Leeward Rail played Nov 1st in Rowley...

On the evening of Saturday, Nov 1st, we played a benefit concert for the First Congregational Church, Main St,. Rowley, Mass. from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. This was a coffeehouse event at the big white church in the center of Rowley. (Actually, historically speaking, the church, at one time, was Rowley!) Coffee, goodies, music, fun and fellowship, all for for a very worthy cause. Thanks to Rev. Bob, all the members of the Missions Committee and thanks to all who came...It's a good feeling to be scrambling to add more chairs before the show kicks off!

For more info on this historic house of worship: http://www.firstchurchrowley.org/

Hear Keith on YouTube

Check out Keith on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK8HIKVVJDA

Leeward Rail plays in New Durham, NH, Sept. 20th

On a picture perfect Saturday, we played at Fox Tale Books in New Durham, NH. A good time was had by all: we in the band, and those in attendance. Thanks, Mary McHale, for hosting the event. Fox Tale is the quintessential neighborhood bookstore. Check it out!

New Durham, NH, September 20th, 1:00 to 3:00 pm

Capt Kev and Leeward Rail will be playing at Fox Tale Books, 7 Depot Rd in New Durham, NH on Saturday, September 20th, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. This will be a family show in the courtyard outside of the bookstore, or inside the store if the weather dictates. Home of Merrymeeting Lake, New Durham is a lovely picturesque town in the lakes region of New Hampshire. (Alton Bay, on Lake Winnepesaukee, is just 15 minutes away.) Check back for the actual time we kick things off. Depot Rd is off Rt. 11, at the crossroads opposite Johnson's Restaurant and Dairy Bar.
New Durham is less then an hour from Portsmouth, an hour from Newburyport, an hour from Manchester. C'mon down!

For more information, contact Mary McHale at Fox Tale Books: 603-859-7001 foxtale1@worldpath.net

See you there!

Niantic Book Club Weekend, June 7th and 8th

This past weekend, June 7th and 8th, Suzy and I were given the royal treatment in Niantic, Connecticut. My friend, Ed Shapiro, and his wife, Candy, of Hesco Heavy Equipment Services Co. sponsored our trip to speak to their book club and gave us a night at the Inn at Harbor Hill overlooking Niantic Bay. Good company, good times, elegant surroundings; all in all, a Cinderella weekend. Many thanks! http://www.hescousa.com/ www.bbonline.com/ct/harborhill/index.html

Leeward Rail summer concerts...

Check in from time to time to see where the band that performs the nautical music of the Freedom Plant, and so much more, will be next.

Leeward Rail. Nautical. Ethereal. Traditional. Contemporary.

"Not your father's folk music"

Leeward Rail is also available for concerts, private functions, etc. Please contact me via the 'contact' section on the main page for further details on booking the band.

The band, Elwood, the band!

Keith Allen and yours truly, along with our special guest Jim Somers, make up the Leeward Rail line-up.

I get asked off and on how the band's name came to be.
There's always a story involved when you ask an author a question. No different here..

See, the leeward rail, (pronounced "loo-ard") is the rail of the vessel that, when standing there, the wind is on your back. The windward rail, (pronounced "wind-ard") is the rail of the vessel where the wind blows into your face.

So, the leeward rail is the number one choice.
And, it's the best choice for number one.

It's one of those little things you learn rather quickly...

SomersMac World Tour, '08

This coming Sunday, June 1st, Jim Somers and I will be performing at the First Congregational Church, in the center of Rowley, Mass. We'll be backing up accomplished vocalist Sara Stafford on some praise and gospel tunes, including the great 60's anthem, "Turn, Turn, Turn". The service starts at 9:30 am, in the church where the music of SomersMac got its start. C'mon down!

Leeward Rail to play at upcoming Lighthouse Celebration

On July 19th, Leeward Rail will be performing at the 200th anniversary celebration of West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in Lubec, Maine. This is the easternmost point of land in the United States, and holds special meaning for me since my great grandfather, Almond Maker, was the Officer in Charge of that facility back in the 1930's. My great uncle, Sid, Almond's son, was much revered in our immediate family and was well known and respected there in Lubec. Our special concert will be in their memory.

