I have been playing guitar and singing for about 60 years now. I am not a professional musician, but I do try to get better and better. I have played for some fundraising efforts locally and I volunteer to play at a local seniors’ residence once a month.
My primary instruments are a new and wonderful guitar (a Martin D-41, if that means anything to you ??) and a new, custom made, mandola (tuned the same as a viola) from a wonderful luthier in Maine. Both of these have required time to learn and play comfortably.
It's also important to know that I don’t have access to a recording studio or the expertise to cover up the warts and mistakes. These songs are offered as if I had been able to sing them to you in person, and so they have some flaws. I hope not so many that they destroy the songs for you. I did record the two songs I wrote with the mentorship of Terra Spencer (Nova Scotia singer-songwriter), Together and Daniel’s Song, in a professional studio with a sound engineer. He was able to hide the mistakes by splicing bits of one take into another. It was an amazing process to witness!
I hope you enjoy the music.
The Golden Vanity A traditional song with many variations. I learned this one from a Maine folk singer, Gordon Bok. (Recorded: March 2025)
Blow the Windy Morning I think this song was created to save the chorus in a song that doesn’t involve killing whales, but does scold a young man from trying to take advantage of women.(Recorded: March 2025)
Shebeg Sheemore This is a wonderful instrumental tune about the little mountain and the big mountain. (Recorded: March 2025)
I’m a Rambler, I’m a Gambler Another traditional tune, also from Gordon Bok. I’ve made some minor changes to the lyrics. (Recorded: March 31, 2025)
The Dalesman’s Litany During the industrial revolution, people were thrown off the land and forced to work in mines and factories, and, of course, the working conditions were as draconian as could be. (Recorded: April 2025)
Fundy Bay We live close to the Bay of Fundy, with the world’s highest tides. It’s a tough place to make a living as a fisher; you go out at high tide and come home at high tide. (Recorded: March 2025)
Red Clay Halo A bit playful, but underscoring the tough life of farm workers, probably set in the 1930s. I learned this version from Rhiannon Giddens. (Recorded: November 2024)
I Remember Everything John Prine’s last song. I find it haunting and beautiful. (Recorded: March 2025)
Midnight Train From David Rawlings album. It’s another one that my grandson likes quite a bit. (Recorded: April 2025)
When Johnny Comes Marching Home This is one of the first songs I learned. It’s a combination of the US Civil War song and the Irish lament, “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”. This version was done by the Chad Mitchell Trio in the early 1960s. (Recorded: March 2025)
Before They Close the Minstrel Show Written by Bob Coltman. I find songs about the end of an era fascinating. Minstrel shows currently are seen as somewhat racist, often due to the use of blackface, but most were simply venues for folk/popular musicians of the time. When a form of employment disappears, older people cannot simply learn something new and/or adapt. Another song about changing times. (Recorded: March 31, 2025)
Planxty Fanny Power Irish fiddle tune, played on guitar. (Recorded: April 2025)
Come Fare Away Probably set in the late 19th century or early 20th. It’s a song of love, trust, and the promise of starting a new life with the one you love. (Recorded: October 2024)
Lowlands Another Gordon Bok tune about the danger of going to sea to fish. (Recorded: March 21, 2025)
Hearth and Fire A song of hope and longing. Another one written by Gordon Bok. (Recorded: June 23, 2025)
Blackleg Miner An anti-scab song from the union organizing of coal miners in Britain. There is a Cape Breton version, but I'm afraid I don't know it. (Recorded: March 2025)
Both Sides Now A Classic Joni Mitchell song. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Don’t Think Twice Bob Dylan. I find it intriguing that the line “Don’t think twice, it’s all right” can be interpreted two ways – whether the comma is included or not. (Recorded: March 2025)
Garden Song Written by David Mallett. A nice cheerful tune to celebrate spring. I’ve made a few small editorial changes that don’t alter the meaning of the tune, but make it a bit more secular. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Windy and Warm An instrumental tune, best known as played by Chet Atkins. My version is hardly as good as Atkins’ and it may also be somewhat different. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Blowing in the Wind I first heard this by Peter, Paul, and Mary, circa 1962. (Recorded: March 31, 2025)
Ain’t Misbehavin’ A standard jazz tune from the 1930s or 40s. (Recorded: March 2025)
Jeanie C A Newfoundland (ish) song, written by Stan Rogers, who died in a plane crash in the late 1980s. (Recorded: March 21, 2025)
I Wouldn’t Dance Written by New Brunswick singer/songwriter David Myles. I heard this and immediately knew I had to learn it. (Recorded: March 31, 2025)
Bronze Pig Rag The tune was written by a good friend of mine, Hugh (Pogo) Blackmer to make fun of a car purchased by another friend – a bronze 1980 US made car that looked rather silly. I wrote some words, but the context is now long gone. (Recorded: April 2025)
My Darling Asleep Lovely little Irish fiddle tune. (Recorded: July 15, 2023)
Can’t Help Wondering Where I’m Bound Written by Tom Paxton. I think this speaks to a “place” that most people go through more than once in their lives. (Recorded: September 14, 2024)
