S&A Projects is a Not-For-Profit organization which supports and promotes vernacular culture, tradition and lore in England. The initial fund derived from surplus income from a small weekend festival of folk singing, but can also accept contributions from a variety of sources.

Jeff Wesley CD ~ Rum and Raspberry HERE Short, Sharp Shanties HERE
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1          Two Lovers                                         4:21
2          Turtle Dove                                         3:38
3          The Light Brigade                                3:53
5          The Tarry Sailor                                  1:56
7          Ladysmith                                           2:00
9          The Charwelton Murder                     3:54
10        Warm Summer Evening                       3:31
11        Apron Strings                                     4:08
12        Rum and Raspberry                           3:26
13        The Empty Echoes                             4:37
14        The Ballad of Boughton Fair              3:50
15        Young and Growing                            3:56
17        Couldn’t Help It                                 2:01
18        Unquiet Grave                                    3:10
19        Johnny Sands                                     2:22
20        Sailor’s Grave                                     2:44
21        Last New Year’s Day                         2:29

The recordings which were issued on this CD were made during a special evening at The White Lion, in Wherwell, Hampshire, in November 2005, are the first time Jeff’s singing has been issued on CD solely in his own right: a previous cassette tape on the Veteran label has long been unavailable, although individual tracks have been re-released on compilation CDs.  Jeff defies categorisation as a ‘traditional’, ‘revival’ or ‘source’ singer of folk songs.  The tracks include classic ballads such as The Unquiet Grave or Young and Growing; songs that Jeff has himself collected – both from old sources and revival singers; local texts he has created tunes for (he avoids being accused of actually writing tunes), and even one completely self-penned song.  The track numbering sequence is deliberate – the missing numbers are Jeff’s introductions to the songs that follow, and are a delight in themselves. By numbering them separately, you can still find the track you want. 

The CD is available from Jeff himself at his bookings, from good retail outlets of traditional song, or direct from S&A Projects by sending £13.00 (including post & packing) to: S&A projects, Trafalgar House, Castle Street, Combe Martin, North Devon. EX34 0JD.

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Short Sharp Shanties     PROGRESS OF RECORDINGS  
What the Short Sharp Shanties project is:
The entire project includes a number of elements: Research on John Short’s life history, the ships on which he sailed, the development of shantying, contemporary merchant marine life, Watchet maritime history and the wider political world, etc. The project includes both popular and academic articles, schools work, creation of performances, workshop/seminar presentations and new recordings of Short’s shanties to be issued in a double-CD set (2CDs in single case with comprehensive booklet). Singers on the recording project are: Jeff Warner (USA), Keith Kendrick, Jim Mageean, Jackie Oates, Tom & Barbara Brown, Sam Lee & Roger Watson.
 
It is quite a surprise to discover how many of the ‘standard’ shanties in the folk-revival repertoire actually originate with John Short – and then there are the rarities, like Rosabella, which only came to light in 1979, and for which Short is one of only three known sources (two of them being obscure single verses in the Carpenter collection).  Stan Hugill refers to Short in connection with several shanties in Shanties of the Seven Seas, but it is evident that Stan worked from Sharp’s publication and not from his manuscripts.  At the same time, the fact that Short was at sea, and learning his trade as a shantyman in the period when shantying was developing, means that many shanties are ‘early’ – and now unusual - versions.
 
In April 2008 - and quite independently of the Short Sharp Shanties project - a life-size bronze of John Short, derived from photographs, was unveiled on Watchet quay.  Yankee Jack is back surveying the harbour and the numerous changes it has witnessed since he died in 1933.

 
 
It was with great sadness that we came to terms with the fact that Johnny Collins would not be a part of the Short Sharp Shanties project. Always enthusiastic about the idea of recording ALL of John Short's versions, Johnny was keen to be part of these recordings - it was Johnny who, with Jim Mageean, first brought Rosabella to the attention of the shanty world some thirty years ago.
 
At the beginning of September 09, Jeff Warner, Keith Kendrick and Tom & Barbara Brown started laying tracks for the Short Sharp Shanties project CDs at Wild Goose Studios. As final or demo tracks, we laid: Hundred Years on the Eastern Shore (A Hundred Years Ago); Lowlands (Dollar and a half a day); Good Morning Ladies All;  He Back, She Back (Old Moke); Would You Go My Way; Poor Old Man (Johnny Come To Hilo); The Dead Horse (Poor Old Man); Heave Away My Johnny (Banks of Sweet Dundee); (Run, Let the) Bulgine Run; Cheerly Man; Blow Boys Blow (Banks of Sacramento); I Wish I Was With Nancy (Dixie); Amsterdam (A-Roving). 
 
At the beginning of October 09, Tom & Barbara were back in the studio with Jackie Oates and Sam Lee. In addition to adding Jackie's fiddle to some of the tracks laid in September, we laid parts and demos for: Tom’s Gone To Ilo, Carry Him to the Burying Ground (General Taylor), Sweet Nightingale ("it isn't a shanty, but I often used to sing it on board"), The Hog Eyed Man , Rosabella (a new set of words based on recent research), Fire! Fire! (Fire Down Below), The Bullgine Run (Eliza Lee), Johnnie Bowker, Shanadore (Shenandoah). Barbara also laid demos for all but three of the remaining shanties - Short's versions are often subtlety different to the versions we think we know and care must be exercised!

In February 2010, Jim Mageean joined Keith Kendrick, Jackie Oates and Tom & Barbara in another session.  Jim laid: A-Roving, Paddy Doyle, Liza Lee (Yankee John Stormalong), Round the Corner Sally, Shallow Brown and Stormalong John, while Jackie laid fiddle on a number of tracks and led Tommy’s Gone Away - including seven self-penned fiddle parts as accompaniment (with Mageean and Kendrick as the ghosts of sailors on the reprise!). Keith & Tom laid Haul On the Bowline and Johnnie Bowker around Jim's Paddy Doyle (nice set), and Barbara laid Rowler Bowler with Jackie accompanying. Having finally re-checked the mss on the last three shanties, we also laid demos of them. Oh yes, and Keith Kendrick laid the Euphonium part to Nancy (Dixie) on bass concertina!

Roger Watson, now free of the restrictions of TAPS and with a new CD of his own on the Wild Goose Label has joined the project.  He'll be with us in the studio at the beginning of April, together with Keith Kendrick, Sam Lee and Brian Willoughby. Roger will be adding melodeon to some tracks and will be leading: Blackball Line, Homeward Bound, Rio Grande, Roll and Go, Plains of Mexico and Whip Jamboree (restored to John Short's original aeolian version).

 

 
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