If you're down east--as far down east as you can get!-- stop in at Quoddy. It's absolutely gorgeous down there. The celebration runs from July 19th to the 26th.
For more information: http://www.westquoddy.com/

Desktop voyages

Everyone wants to be a New England fisherman at least once in their life. Want to view some of the harbors that form the backdrop for The Freedom Plant? (Boothbay, Portland, Boston, Narragansett, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, etc.) Ever wondered what's going on out in the "big pond" right now? Tides? Weather? Satellite images?

The best web page I've found that has all this info plus more in one easy format is from the folks at Maine Harbors. Click on www.maineharbors.com/camindex.htm On the left side you'll find the weather, offshore buoy reports, tides, etc. On the right is a list of web cameras from Maine to Block Island, RI.

Grab your mouse and throw off the lines.....

Ginger? naah...

It was arguably one of the most famous maritime disasters of the 20th century. The fact that all seven members of the voyage survived was a miracle unto itself. It wasn't that the Beatles had made their American debut on the Ed Sullivan Show, it was the shipwreck of the Minnow that made 1964 an epic year in American history.

It was going to be a simple sightseeing cruise. The skipper, the mate, and 5 passengers left for a three hour tour. The ship's log reads thus: "The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed, if not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost. The ship set down on the shore of this uncharted desert isle, with Gilligan, the skipper, too, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, and all the rest.."

Harrowing. It was a masterstroke of the crew's seamanship that kept them all alive. Incredible.

But someone else kept them all alive from that moment on. See, one of "the rest" was the professor. He could make a battery out of coconuts and papayas to keep the radio powered up for news and music. It was his genius, tenacity, and sheer force of will that brought about the cultivation of crops to feed the hungry castaways. It was the professor who should get the credit for the fact that everyone's clothes were always clean, the huts were more than adequate, their needs were always met. What good was the millionaire's money where there was nothing to buy? The professor, the renaissance man, had much more than money. He had guts...and brains.

Why? Why? Why did this man of obvious genius ignore the most basic of solutions to their plight? You've asked yourself many times over the years. You've probabaly even lost sleep over it. I know I have. Why didn't the professor patch the boat? Why?

The mystery solving clue was given to us in 1965, though I never put all the pieces of the puzzle together until last week. Woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. I knew!

The first year of their filmed chronicle was shot in black and white. The second was shot in color--much like when Dorothy got to Oz---and that's when the blinders came off. The theme song was changed to ..."with Gilligan, the skipper, too, the millionaire and his wife, the movie star, the professor and Mary Anne...."

The professor and Mary Anne. The professor and Mary Anne! He didn't want to leave!

The politics of neutrality

Yep, it's been a long presidential primary season, and it's only going to get longer. But I'm here to help. It's just my nature.

By now, you've probably been embroiled in a political debate or two, but deep down you'd rather just stay on the periphery and wait for November to exercise your right to cast a secret ballot. That's ok, but what do you do when you're at a social gathering and want to be engaged in the debate? You don't want to be viewed as divisive or confrontational, yet you still want to maintain your astute intellectual credentials.

Did you ever think that Warren G. Harding would be the answer to your prayers? Harding, he of the Teapot Dome Scandal, is back in the contemporary colloquy to help you with your dilemma:

There are now three senators running for President. It is the hope of all three that they go directly from the Senate to the White House. But, consider this--only two senators have actually done this. One is John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the other is--you guessed it--Warren G. Harding.

Now, you can dazzle your friends and relatives, take those pundits to task, and give a perfectly political answer to a political question. When asked who you're voting for, you can just smile, say, "the senator, of course", then launch into a short discourse on JFK and WG Harding.

Do your best, but just remember that free advice is worth what you pay for it. I mean, I still can't get over the election where we went to bed knowing the winner and awoke the next day to see the results were upside down. I thought Dewey had it in the bag. Harry Truman? Who knew?

and speaking of old bandmates.....

1967. Summer of love. Gasoline was pennies to the gallon. Four junior high kids from Pine Grove School in Rowley, Mass formed a band and covered tunes by the Monkees, Paul Revere and the Raiders and the McCoys. We mostly rehearsed in my living room, since the Hammond organ wasn't easy to move around. ("Bernie, how in hell can you stand to have them kids and that racket in your house?" My Dad just shrugged and answered, "Well at least I know right where they are..") The band was made up of Kevin McElroy on vocals, Bobby Keyes on guitar, Andy Ewell on drums and, for a time, me on the organ. (Andy, where are you?)

