The NORTHEAST CEILI BAND Homepage
page updated 1/30/17
band inquiries: Bill Black 508.564.8764 - email necb@earthlink.net or bill@capeirish.com
CAPE COD CEILI WEEKEND XV
weekend before SuperBowl 52 (2018)
"I had a great time and look forward to next year. I appreciate all the time and effort that went
into making the weekend special. You played a good selection of dances that appealed to all."
Finally a new picture! - January 2017
left to right: Mike Flanagan, Rosemary Flanagan, Tara Lynch, Pat Reynolds,
Kevin Killeen, Kieran Flanagan,
and Bill Black
(thanks to Maudie Reynolds for the picture)
Band member bios
The NORTHEAST CEILI BAND
Formed in June of 2004, the NECB is comprised of musicians from the Boston and New York areas who have played together extensively in the past, and who appreciate ceili band playing as a particular skill within the broader spectrum of Irish traditional music.
"Charter members" of the band were Pat Reynolds, Mike Reynolds, Seán Reynolds, Kevin Killeen, Keith O'Neill (RIP), and Bill Black. As of 2017, Pat, Kevin, and Bill remain, and have been joined by Rosemary and Kieran Flanagan, usually plus a "guest artist" on ceili weekends.
At present the band's main purpose is to provide music for the dancers on "Cape Cod Ceili Weekend", which takes place every January (on the weekend before the Super Bowl) at the Cape Cod Irish Village. The dance efforts are expertly coordinated by Barry and Pat Callahan from the Providence area. Some of the recent ceili weekends have drawn dancers from as far away as Seattle!
In addition, the members of the NECB appreciate one another both as musicians and as individuals. The love and respect of the band members for one another is clearly manifest at every NECB performance, and of course infuses the band's music as it is experienced by the dancers fortunate enough to be in attendance at an NECB ceili.
NECB FUTURE & PAST
THE FUTURE ...
=============
Cape Cod Ceili Weekend XV
weekend before Super Bowl 2018
THE PAST . . .
============
January 2017: CCCW XIV
Once again the weather gods smile on us as the largest crowd EVER assembles for the
weekend. (If this keeps up, Tommy is going to have to add another dance floor!)
NECB this year is Kevin Killeen, Rose and Kieran Flanagan, Pat Reynolds, and
some dude playing banjo, joined on Saturday night by Tara Lynch and on Sunday by piper Joey Abarta.
Dance activities handled by the Callahans, Sally Harney (pinch-hitting for
Eileen Dugal), and Jackie O'Riley. (Note: Kieran Flanagan is the current 15-18
All-Ireland accompaniment champion - congrats to a great young man.)
January 2016: CCCW XIII
No problems with snow this year but some kind of sneaky virus causes
more than a few problems. We manage (barely) to get through the weekend
in our usual great style. Thanks to Tara Lynch, Rosemary Flanagan and her son Kieran
for adding so much! (and thanks to piper Joey Abarta and box player Bob Dunlavey for
helping out on a couple of sets).
January 2015: CCCW XII
We manage to get a mostly snow-free weekend before the onset of one of the worst
Februaries this area has ever seen. Tara Lynch helps out at the
Friday night ceili and Rosemary Flanagan is our "guest artist"
for the weekend. It's terrific having these two "great ladies
of traditional music" on stage together with Pat, Larry Jr.,
and Kevin. Great music and dance once again under the
watchful eye of new owner Tommy MacCormaic!
January 2014: CCCW XI
The weather holds up and we have another great weekend with special guests
Willie and Siobhán Kelly to help out. (Thanks also to Bob Dunlavey for assisting on
box in place of Kevin Killeen.)
January 2013: CCCW X
Old friend and master uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan joins us
once again. Thanks also to keyboardist/singer Paul Kenneally
for adding his considerable talents to the Saturday evening lineup!
January 2012: CCCW IX
Guest artist for the weekend is the legendary accordion champion and
recording artist John Whelan; fiddler Mark Oien filled in for an ailing Seán Reynolds.
On Saturday night, the NECB was joined by members of Carraroe and on keyboards
by our good friend Paul Kenneally.
January 2011: CCCW VIII
First ceili weekend at the "New" Irish Village - big success!
NECB is joined by members of Carraroe (Kevin Daly, box; Mark Oien, fiddle;
Torrin Ryan, pipes) and keyboardist Paul Kenneally for a memorable Saturday
night ceili.
