Nicole Singer : Liner Notes & Credits

Liner Notes & Credits

1. Short Jacket & White Trousers

I learned this song from the singing of Louisa Jo Killen, via Judy Cook. Though I am thankful that I never had to hide my gender identity while sailing, it was still satisfying to transform after a long day of work to go ashore for a night on the town and be greeted with “Hey, you clean up real good!” I’m glad that the lady gets the last laugh in this one.

2. Every Mail Day

with Joy Bennett, Alison Kelley, and Bonnie Milner

A menhaden fishing song from the Northern Neck region of Virginia. Before mechanized equipment took over the fishery, menhaden —small oily fish used for makeup, fertilizer, dietary supplements, and other manufacturing — were fished using a purse seine net, which crews of fishermen in small boats would pull in by hand. It was long, slow, backbreaking, dangerous work. Thanks to the Northern Neck Chantey Singers for this song, and for their generosity and encouragement.

3. Nobody Knocking

Zoe Mulford

with Gillian Stewart, feet

I first heard Zoe Mulford’s haunting song from the singing of Glass of Water (Sophia Donforth and Emily Thompson), and was taken with the delayed reveal in the storytelling. Gillian and I still get goosebumps each time we run it. The dawning moment of understanding is delicious.

4. Deep River Blues

Words and Music by Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson ©1964. Published by Hillgreen Music. Admin by Downtown DMP Songs (BMI).

Val Mackend, one of my guitar teachers, happened to specialize in Blues and the British folk revival. I suppose it’s no surprise that I wound up with the repertoire that I did. This is one of the first Blues songs I learned to play, and it’s still one of my favorites, especially for days when you’re feeling down and the river sailing is slow.

5. Long Hot Summer Days

John Hartford

with Gillian Stewart, feet

This John Hartford song became a summertime favorite of the Mystic Whaler crew after we heard Sara Watkins sing it at Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival festival. Hartford and Watkins both played it with fiddle, and Gillian and I had a blast adding feet this time around.

6. Frankie’s Trade

Rudyard Kipling, Arranged by Peter Bellamy

Peter Bellamy was brilliant at pairing lyrics and music, and his setting of Rudyard Kipling’s poem about Sir Francis Drake is arresting. I first heard it from the singing of The NexTradition (Ken Schatz and Alison Kelley). Having been trained in some tough situations, and having been a teacher, I can identify with both Frankie and the oceans in this story, though I like to think I go a little easier on my students than the oceans do on Frankie.

7. Good Peanuts

with Becky Wright, vocals

A summer camp song learned from land friends, with some lyrics rewritten with my shipmates aboard the schooner Mystic Whaler. When you know only part of a song and need to finish singing it without internet access, you make up the next verses. As a result, the food theme takes a distinct maritime turn.

8. Who Killed Cock Robin?

Arranged by Nicole Singer, Becky Wright, and Sarah Pilzer

with Becky Wright, vocals

This is an English poem with many versions both sung and written. I learned it from Ken Schatz, who learned it from Judy Cook. In keeping with the wider traditional song community’s collective game of musical telephone (“the folk process”), I added a refrain, which also let us play with harmonies even more.

9. When I Get To The Other Side

with Alison Kelley, Bonnie Milner, Joy Bennett, Arthur Davis, Mia Bertelli, and Guillaume Sparrow-Pepin

I learned this from a shipmate, who learned it on her cross-country travels by road and rail. I’ve traced it back to a band in Detroit, but that’s as far as I could get before my emails to them gave me error messages. It’s changed hands, ears, lyrics, refrains, and melodies many times along the way. These harmonies were the best of surprises: this group of people hadn’t sung together on this song before walking into the studio.

Credits

Nicole sings on all tracks and plays guitar on track 4.

Recorded and mixed by Garrett Sawyer at Northfire Recording Studio, Amherst, MA

Mastered by Charlie Pilzer at Airshow, Takoma Park, MD

Graphic design by Ethan Hazzard-Watkins

Album illustrations by Nicole Singer

Photograph by Kiqe Bosch

Legal counsel by Peter Irvine