Merrily Kiss the Quaker’s Wife A wonderful and playful fiddle tune, with three parts, played on a mandola made by Nick Apollonio. (Recorded: March 21, 2025)
The Rosemary An English ballad from the mid-to-late 1800s. It's a good one for Halloween. (Recorded: March 2025)
I’ll See You In Summer A guitar improvisation. (Recorded: August 30, 2024)
Across the Great Divide From an album by Nancy Griffith. Many times throughout our lives we have to make decisions that change everything. (Recorded: March 2025)
Thinking of You Another guitar improvisation. (Recorded: September 14, 2024)
Fair and Tender Ladies A traditional song lamenting the capriciousness of male scoundrels. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
500 Miles Traditional folk tune. This is an amalgamation of the Peter, Paul, and Mary one and the one sung by Roseanne Cash. (Recorded: April 5, 2025)
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda A great anti-war song, written by Eric Bogle (Australia). (Recorded: April 4, 2025)
Planxty Irwin An Irish tune. “Planxty” was a word used by people who named works by harper Turlough O’Carolan after his death, and is believed to denote a tribute to a particular person. “Planxty Irwin”, for example would be in honour of Colonel John Irwin of Sligo” (Wikipedia). (Recorded: March 2025)
Early Morning Rain Written by Gordon Lightfoot (Canadian). One of his “classics”. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Lulu’s Back In Town There are quite a few versions of this tune. This one is by Mel Gorme. (Recorded: March 2025)
The Marvelous Toy I first heard this done by the Chad Mitchell Trio (ages ago - i.e. early 60s). It has since become one of my grandson’s favourite songs. I think he particularly likes the rolled Rs in the line “and whirr” when it stands still”. It's a fun little song to sing. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Turning Towards the Morning Another song by Gordon Bok. A song of hope for when we are feeling down. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Last Thing On My Mind Written by Tom Paxton. This is a song about regret. We've all done things that we wish we could undo. I have been so fortunate that the types of things talked about in this song have been resolved in both my humility and acceptance. (Recorded: March 2025)
Single Malt Whisky I wrote this tune a couple of years ago, but the words only came in the summer of 2025. Prior to 1978 I hated the smell and taste of Scotch. When Hugh B. and I organized a concert at Acadia that year to present Gordon Bok to Acadia University and the Annapollis Valley, Gordon arrived with luthier, Nick Apollonio, and my Apollonio 12-string guitar. They stayed at our place and as a house gift, they brought a bottle of Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. I couldn't tell these two wonderful people that I didn't like scotch, so I decided that I would enjoy this gift. That turned into a love of good Scotch whisky. This is the story of that time and why I now thoroughly enjoy single malt Scotch whisky. (Recorded: February 11, 2026)
Lone Star State of Mind I learned it from a record by Nancy Griffith. It's a song about looking back at what might have been, but realizing that there’s no going back. (Recorded: March 21, 2025)
Heather Down the Moore,br>A bouncy unsuccessful love ballad From the album “Silly Sisters” by Jane Tabor and Matty Prior. (Recorded: March 11, 2025)
Twa Bonnie Maidens A Scottish hornpipe, sometimes called “Prince Charles’ Welcome to the Isle of Skye”. It refers to the time following the quelling of the 1745 Rebellion when Charles Stuart fled to Skye. It seems like Charles was a con man who tricked Scotland into an ill-advised invasion of England. I also think wars, which kill young men and women, fought for the glory of some King, particularly those Kings or “leaders” that don’t actually fight themselves, are quite immoral. (Recorded: March 31, 2025)
Freight Train One of the first tunes I learned to play on guitar. It’s still neat. (Recorded: March 29, 2025)
Arthur MacBride There are various versions of this song about avoiding conscription by English forces. This version is from Paul Brady (Ireland) and played on mandola. (Recorded: March 2025)
Good King Arthur This is, on the surface at least, a silly little song. I have the feeling that it was a political song about some English royalty, but so far I haven't been able to track it down. I have since changed the word "sons" in the first verse to "servants" so it didn't start out as a parent rejecting his children. However, until I record the better version, this is the original, (Recorded: February 21, 2026)
Game of Cards Also from the album “Silly Sisters” by June Tabor and Maddy Prior. A song about a “taboo” subject in the 19th century. Played on the mandola. (Recorded: March 2025)
Hope for One and All Written by David Mallett, I learned this song from Lucy MacNeil’s solo album. She is with the Nova Scotia group the Bara MacNeils. The song seems rather appropriate these days.
Together This is a song I wrote specifically for my wife, but I hope the symbolism resonates with all couples. My life has been better by sharing it with you. (Recorded: July 5, 2024)
Saint Anne's Reel This is a fiddle tune that is often attributed to New Brunswick, but my guess is that it actually comes from Saint Anne's Bay in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. It's also frequently played on the mandolin. This is my guitar version. (Recorded: February 21, 2026)