February 2010: CCCW VII
A great weekend as old friends and new assemble to do what they love, i.e.
play music and dance. Doesn't get much better than that!
February 2009: CCCW VI
A great success - dancers in abundance, musicians as always ready to
tear away at the tunes, weather as good as February will ever supply on Cape Cod.
Memorial Day weekend 2008: CCCW V
NECB joined by guest fiddler Brendan Bulger.
Always room for more dancers but the ones that attended had a great time!
January 2008: CCCW IV
Great time had by all (despite bogus fire alarms and blizzard threat!)
October 2007
NECB appears at a Gertie Byrne "#1 Irish Weekend" at the Falls View
Hotel in the Catskills
June 2007
Midsummer Ceili at the Irish Village
Jan 2007: CCCW III
The band is joined by Rosemary and Maeve Flanagan and dance
workshop instructors Aidan Maher (ceili) and Barry and Pat Callahan (sets).
June 2006
Cape Cod Celtic Festival IV
Jan 2006: CCCW II
Great time had by all!
Sept 2005
NECB returns to its second Newport Irish Festival
July 2005
NECB performs as part of the Cape Cod Celtic Festival
May 2005
Memorial Day weekend ceili at the Irish Village
Jan 2005
first annual Cape Cod Ceili Weekend (or "CCCW I"). Great weekend in spite
of un-Cape-like weather (30+ inches of snow on the ground)
Sept 2004
Band appears at the Newport Irish Festival
June 2004
NECB makes its debut to universal approbation and amazement (or vice versa)
at the Cape Cod Celtic Festival
============
January 2017: CCCW XIV
Once again the weather gods smile on us as the largest crowd EVER assembles for the
weekend. (If this keeps up, Tommy is going to have to add another dance floor!)
NECB this year is Kevin Killeen, Rose and Kieran Flanagan, Pat Reynolds, and
some dude playing banjo, joined on Saturday night by Tara Lynch and on Sunday by piper Joey Abarta.
Dance activities handled by the Callahans, Sally Harney (pinch-hitting for
Eileen Dugal), and Jackie O'Riley. (Note: Kieran Flanagan is the current 15-18
All-Ireland accompaniment champion - congrats to a great young man.)
January 2016: CCCW XIII
No problems with snow this year but some kind of sneaky virus causes
more than a few problems. We manage (barely) to get through the weekend
in our usual great style. Thanks to Tara Lynch, Rosemary Flanagan and her son Kieran
for adding so much! (and thanks to piper Joey Abarta and box player Bob Dunlavey for
helping out on a couple of sets).
January 2015: CCCW XII
We manage to get a mostly snow-free weekend before the onset of one of the worst
Februaries this area has ever seen. Tara Lynch helps out at the
Friday night ceili and Rosemary Flanagan is our "guest artist"
for the weekend. It's terrific having these two "great ladies
of traditional music" on stage together with Pat, Larry Jr.,
and Kevin. Great music and dance once again under the
watchful eye of new owner Tommy MacCormaic!
January 2014: CCCW XI
The weather holds up and we have another great weekend with special guests
Willie and Siobhán Kelly to help out. (Thanks also to Bob Dunlavey for assisting on
box in place of Kevin Killeen.)
January 2013: CCCW X
Old friend and master uilleann piper Jerry O'Sullivan joins us
once again. Thanks also to keyboardist/singer Paul Kenneally
for adding his considerable talents to the Saturday evening lineup!
January 2012: CCCW IX
Guest artist for the weekend is the legendary accordion champion and
recording artist John Whelan; fiddler Mark Oien filled in for an ailing Seán Reynolds.
On Saturday night, the NECB was joined by members of Carraroe and on keyboards
by our good friend Paul Kenneally.
January 2011: CCCW VIII
First ceili weekend at the "New" Irish Village - big success!
NECB is joined by members of Carraroe (Kevin Daly, box; Mark Oien, fiddle;
Torrin Ryan, pipes) and keyboardist Paul Kenneally for a memorable Saturday
night ceili.
February 2010: CCCW VII
A great weekend as old friends and new assemble to do what they love, i.e.
play music and dance. Doesn't get much better than that!
February 2009: CCCW VI
A great success - dancers in abundance, musicians as always ready to
tear away at the tunes, weather as good as February will ever supply on Cape Cod.
Memorial Day weekend 2008: CCCW V
NECB joined by guest fiddler Brendan Bulger.
Always room for more dancers but the ones that attended had a great time!
January 2008: CCCW IV
Great time had by all (despite bogus fire alarms and blizzard threat!)
