Sea Verse in a Sailor's Locker

I uncovered a book of poems from a Salvation Army thrift store in Knoxville just before the x-mas. Book's called Sea Verse in a Sailor's Locker by James Tazelaar written 1930 and later printed in 1972.

The poems are simple, celebrating, recounting, mourning the Chesapeake Bay, but really can be framed with any inlet, or breaking ocean in the background.

Opening the book is "I have longed for a ship". Borrowing all the words, I recorded guitar, uke, mandolin and vocals for the poem. I may record more of the poems into songs... we'll see, i have plenty of projects but usually find more as I go along.

eve

P-cola is rainy, I've slept more than I can stand (or sleep) anymore.

I've started working an odes project, compelled by the collection of odes of Pablo Neruda.

Ode to a furtive glance:

South China! Johnson City TN

Admired from afar South China is a cello, piano and guitar duet from Biddeford Maine. And both South China and Biddeford are magic.

Renee and I had a chance to play with South China last night in Johnson City at The Acoustic Coffeeshop.
South China: myspace

four shows left, and a nice big break

We have four shows left for 2009, and then we break for awhile to work on the new album, and to pursue birding, uke-writing, and sewing.

dec 16th acoustic coffeehouse - johnson city tn
dec 17th gillies - blacksburg va
dec 18th the greenbean - greensboro nc
dec 19th the good cherry- forest va
woot!

Tourdate 12.6.09

We've made it to Omaha, there are signs of life here, we saw them at the Sydney last night. This mid-west tour has been really nice, we played Little Rock first, then Tulsa, both excellent shows. Lawrence was a bust unfortunately. Its snowing in Omaha today, I believe its probably the first of the year here.

We have about a week and a half left until Renee and I are on break for a month and a half. Oh I see the light at the end of tunnel. I am so exhausted from four months of touring, I can't wait to spend a month in P-cola on the beach, and riding bikes, and mixing field recordings from the last four months... and writing new songs.

Renee and I are working on the new album for the new year, it will be a double disc, one side is Renee and the other side will be myself.

new orleans

Last night Renee and I played the neutral ground coffeehouse in New Orleans... a very odd off beat place, also really comfortable, like a tree house in the evening in the spring.

New Orleans is still a mystery to us, we haven't found the ideal place to play or met any of the bands here. None seem game to play a show with us here reminding me of Athens: a super insular music scene.

Renee and I woke up early this morning and adventured around the city. In search of a few things, Audubon Park, and some of the surviving Banksy stencils in New Orleans.

shannon van etten

Sad Prairie Music

Myspace !!! :>)(
Shannon Van Etten blog