Album Notes

The creation of poet and educator Jennifer Jean, "Fishwife Tales" is an epic lyric sequence which details the life of a shape-shifting marine creature reminiscent of a siren, selkie or generic mermaid. This mythic conceit is used to explore the clash and amalgamation of historic masculine and feminine natures in an emblematical domestic setting.

A few years ago, composer, pianist and singer/songwriter Sarah Eide approached Jean about setting the Fishwife poems to music. Since then, they have performed the music and poetry of "Fishwife Tales" at numerous venues, including most recently: the 2010 Massachusetts Artists Collective Showcase, the 2011 Massachusetts Poetry Festival, the 2011 Salem Arts Festival and the 2011 Women Musician's Network Show. Getting so much positive feedback on their work, Jean and Eide decided to go into the recording studio to create this self-titled full length album, bringing to the project a number of supremely talented musicians. "Fishwife Tales" features the voices of several women, all from different backgrounds, bringing this story into a universal perspective. The Fishwife's story is more then her own story, but the story of all women of the present, past and future.

"Fishwife Tales" has now become a multi-media performance, including not only music and words, but also dance and visual arts. There are future plans for transforming "Fishwife Tales" into a musical, and the beginnings of this project are already evident within this debut CD.