This adolescent band produced two renowned professional musicians, Kevin McElroy and Bobby Keyes. Kev's been at it all these years and is well known and respected in New England as a multi-instrumentalist and traditional artist. He's having a CD release party at One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine on June 1st. One Longfellow is a beautiful venue. Go back, mute the sound on the capt kev home page, then check him out at http://www.kevinmcelroy.net/ He's the real deal. Bobby? http://www.bobbykeyes.net/ Yep, that Bobby Keyes.

The band name? The Skywalkers. See, The Prudential Center had recently opened in Boston. If you toured the 50th floor observatory, you got a button that said, "I'm a skywalker."
Seemed like a good idea to us. After all, we already had the buttons. It was '67, you know...

Leeward Rail Performs to a Packed House!

Stay tuned for more spring/summer concert dates!

Be sure to check back periodically to see where Leeward Rail will be playing next!

Leeward Rail and special guests played 4/20

Leeward Rail with special guests, Jim Somers and Ed Saccoccia, played to a packed house at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge Visitor's Center on Sunday, April 20th. That was the fastest hour and a half of my life, and one of the most enjoyable musical outings yet. Our thanks go to the 'Friends of the Refuge', and all the friends who made the show such a success. Thanks Jim, Keith and Ed.

Ed is an old college buddy who is a chemical engineer as well as a brilliant musician. It was a great thrill to play with him again. (The last time was 33 years ago, at URI). Ed plays in the Buffalo, NY area, and can se seen and heard backing up Christian artists Glen Miller, (no, not that one, this guy is alive, well, and one peerless vocalist), and Angela Auten, (think Allison Crouse), among others. Glen and Angela both have CD's out, with Ed's playing and writing all over them!

Jim is the genius behind Sonora Marketing in Amesbury. He does website design, marketing, well, suffice it to say, he does anything that a business would need to look good and be profitable.

Keith Allen, a computer genius in his own right, will be playing this Saturday, 4/26, at 7:30 at the Actor's Studio, The Tannery, Water St., in Newburyport. He'll be backing Mike Fourney and some other musicians who will be telling Mike's musical life story from his roots in the south. Check it out!

Kev, where did you get this website?

Well, like most of the good things in my life, it was the result of the time and talent of my two daughters.....

Some of the pictures you see here were actually just old snapshots from the 70's. Meg took digital pictures of the old images, painstakingly edited them , then converted them to B&W. Result- professional pictures that have an artist's eye and touch. Meg is an award winning artist, having received a Gold Key from the Boston Globe art competition. You can see more of her work at.... www.flickr.com/photos/megem519

Mariah designed the site itself and contributed most of the contemporary photos. She's a professional photographer in every sense of the word. Modeling agencies, businesses and people who want their children's pictures to be the best have sought her talents. Please visit her self-designed photographer's website at http://www.mariahmphoto.com/

.....Brains and Beauty.....

past voyages of the Leeward Rail crew

Leeward Rail, with special guest Jim Somers, played to a full house at the Rowley Library on March 8th. Everyone had a great time! Our thanks to the Friends of the Rowley Library for hosting this event. Please view pictures from that concert in our music photos section.
Photos were taken by my daughter, Mariah.

Our NEXT CONCERT is scheduled for April 20th, at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge's new Visitor Center at 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA. This will be a family show from 1:30 to 3:00 pm, with an emphasis on local history tied into the music and writing. Hope to see you at this beautiful new facilty! Our thanks go to The Friends of the Parker River Wildlife Refuge for inviting us.

Music '08 The concert tour of Leeward Rail sets sail.....

Accomplished local musician Keith Allen has teamed up with yours truly, Capt. Kev, to perform the music that is interwoven into "The Freedom Plant". Not your father's folk music, the nautical concert by Leeward Rail will take you out on the Grand Banks, put you on the deck of a derelict freighter and leave you at the port of new understanding. At times ethereal, toe-tapping, contemporary and traditional, but never ordinary.
Leeward Rail. (Nautically speaking, it's pronounced "loo-ward".)

The multi-talented Keith also peforms as a solo artist for weddings and social gatherings, and, along with fiddler and mandolinist Mike Forney, plays in the acclaimed Waterfront Park String Band. You can contact him at kallen429@yahoo.com