Summertime Maritime Concert Series feat. Ocean Trio August 4, 2011

With their soaring Celtic vocals and high-energy instrumentals (button accordion, fiddle, guitar and keyboard), the three-woman OCEAN Trio offers their audience “the softer side of sea music.” Jennifer Cutting (accordion, keyboard, artistic director), Lisa Moscatiello (voice, guitar, whistle), and Cheryl Hurwitz (fiddle) are internationally known, collectively and solo, for their goosebump-raising performances and surprise-filled repertoire exploring the mystery and magic of the sea. Composer/ethnomusicologist Jennifer Cutting culls through the Library of Congress’s Folk Archive to find nautically inspired ballads and tunes, transforming them into an ethereal banquet unlike anything else in the “tradtitional” sea music canon. Woven into the mix is some of Cutting’s original material, which celebrates the rich symbolism, mythology, and folklore of the sea. Vocalist Lisa Moscatiello has a voice that Billboard magazine called “one of the most gorgeous vocal instruments in all of folk-tinged pop.” Fiddler Cheryl Hurwitz brings her soulful playing to OCEAN from critically acclaimed group Trapezoid. The Washington Post calls OCEAN “Nothing short of spellbinding…” You’ll find out why when you fall under the spell of these three sultry sirens.

The series runs every Thursday evening from 7 to 8:30 p.m. running through August 11. All the concerts feature traditional songs or original material written by the artists.

The concerts take place in the Cap’n Herbie Sadler Waterman’s Park on the Museum campus at 723 Second Street in the Eastport neighborhood of Annapolis, or inside the McNasby Oyster Company building in the case of inclement weather.

The Museum is a 20-minute stroll or a fun and inexpensive water-taxi ride from City Dock. The eCruisers electric shuttles provide a free, fun and “green” way to visit the Museum and the many restaurants nearby. Call 443-481-2422 for shuttle pick-up information. Boaters who are Museum members can dock for free at the Museum piers while attending the concerts on a space-available basis.

“You can make a delightful evening out of visiting the Museum for these concerts,” says series producer Janie Meneely. “Be sure to stop by one of the neighborhood restaurants for crab cakes or other local delicacies, then enjoy the music while you watch all the boats go by. Bring your own lawn chair, but leave your own bottle behind,”

The Museum will provide beer, wine and soft drinks for a minimal donation, and take-out is available from several nearby Eastport restaurants and eateries, including Wild Country Seafood, the Leeward Café, Davis’ Pub and the Boat Yard Bar & Grill.

Admission is free, thanks to the support of Museum members, the City of Annapolis, the Eastport Civic Association, Land Shark Beer, Free State Press, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County. However, a suggested donation of $10/person is greatly appreciated. For more information or directions visit www.amaritime.org or call the museum staff at 410-295-0104.

Official Website: http://www.amaritime.org