Sing the Bay Fantastic! is a collection of Chesapeake Bay Songs by Janie Meneely
Annapolis, MD - Over the past 40 years, Annapolis native Janie Meneely has focused her formidable creative energy on celebrating the Chesapeake Bay in story and song, and now she has preserved her life’s work to date in a 100-page volume, Sing the Bay Fantastic!
“Janie finds her inspiration in the people, places, boats and critters of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Jefferson Holland, one of Meneely’s long-time friends and musical collaborators. “After four decades of churning this inspiration into ballads of woe, songs of joy, and poems of celebration, luckily for us, she has found the time to curate her cannon into this one resource. “
“Those who love the Chesapeake Bay as I do are richer for experiencing Janie Meneely’s inspired music, which is rooted in the culture, history and sense of place of this treasured region,” said Pete Lesher, chief curator of Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. “Those who encountered some of these songs at performances over the years may be as stunned as I am by the depth and extent of this collection.”
“I hope the book serves as a resource for Bay lovers wherever ye may be, musicians looking for the words and chords of some of my ditties and folks who are hoping to discover new material to sing,” Meneely said. “The songs are notated, texted and chorded, and where it might be of interest, I've included my sometimes copious notes on the history and background of each tale.” The 8 1/2” x 11” wire-bound book will lie flat on a music stand.
Janie’s style might best be described with the word “brackish” – a little bit salty, a little bit fresh, but always with a tidewater tang. She began her musical career in the 1980s with the Chesapeake folk trio Crab Alley. In the 1990s, she teamed up with her husband, the late Paul DiBlasi to form the musical duo Calico Jack. She’s now living and working in England in partnership with her new husband, the British folk legend Rob van Sante. When not writing and performing music, Janie has served as the editor of Chesapeake Bay Magazine and has authored several children’s books.
Not since Tom Wisner passed 10 years ago has anyone promoted the Bay with such an abundance of songs and stories as Janie Meneely. This collection not only provides the musical scores of more than 40 of her songs, but also the stories behind them, making this not just a resource for avid musicians, but also a fun read for anyone fascinated by the Chesapeake.
Sing the Bay Fantastic! is available for order on www.janiemeneely.com. The cost is $25 per printed copy (postage paid if shipped within the U.S.) or $8 if you just want to download a copy. Individual song sheets are $2 each.
