New England folk music: "Spanish Ladies"

A relative's trip to Oregon and back brought me a souvenir: The Black Irish Band album "Into the Arms of the Sea." (MP3 and CD)

Though on the opposite coast, these musicians have compiled an enjoyable set of Maritime music from the New England seaboard.

Some of their songs are a capella. At their best, the band truly sounds like it is on the deck of a seaward ship.

A few songs are reliable classics, like "New York Girls (Can't You Dance the Polka?)", but many of the songs are beyond the knowledge of Google. As they should be.

While fans of American Western music can complain about its neglect, New England traditional music is in an even worse state. To my knowledge, it had no Will Rogers crooners for the television age.

Fortunately its enthusiasts endure.