October 2007
NECB appears at a Gertie Byrne "#1 Irish Weekend" at the Falls View
Hotel in the Catskills
June 2007
Midsummer Ceili at the Irish Village
Jan 2007: CCCW III
The band is joined by Rosemary and Maeve Flanagan and dance
workshop instructors Aidan Maher (ceili) and Barry and Pat Callahan (sets).
June 2006
Cape Cod Celtic Festival IV
Jan 2006: CCCW II
Great time had by all!
Sept 2005
NECB returns to its second Newport Irish Festival
July 2005
NECB performs as part of the Cape Cod Celtic Festival
May 2005
Memorial Day weekend ceili at the Irish Village
Jan 2005
first annual Cape Cod Ceili Weekend (or "CCCW I"). Great weekend in spite
of un-Cape-like weather (30+ inches of snow on the ground)
Sept 2004
Band appears at the Newport Irish Festival
June 2004
NECB makes its debut to universal approbation and amazement (or vice versa)
at the Cape Cod Celtic Festival
BILL BLACK, banjo / bouzouki / guitar
Senior member of the band, Bill also handles publicity on behalf of the group. Bill did his Irish traditional apprenticeship in New York in the early 1970's and became an active member of the Boston scene when he and his family moved to Cape Cod in 1979. Bill is active in the Cape Cod session scene, founded and performs in the local traditional group "Cat's Melodeon", and also does classical and choral composing and arranging as well as traditional tune composing, web archiving, production, song writing etc. The home page for Bill's various activities is www.capeirish.com.
Pat is "the rock" that keeps the rest of the band together with his steady rhythm. He comes from a musical family and has been playing drums most of his life. Pat could correctly be considered one of the finest ceili band drummers anywhere. He lives in the Boston area, and in November 2002 was inducted into the Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE) Hall of Fame for his efforts on behalf of traditional music in general and ceili music in particular over the years. Pat is a great band-mate and terrific family man (just ask his grand-daughters!)
KEVIN KILLEEN, accordion
Kevin is the New York-area representative in the band, and brings a wealth of ceili playing experience to the group. He has been an active teacher and performer in the New York trad scene for years. Kevin and banjo player Bill Black first shared tunes at various CCE conventions starting in the 1980's, and in the meantime Kevin became acquainted with (and appreciated by) the Boston-area players for his solid technique and command. His accordion playing style blends very well with the fiddling of Rose Flanagan to create a distinct and powerful sound for the band.
ROSE FLANAGAN, fiddle
Rose Flanagan originally began Irish music lessons with Martin Mulvihill while growing up in the Bronx. She further developed her New York Sligo style of fiddling with the help of family friend and mentor Sligo fiddler Martin Wynne and brother, renowned fiddle master, Brian Conway.
She currently teaches in her hometown of Pearl River and via the web to students in both the U.S. and in Ireland.
Rose has been an instructor at the Alaska Fiddle Camp, The Augusta Heritage Irish Week, The Catskills Irish Arts week, Colorado Roots Camp, Centrum Fiddle Tunes, Fiddle and Pick Irish Camp, Mad for Trad week, The O’Flaherty Irish Music Retreat, and The Swannanoa Celtic Gathering in the U.S. She has also taught at the DeDanaan Dance Camp in Vancouver, British Columbia and Scoile Eigse in Cavan and Sligo, Ireland. She also taught workshops at the Northeast Tionol, Cape Cod Ceili Weekend, Baltimore Trad Festival, and at various CCE conventions. Rose also runs seisiúns and performs in various concerts and ceilithe throughout the area. She recently released a duo cd “Forget Me Not” with flute player Laura Byrne from Baltimore.
KIERAN FLANAGAN, keyboards
Kieran Flanagan 17, is a piano, tin whistle and flute player from Pearl River NY. He is a several time North American champion and medalist in accompaniment and is the current All Ireland 15 - 18 accompaniment champion, having been taught by the wonderful pianist Brendan Dolan. Kieran is the youngest member of a musical family with parents and siblings who all are musicians.
GUEST GALLERY
 WILLIE AND SIOBHAN KELLY |
 JERRY O'SULLIVAN |
 JOHN WHELAN |
 LARRY REYNOLDS JR - MARK OIEN |
 MAEVE FLANAGAN |
 BRENDAN BULGER |
 "CARRAROE"
KEVIN DALY - BB - MARK OIEN - TORRIN RYAN |
 PAUL KENNEALLY |
 TARA LYNCH |