These are some of our friends, family and links to other interesting sites.
They inspire us with more than just music!
Visit their sites, look for their concerts and recordings, tell 'em we said "hi."

We'll add more links so check back here from time to time.

You want to know about the hurdy-gurdy?

Visit Olympic Instruments Makers of the finest hurdy-gurdies in the USA and founders of Washington State's Over the Water Hurdy-Gurdy Festival.

Mike Gilpin is also an excellent hurdy-gurdy builder in England as well as a dear friend. His site has great pictures and a bit of hurdy-gurdy history as well.

Chris Allen and Sabina Kormylo build hurdy-gurdies in Wales. Also lutes and mandolins!

Tania Opland and Mike Freeman Two of our dearest musical friends. One's from Alaska, the other from England and their wonderful music comes from all over the world through a dazzling assortment of hammered dulcimer, fiddle, drums and other instruments.

Calico Jack (AKA Janie Meneely and Paul DiBlassi) Janie's songs are rare gems -- golden oysters dredged out of Chesapeake Bay! We've recorded one of them in the past (Twiddles) and plan to do more of them in the future.

T.R. Ritchie writes and sings wonderful songs. Inspiring, funny, thoughtful and he does a great bagpipe imitation with a harmonica and a balloon!

Nancy Wharton plays the cello and has added some great parts to several of our studio recordings. She has played with The Walkabaouts and lots of other area bands and musicians. If you need cello (and there's always room cello) check her out.

Lintie is an a capella vocal duet from California featuring traditional Celtic songs. Great harmonies in English and Gaelic.

Smithfield Fair plays music of Scotland with a driving beat. There are three of them, but they sound like five or six when they crank it up. We met them in Amarillo Texas at a Celtic Festival.

Cat Loves Crow is a charming Washington area duet made up of Joel and Karina Prater -- They write their own songs and sing others as well. Guaranteed to make you smile.

Thomas Arthur takes the art of juggling to an entirely different world. His work is lyrical and poetic. It boggles the mind and inspires the soul. His show incorporates the music of William's former Ellipsis partner Paul Ely Smith in a dazzling mixture of motion and music.

Bob Zentz writes songs, sings, and plays dozens of instruments. His love of 'poetical nauticalia' has given us a number of our favorite pieces including Companioned by the Sea, The Beaches of Lukannon, and 'The Tryphina's Extra Hand'.

Kat Eggleston (A wonderful songwriter and traditional singer and guitarist from the Waterbug label.) Kat is Felicia's childhood pal and the person who first introduced us to each other. (Bless her cotton socks).

Andrew Calhoun (Mr Waterbug Records himself is a great writer of song and poetry, a moving singer, a fine guitarist and a lovely person).

Artisan (England's most dynamic a capella trio) - wonderful original songs with fabulous harmonies. Brian Bedford wrote one of our very favorite songs, White Horses are Calling Me. Hilary Spencer has a voice clearer than Yorkshire air and powerful enough to pound nails. Jacey Bedford is our beloved agent in England and a published author too. What a trio! No longer performing, but their CDs carry on with loads of musical wonder. Check 'em out.

Hilary Spencer is a busy lady! Post Artisan, she is singing with Les Barker's Mrs. Ackroyd Band and in a brilliant duet Quicksilver, as well as doing solo performances. Check out her Web page for all the details.

Show of Hands is the fantastic duo of Steve Knightley and Phil Beer. Their acoustic sound incorporates the production qualities usually only found in the rock music world (think of a folkie Sting). Great songs and brilliant musicianship. Someone tell us why these guys have not yet taken the US by storm. They sold out the Albert Hall in London -- twice!

The New Scorpion Band may sound like the name of a heavy metal thrash group, but no, this is, in fact, a stunning ensemble of five English musicians playing a wide variety of strings, woodwinds, brass instruments and more as well as singing some terrific songs. Tim Laycock, who plays concertina, wrote Heaven's a Bar featured on Seven Seas.

Dave Webber & Anni Fentiman Two more superb singers from England with great songs and exceptionally fine harmonies. Some of Dave's original songs are fast becoming 'traditional'.

Ben Walker is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter . If you can make a noise out of it -- Ben can probably play music on it!

We keep meeting other shanty singers from all over the place!

We were thrilled to discover that Poland loves sea shanties! Cztery Refy is a wonderful band of talented musicians and singers that befriended us on our 1999 visit.

How many poets leave their audiences rolling on the floor laughing? Only Engand's Les Barker -- leader of the infamous Mrs Ackroyd Band and author of dozens of hilarious books.

Seth Blair A cellist/songwriter/scientist who defies description and member of Madison, Wisconsin's own Reptile Palace Orchestra.

Dirty Linen Magazine The folk, electric folk, trad and world music magazine of America. There's a world of wonderful music out there.

Folk Alley is an on-line all folk radio station -- Good stuff to listen to. They do play some of our music, so it wouldn't hurt a bit for everyone to register (it's free) and request our music and give us good ratings!

The Mudcat Cafe hosts the Digital Tradition a data base of thousands of folk song lyrics (most with playable tunes). The Cafe also runs an on going discussion group about any folkie subject you can come up with. There's always something interesting there.

FolkWorld the Online Music Magazine a bilingual folk publication from Germany

Victory Music a unilingual folk publication from Tacoma. Publisher of the Victory Sings at Sea Recordings.

Northwest Seaport Seattle's Maritime Heritage Center. Home of the lumber schooner Wawona and sponsor of a sea music concert series and shanty singing sessions.

The Bitter End Shanty Website has information on Sea Music Festivals throughout Europe and the U.S.A.

The Lady Washington She survived her encounter with that railroad bridge and still sails today.

Boating Links Oddly enough, many folks who like our music are into boats and boating! Here's a link to everything you need for boating!