Boston Blackthorne
Natick, Massachusetts, United States
Music
Press
Annual LiveWire local music award for "Better Late than Ever"
Reviewer: Donnie Moorehouse Springfield Republican
Boston Blackthorne Band, "Better Late Than Never" - The group has long been a staple on the traditional Celtic music scene in New England and its annual local shows are memorable enough to keep fans primed throughout the year. This 11-song disc should help fill the void between shows. The CD mixes traditional staples like "Foggy Dew" with originals from valley veterans Jon Lees and Chetz Keegan. - Springfield Newspapers (MA)
Boston Blackthorne's Jim O'Connor was honored in 2 International Songwriting Competitions in 2007. The song Back When the Craic was Grand, from the album Better Late than Ever won first prize in the International Narrative Song Competition and Honorable Mention in the Unisong Competition. - International Songwriting Competitions
Discography
Better Late than Ever by Boston Blackthorne, available at CDBaby.com. This album won the LiveWire award for best regional album of 2005 from the Springfield Union (MA). The original song "Back When the Craic was Grand" by Jim O'Connor won first prize in the International Narrative Songrwriting Competition in 2007 and Honorable Mention in the Unisong Contest. The instrumental "Chicago/Trippin' Up the Stairs" will be featured on the PBS Online Series Roadtrip Nation in 2007.
Photos
Bio
The Boston Blackthorne Band has entertained Celtic music fans throughout New England for more than 15 years. The group is rooted in the Irish ballad tradition of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem with contemporary twists and original arrangements. Featuring lush three-part harmonies and original songs, the band's repertoire also includes classic instrumental jigs and reels played on fiddle, bouzouki, tenor and 5 string banjo, 6 and 12 string guitars and electric bass. Primary vocalist Jim O'Connor (guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, banjos) was a member of the Paddy Noonan Band, and is a veteran of the New York City Irish music scene. He was the leader of The Boys of Ward Four, house band for many years at the annual St. Patrick's Day Street Party at Church St. Station in Orlando, Florida.
The other members- Jon Lees (vocals, guitar, harmonica), James "Chetz" Keegan (vocals, bass, keyboards), Peter McAvoy (fiddle, mandolin) Rob Griffin (fiddle) and Dale Monette (drums, bodhran), are all long-time veterans of New England Irish, folk, bluegrass and country music groups. The band mixes all of these genres freely and has developed a style of Irish/American playing that has been dubbed "Jig-a-billy".
Boston Blackthorne has performed with many notable acts, including The Clancy Brothers, Robbie O'Connell, Derek Warfield, The Barra McNeils, Maura O’Connell and Black 47.
Equally comfortable in pubs, festivals, or corporate and private events, Boston Blackthorne has performed at venues as diverse as The Boston Science Museum, The Holyoke Heritage Festival, Charles River Cruise Lines, Pearl Street Nightclub, Cheers Faneuil Hall, The Yankee Pedlar Opera House, The Newport Waterfront Irish Festival, The Danbury Irish Festival, Harpoon Brewery, Maple Street Music Festival, Western Mass Celtfest and many other public and private functions throughout the Northeast.
The new CD “Better Late than Ever” is available at: http://cdbaby.com/cd/blackthorne
For booking information please contact:
Jim O’Connor - (508) 655-3880; jimoc1@rcn.com
Jon Lees - (413) 527-6943; jwlees@comcast.net
Jim Keegan - (413) 330-0185; vagabon328@aol.com
Links
