I am a finder, singer, and teacher of good songs, old and new. My repertoire of traditional ballads, chanteys, drinking songs, and bawdy verse is deep and wide, and I am a nationally-known scholar of maritime music. I have explored the depths of American, English, and Irish balladry, and brought back gems that are still hair-raisingly alive hundreds of years after they were created. Nothing gives me a bigger thrill than resurrecting an ancient song!

I also make songs, using the tradition as inspiration. Within the world of traditional music my song The Ballad of Harbo and Samuelsen is a minor hit. The fiddler and singer Craig Edwards exclaimed, when I debuted my composition The Dreadnaught Mutiny, “That is one spud-chucker of a song!”

A surprising variety of instruments have made their way into the orbit of the songs I sing, since I came down with IAS (Instrument Acquisition Syndrome). I often perform with guitar, banjo, and concertina, and not infrequently with the baritone ukulele; bones, jaw harp, and tin whistle show up as well. The accompaniment is always in service of the song, however: as Richard Adrianowitz, the San Francisco singer and guitarist, said to me, “You know what I love about your performances? Your arrangements are always just right.”

I have released two albums of my own: The Ballad of Harbo and Samuelsen and Roast Beef of Old England. I’ve collaborated on many others, including the infamous Salty Dick’s Uncensored Sailor Songs (but don’t tell my mother). After listening to my first release, The Ballad of Harbo and Samuelsen, Gordon Bok wrote me to say, “That’s really delightful. You have a ‘straight-up & steady-on’ way of singing that minds me of some singers long East o’ here.” Not surprising, considering I was born and bred in the State of Maine.

At the legendary Meadowlark Music Camp in Maine I taught singing, guitar, bones, and concertina for fourteen years, also serving as assistant director. It was at Meadowlark that I performed and taught with musicians such as Cindy Kallet and Grey Larsen, Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy, Gordon Bok, Ken Kolodner, Richie Stearns, and Curt Stager. Although Meadowlark has finished its run, its legacy continues today: check out rising young artists such as Andy Reiner, Bethany Waikman, and Brad Kolodner, who are Meadowlark alumni.

As an artist and entertainer, I have taught and performed across the United States. Festivals, camps, museums, concert halls, schools, and living rooms are among the venues where I have shared songs and stories. Audiences tell me that they love my stage presence, sense of humor, and strong baritone voice. But the most important aspect of every one of my performances is the songs — finding and singing good songs is my passion.