SPINNER'S LILT
... the best in Irish traditional tunes and songs
... the best in Irish traditional tunes and songs
Some years back, some Boston-area
musicians whose lives were devoted to Irish traditional music
decided to start a group.
They needed a name, so they chose the name "Spinner's Lilt" in honor of the great traditional band
that had played atthe legendary Village Coach House in Brookline in 1984 - a band that consisted of
some great young musicians who each went on to individual stardom: Joanie Madden, Jerry O'Sullivan,
John Whelan, and Brian Conway. (There was another guy who played with them who didn't become a
star, but that's another story.)
The new "Spinner's Lilt" consists of Mike Reynolds, Seán Reynolds, Pat Black, and Bill Black (left to
right in the photo above). They play the heck out of dance tunes and sing the heck out of songs, in
English and Irish. Mike is a fine accordion player, guitarist, singer, and teacher; Seán is the fiddler; Pat
handles the whistle, bodhrán, and flute, and Bill drives the banjo, bouzouki, and guitar. Mike, Pat, and
Bill are also very capable singers (Seán is a great listener and has been known to hum along).
A bit of background: the Reynolds boys come from a musical family whose father Larry is well-known
and loved throughout the traditional world. Mike and Seán have been members of various bands, including
"Tara Hill" and the Boston Comhaltas Ceili Band. Mike has his own group and plays many gigs in the
Boston area. Seán has a young and growing family and plays mostly at ceilis, and is also a radio
personality who assists Larry with his weekly program of traditional music on WNTN (also streamed
via the Internet).
Both Mike and Seán are members of the Northeast Ceili Band, and both were voted into the CCE
Regional Hall of Fame in 2003 for their services to Irish music.
Bill and Pat Black were married in 1969 and moved to Cape Cod in 1979. Bill is a New York native
who comes from a musical family but knew nothing about Irish music until meeting his Dublin-born
fiancée in 1967. Both the Blacks became active in the Irish traditional revival that began in New York in
the early 1970's, and their interest has continued ever since. Pat is a multi-instrumentalist and dancer, and
Bill was elected to the CCE Regional Hall of Fame in 2003. He composes tunes and songs, runs local
traditional sessions on the Cape, and maintains the CAPETRAD Internet page that keeps visitors current
on traditional events in the Cape Cod area. Bill is also a member of the Northeast Ceili Band.
Pat and Bill also perform as a duet called "Clann Dubh" (literally, the Black Family, not to be confused
with the other Black Family - Mary, Francis, Shay, and co.) and are also members of "Celtic Tide", a
Falmouth-based fiddle group.
decided to start a group.
They needed a name, so they chose the name "Spinner's Lilt" in honor of the great traditional band
that had played atthe legendary Village Coach House in Brookline in 1984 - a band that consisted of
some great young musicians who each went on to individual stardom: Joanie Madden, Jerry O'Sullivan,
John Whelan, and Brian Conway. (There was another guy who played with them who didn't become a
star, but that's another story.)
The new "Spinner's Lilt" consists of Mike Reynolds, Seán Reynolds, Pat Black, and Bill Black (left to
right in the photo above). They play the heck out of dance tunes and sing the heck out of songs, in
English and Irish. Mike is a fine accordion player, guitarist, singer, and teacher; Seán is the fiddler; Pat
handles the whistle, bodhrán, and flute, and Bill drives the banjo, bouzouki, and guitar. Mike, Pat, and
Bill are also very capable singers (Seán is a great listener and has been known to hum along).
A bit of background: the Reynolds boys come from a musical family whose father Larry is well-known
and loved throughout the traditional world. Mike and Seán have been members of various bands, including
"Tara Hill" and the Boston Comhaltas Ceili Band. Mike has his own group and plays many gigs in the
Boston area. Seán has a young and growing family and plays mostly at ceilis, and is also a radio
personality who assists Larry with his weekly program of traditional music on WNTN (also streamed
via the Internet).
Both Mike and Seán are members of the Northeast Ceili Band, and both were voted into the CCE
Regional Hall of Fame in 2003 for their services to Irish music.
Bill and Pat Black were married in 1969 and moved to Cape Cod in 1979. Bill is a New York native
who comes from a musical family but knew nothing about Irish music until meeting his Dublin-born
fiancée in 1967. Both the Blacks became active in the Irish traditional revival that began in New York in
the early 1970's, and their interest has continued ever since. Pat is a multi-instrumentalist and dancer, and
Bill was elected to the CCE Regional Hall of Fame in 2003. He composes tunes and songs, runs local
traditional sessions on the Cape, and maintains the CAPETRAD Internet page that keeps visitors current
on traditional events in the Cape Cod area. Bill is also a member of the Northeast Ceili Band.
Pat and Bill also perform as a duet called "Clann Dubh" (literally, the Black Family, not to be confused
with the other Black Family - Mary, Francis, Shay, and co.) and are also members of "Celtic Tide", a
Falmouth-based fiddle group.