Here’s an oldie but goldie from the E Muzeki days of yore!
We wrote it while our band was on tour in Florida in 2007 and first recorded it on our Agrafa album released later that year. It was influenced by some Appalachian fiddle tricks I learned from Judy Hyman along with a whole bunch of Hank 3 we were listening to in the truck on the way to and from everywhere.
We named it after a fishing spot off the Texas Coast near my home town of Flour Bluff.
Two jetties line the Corpus Christi Ship Channel as it enters the bay from the Gulf of Mexico. In Port Aransas you can park your car on the beach and walk right up onto the South Jetty and out toward the deep water where silver Tarpon and King Mackerel are swimming. The North Jetty is attached to Saint Jo’s Island which can only be reached by boat.
Lets just say, if I were a tarpon, I would much rather swim near the North Jetty. It’s a great place to be a human too. You don’t have to race with everyone’s kids to find whole sand dollars on the beach, there are rumors of buried Spanish treasure, and overall it’s way more cool and fun than the normal mainland beach.
I guess it’s officially called San Jose Island, but I swear everyone always called it St. Jo’s.
There is a small, noisy public boat that runs out there across the channel and back throughout the day, but if you miss the last one back, you’re stuck out there till morning. My friends and I would regularly do this on purpose.
My memories of St. Jo’s Island and the North Jetty include:
– Sleeping on a rock under a twinkling black sky and being covered in salty mist.
– Wading through low tide at sunrise when my friend (and co-writer of this tune!) Mark caught a small shark with his bare hands.
When I say small, I mean it couldn’t bite off your arm or leg, but it could still take off a hand in just the wrong situation. A finger? Easy. That’s a story for another time as I would like to share the tune!
Here is a recent performance with my sister Kelly:
The fans at Groupees.com voted on this song to be performed and filmed in the living room as one of the rewards for their contribution to the fund raiser for Girls Not Brides Charity.
Fans were allowed to write in anything they wanted to vote for. As you can see by the 10.18% who voted for the category Who is Jenny?, not all these people were familiar with my music. So, I’m proud of The North Jetty for rising to the top in competition with some popular mainstream covers and folk standards! Go North Jetty!
The Agrapha CD by E Muzeki that includes the original recording of this tune is available in my discography bundle! Wink Wink!
I’d love to know what song you’d like to hear Kelly and I play next as this living room thing is becoming a bit of a tradition. Please let me know in the comments section below!
Jenny; I really enjoyed the song “Cape Breton” that you once did a few years ago.I must say that your musical skills have advanced so much in the last few years. You make your violin “sing”! Ron;
Hi Jenny, when are you going to come tour Asia in concert? Greetings from Taipei, Taiwan from Dan Villarreal, former Bexar County court interpreter and your fan from your E-Muzeki days (I still have the t-shirt and wear it over here sometimes–I’m probably the only American expat in the entire country with one of those!).
Still working hard at building my teaching and translation businesses while teaching at universities. I hope all’s well!
PS: Song request? I used to be a US soldier, so if you have anything bellicose in the repertoire, I’d love to hear it!
I like your music, I really do.But that song from the movie last mohican does seem to be very redundant. If I could still play anything it’d have to be a guitar or keyboard. My fingers don’t work that well anymore.
Where were you when I was still in Texas? I left for az in Nov 2014. I hate it here. Too HOT! I don’t have a web site. what’s that about?
Wonderful song. Thanks for sharing! Is that the rare hurdy gurdy sitting on the shelf?
Sounded great Jenny (and Kelly)! I was just listening to this album the other day. This was the perfect way to start my day and certainly got my in the mood to begin my daily practice session. Also thank you for including the story behind the inspiration, that’s the interesting bit for me. As far as what my vote for the next one should be, there are too many good tunes to choose from, from you discography.
Thank you again
Many thanks to Daniel Villarreal for emailing me with a suggested edit to this post! He was right! It was indeed a PUBLIC boat, not a pubic boat, that can transport one to the North Jetty. Oh my…. thanks Dan!! He is a master of languages, so I guess he was the right one to notice that. His website is: http://www.americanolderbrother.com
I have been listening to your music for a very short time, but I have to say I enjoyed this song very much. Love the sound of the guitar and violin together.
Love this song, where can I find the sheet music to have as a guide….thanks!
Jenny, I am a huge fan and an aspiring fiddler. Two pieces are driving me crazy. I would gladly pay for “North Jetty” and “Patsheeva” if they are available. I live in the TN mountains and play bluegrass , Irish, old time mountain music and civil war tunes. Also, loved your “Gael”, King of the Fairies and many others from the Renn. Festivals. Please advise. Ken Sheppard
Hi ihr beiden. Es ist immer wieder ein Genuß eure wunderschöne Musik zu hören. Augen zu und einfach die Klänge genießen 🙂
Vielen Dank dafür
I really miss seeing you guys at renn faires.
Awesome…..lets hear a Living Room Harvest song sometime ; )
I think I’ve mentioned this to you a while back, but you’re one of the few performers that I’ve seen that seem to truly enjoy your music. Thanks for sharing and hoping to see more soon!
to have chanced upon you (so many years ago now) was a one of the best things that happened to me and sher. love you, the music and ‘the family’ [the band, the fans, as well as your actual family (haha)]. lets keep smiling’ together!
maybe you could learn the words to island ikaria … i am sure nasia would teach you.
Hi Jenny, thanks for mentioning my website! The timing is right, as I’m shooting for 1000 Likes (writer James Altucher says great things happen at the 1000-Like mark!!!!).
Glad to be in touch.
Dan Villarreal
Taipei, Taiwan
PS: Pubic boat indeed! 🙂
I love this song a lot, and I’ll try to play it on my 🎻.Is it possible to have the partition? thanks in advance .😘
For your next living room tune I vote the song “Lexy”
BTW I am very familiar with the area on your map. I drilled a few wells in Copano Bay. My company owned 6 blocks in the bay. Next time we talk I will tell you the story how my former boss bought some production and a few pipelines with a credit card and turned it into one of the largest pipeline companies in the US called Copano Pipelines now merged into Kinder Morgan.
Jenny great play with right hand and bow: fiddlers are magicians;-)
I noticed that your left wrist and hand are often in horizontal position….that is a “sinn” in pure academic schools in France 😉 But the result is wonderful!!