This salty CD of original
compositions, both poetical and
instrumental, captures the essence of a pirate and his life at sea.
Steven
Sanders reads all but one of the poems, six of which he wrote, while
Kenny
Sanders provides five musical interludes interspersed between the
readings.
The first offering is Kenny’s “Blackbeard’s Melody” – a
snappy tune that calls us to rise from our seats to dance a jig. A
smile forms,
and while not exactly the image we might envision of the fearsome
Blackbeard,
the music swiftly transports us back to another era where wooden ships
sail the
seas and pirates lurk, waiting for unsuspecting prey.
The other songs in this collection are “Sailing under the
Black Flag,” “Down Village Creek,” “Farewell, My Old Friend,” and
“Before the
Sunset.” This last tune is reminiscent of dancers swaying to the last
song
before the night ends. The serene melody lulls them with a promise of
future
adventures the next time they visit, yet is tinged with regret that the
night
must end.
Kenny not only wrote these compositions, but also performs
them on a variety of instruments: guitar, guitar synthesizer, mandolin,
and
synthesized hornpipes, bongos, and other instruments. As you listen,
your
mind’s eye easily sees him entertaining sea rogues and wenches at the
Devil’s
Tavern, or playing for his mates when taking their rest from a hard
day’s work
at sea.
The other offerings on this disc come from poetry that first
appeared in Raising Black Flags, and
include Debra Estes Peterson’s “The Angel of Death,” Kittye Williams’
“The Last
Watch,” Desiree Simons’ “Steal from Me Tonight,” Pamela A. Williams’
“Remembrance,” Shari Land’s “Galley
Cook’s Lament,” and Steve Sanders’ “God Take the King,” “Farewell,
Brave Lion,”
“The Ocean Rolls On,” “Prize Island,” “A Tale from the Devil’s Tavern,”
and
“Raising Black Flags.”
All the poems conjure up vivid imagery that easily allows us
to “see” what the words say. Being a
storyteller myself, I have particular favorites because of the pictures
they
paint. Shari Land quintessentially captures the sea cook in “Galley
Cook’s
Lament.” Although not a prerequisite for the job, a chef who cleverly
created
concoctions from sparse, and often rotting or infested, ingredients to
nourish
the crew was a prize indeed. But this particular pirate adds a secret
ingredient to his Salmagundi that gets him and his stew marooned on a
deserted
island. A dire consequence indeed, but Shari adds a twist that leaves
us with a
smile on our lips.
Steve reads all the poems with the gravelly voice of a
pirate. In “God Take the King” he spins the tale of why a seaman turned
to
piracy. His rendering grips your heart
and you easily empathize with the mariner, knowing you, too, might well
follow
that same path had you endured the same. A pirate’s regret in
“Farewell, Brave
Lion” causes you to experience that same lament after the loss of a
stalwart
and true friend, the pirate’s ship. This telling of “A Tale from the
Devil’s
Tavern” is as haunting for us as the young lad who discovers a fiery
ghost
claimed another victim, a mate who scoffed at his fellow pirates’
superstitious
beliefs.
No matter which poem becomes your favorite, each offering here
will evoke emotions in you. The voice mesmerizes you and takes you back
to a
time when the pirates ruled the Caribbean.
Review
Copyrighted ©2010
Cindy Vallar
Pirates
and Privateers
