Alison Kelley

Alison Kelley grew up singing traditional music as a chantey brat at South Street Seaport. She was also inspired by sitting at the feet of Pete Seeger as he performed for children on the Upper West Side. Bitten by the music bug, she joined her elementary, junior high and high school choruses and hasn’t stopped singing since.

During college, Alison performed and toured with the CCNY Gospel Choir and the CCNY Vocal Ensemble. She also performed and conducted a series of workshops called “Organizing with Songs” with The New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).

After graduating, she continued singing gospel with Inner City Voices, a group formed of former CCNY Gospel Choir members. In 1990, Alison and her sister Hilary officially joined forces as the Cruel Sisters, a duo specializing in bloody ballads, eclectic and obscure songs. After joining the Society of Creative Anachronism (SCA), Alison, Hilary and a group of friends formed Out of Bedlam, to perform medieval-renaissance music at fairs and events.

Currently, when not sailing on the Mystic Whaler or haunting Mystic Seaport, Alison performs with The Johnson Girls (sea chantey and maritime music women’s quartet), Ida Red (a triad of sultry songbirds), The New York Packet (South Street Seaport’s official maritime music group), and The NexTradition (a dynamic a capella duo). On rare occasions, Alison performs as a solo artist or with her mentor Craig Edwards.

Alison’s repertoire is quite diverse and includes sea chanties and maritime music, worksongs, gospel, blues, ladino, troubadour and medieval music, ballads, English, Irish and Scottish songs, rock, American roots music and what ever else inspires her. She occasionally accompanies herself with “The Banshee”, her claw hammer banjo.

Alison is committed to keeping traditional music alive and leads an open sing in Brooklyn, N.Y. on the 1st Wednesday of the month at The Ethical Cultural Society on Prospect Park West. She also attends the monthly Chantey Sing at South Street Seaport.

The Next Tradition

The New York Packet

The Johnson Girls