The Debut CD from Chris, Called Away is not merely a somewhat clever way to get folks to pronounce his name, but is a collection of the songs he's loved singing over the past 20, or so, years. Largely draw from the traditions of North America and the UK, the CD has the common thread of songs about being called away from, or returning to a home, a love, or a life. Along with the wonderful talents of Joy Bennett, Dan Berggren, Danny Spooner, Curt Osgood, and John Kirk, Called Away is music from a time when we gathered together in a living room, or kitchen, and entertained ourselves with songs about longing, growing, working, playing or just kicking up your heels. The songs are sing alongs, ballads, sea songs, and can range from the un-accompanied to the full "string band" style. There's bound to be something for most found here.

This EP is a collection of some of the chanteys, and one song, that are meaningful to me for a host of reasons. They are sung in a style that is close to the way I’ve worked some of them on square-riggers, at demonstration, and at sea over the years. I am humbled and honored to have sung them with some of the finest voices and human beings I’ve ever known. I love you all, my heroes and friends, and thank you for lending your voices and yourselves. In my heart, you are all shipmates. If you know higher praise, I’ll use it. John Kirk suggested this project and found the recording space for us, and I’m forever grateful! This album is dedicated to Joy, the love of my life, and the best partner for whom I could have ever asked.

In my opinion, one of the best descriptions of the New England Grand Banks fishing industry during the 19th century was the novel Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. It is a novel that has always held great personal meaning to my father and me. At the end, Kipling provides part a poem during a scene of a fishermen’s memorial, which is in fact about an actual storm which took out the signal light of the town of Brixham, England on January 10,1866 The storm left the fishing fleet “blind” with no way to navigate home. The women helped to provide a solution. A. Heather Wood, a folksinger and songwriter of some renown, filled in “a few bits” and gave the poem its beautiful melody.