When I’m not pecking away at my keyboard, or hiding from emails and editors while "out on assignment," I like to play guitar. I’m no good, but boy do I like banging away. My favorite thing to do is sit in front of my CD player at night and figure out new songs I can play for my family. My  daughter plays drums. We rock. We’re kinda like the White Stripes, except more intense, man. And she's nine years old. 

Anyway, I’m always on the prowl for new songs to pinch. Right now, I’m trying to find tunes about the Chesapeake Bay. Hey, readers – any CD’s you recommend? Please shoot me a message if you know of any good albums or places to go for music – especially for more traditional folk songs and/or sea shanties about the bay.

So far, I’ve found one, "Songs of the Chesapeake," produced by Richard Franyo of the Boatyard Bar & Grill in Annapolis. You can buy the CD at: http://www.voicesofthechesapeakebay.org/ and the money will go to environmental education.

There’s some good stuff on this CD. In particular, I recommend "Marina, Marina," by Them Eastport Oyster Boys. This is a highly original and funny band, based in Annapolis – er, sorry, the rebel breakaway Maritime Republic of Eastport. I’ve seen them live on the waterfront, and them boys can really play.  "Marina, Marina," is a pseudo Latin rumba, with their standard guitar and bass backed up by piano, trumpet and trombone. It’s the beery ballad of a bay sailor who’s lost his map and can’t find his way back into port. "Marina, Marina… are these your entrance markers I see? Is it red, right returning?" The backup singer replies: "I think it’s green."

Anyone out there have any CD’s to recommend? Let me know, and I’ll pass on the word.

READER Kim Ethridge of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation responded to let me know that http://www.voicesofthechesapeakebay.org/bay_music.htm has a list of great bay music. 

She says: "I really like like Robbin Thompson's "Out on the Chesapeake" -- you can hear some clips here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/rthompson2

I also like the acoustic guitar of Al Petteway's "The Waters and the
Wild" -- no vocals. Celtic, Cajun, and blues influenced.

David Norris' folk guitar pieces are nice and clear and mellow
http://davidnorrismusic.com/samples/MyOldRiver/08.mp3

And of course, all the Eastport Oyster Boys stuff -- "Miss Lonesome"
(Good Hat, Good Dog, Good Boat
http://ww.oysterboys.com/mp3/Them_Eastport_Oyster-Good_Hat_Good_Dog_Good
_.mp3) and "Full Moon Cruisin'"

Four very different styles, but I like them all."

Thanks very much for the tips, Kim. I'm going to check them out.

The following is the full list of Chesapeake Bay music from the website: