi. A former member of the colorful Pyrates Royale, DiBlasi’s mellow baritone adds a full-throated gusto to the mix. He adds his repertoire of classic work songs to Meneely’s portfolio of originals–along with a flair for harmony. He also gives voice to the watermen Meneely so often sings about.
It’s the blend of old and new in her performances that led Meneely to choose the name Calico Jack for the group. “Pirates are big right now,” she says, “and Calico Jack Rackham was a pirate who, according to some, came into the Bay back in the 1700s, so we can stay pretty close to the Bay theme yet still offer bluewater traditions like chanteys or forebitters.” Rackham was ultimately captured and hanged in the Caribbean, and his two lady friends, Anne Bonny and Mary Reid, are among the most celebrated of the lady pirates. It’s no accident that one of Meneely’s newest songs speculates on what ultimately became of the flamboyant Ms. Bonny: “They say she stole Black Caesar’s rig. . . .”
The Mainstay (Home of Musical Magic) is the friendly informal storefront performing arts center on Rock Hall’s old time Main Street. It is a 501(c)(3), non profit dedicated to the arts, serving Rock Hall, MD and the surrounding region. It is committed to presenting local, regional and national level talent, at a reasonable price, in an almost perfect acoustic setting. Wine, beer, sodas and snacks are available at the bar.
The Mainstay is supported by ticket sales, fundraising including donations from friends and audience members and an operating grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.
For information and reservations call the Mainstay at 410-639-9133. More information is also available at the Mainstay’s website .
Upcoming Mainstay performances include:
August 4 The Clarence Turner Blues Band
August 18 Cliff Jewell with “Sam Clemens and the Real Mark Twain”
August 25 Mike Aike
September 8 New & Used Bluegrass
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