BILL BLACK'S "CAPEIRISH"
NEWS/INFO PAGE

A LISTING OF EVENTS AND RESOURCES RELATING TO IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC
IN THE CAPE COD AND NEARBY S.E. NEW ENGLAND AREA

email:bill@capeirish.com


updated: 6/12/22
(uploaded from lovely Trim, Co. Meath)

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I'll be happy to include your SE New England traditional event if you send me an email with the details - try to include as much information as possible, including ticket prices, relevant websites, etc.

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NEWS, NOTES, & COMMENTS

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MATTAPOISETT SESSION RESUMES
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From Colin Everett:

"Greetings Fellow Musicians,

The Irish session returns to the seahorse (officially known as Dunseith Gardens) on Monday nights, with good weather, from 6:30-Dusk for our third summer.   The park is at the corner of Route 6 and and North Street in Mattapoisett. We will start this Monday June 13th and finish up for Labor Day. The plan is to return to the monthly session at the Mattapoisett Library in October.

I am not going to send out weekly emails, if you want to opt-in for occasional 'tunes of the week’ and such, let me know.

No session on July 4th. Hope to see everyone this summer!"

BB comment:
I make this session occasionally - nice folks and a nice venue. Might help to have some bug repellent handy (although I've never had a problem with mosquitoes there).

 

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WOODS HOLE TRAD STROLL
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The WHTS resumed this year after a pandemic break - as always it was great to be part of it. Nice crowds and the weather was cooperative - not too hot, not too cold.

My thanks to the musicians who came out to help, including Tara Lynch (down from Boston), Colin Everett (from distant yet lovely Mattapoisett), Diane Maranchie, and David Leslie (locals and we're lucky to have them). A couple of younger musicians - Hannah and Sean - also came by and sat in for a few tunes.

Since we couldn't be at the Olde Inne memorial for Pat after the funeral, we dedicated our gig to Pat and Kay O'Brien's memory. They'll always be with us and with all musicians who perform the music they both loved.

By the way it was nice to talk to Larry Reynolds Jr. at Pat's wake - haven't seen him in many a moon. Great guy (runs in the family) and a superb musician. It would be good to see him (and Tara) down this way more often - under happier circumstances, of course. And since they're both first-class box players, the O'Briens would definitely approve!

And a last note of thanks to Coffee O owner Hugh Birmingham, who let us use the porch even though the cafe isn't officially open yet. It's a great place to play and we're grateful to him for allowing us to do our thing. (And thanks also to Marilyn Rowland for inviting us to be part of the festivities again this year.)

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PLYMOUTH SESSION RESUMES
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The "Sláinte" session in Plymouth, which had been run for many years by the late Bill Bell but which - like so many other sessions (and Bill himself) - was a pandemic victim, has resumed.

The venue is "CJ's Pub" in the John Carver Inn on Summer Street in the heart of downtown Plymouth (a very pleasant town that's easy to get to from either direction). Time is Saturday evening 6-9.

Attached is a press release from Tom Gosselin that gives all the details.

Note that this is not necessarily a session for you "tune hound" types - much more of a
"singalong" scenario (the way Bill ran it for so many years) than for instrumentalists. But
it's great family fun (and they provide a booklet with song choruses!)

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CAT'S MELODEON ACTIVITIES
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Happy to note that the various activities that have involved the Cats in recent years are returning for 2022:

= Woods Hole Trad Stroll (see note above)

= Arts Alive on Falmouth Library lawn, Saturday June 18th at 2:00 pm

 . . . and new for this year:

= North Falmouth PorchFest, Saturday August 6, 3pm (exact location TBA)

I'm also pleased to advise that donations in Cats' name have been made to our friends John MacDonald (MS bike ride) and Horace Thayer (Walk for Hunger). Good luck to both of them!

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CHATHAM FIDDLE ACTIVITIES
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Concerts have not resumed as yet but Rose and Clayton are doing a session at the Red Nun in Dennisport, Saturdays 5 - 7pm.

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TUNES on the VINEYARD
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A note about Sara Piazza's trad music endeavors in Edgartown:

The Vineyard is open 12 months a year (nice people actually live there year round). So if you're a musician who has occasion to visit the island, Sara is prepared to welcome you for a few tunes:

"If it's nice weather we play on the porch, otherwise we are in my gallery. All are welcome. Call 617-872-6110, or just show up and ring my doorbell at 117 Upper Main in Edgartown. Failte!"

Check out Sara's Trad Diary website too.

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SESSION RE-OPENINGS
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As musical life slowly returns to normal, I've tried to keep the session list updated. But I strongly recommend contacting the venues before you venture out - some places are having staffing issues that are affecting their hours of operation. And masks etc. are still in the background somewhere.

Click here for the current session list (and PLEASE email me if there are any changes that you know of).

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Please take advantage of our links to other websites to keep current on what these and other local musicians are doing these days!

Check out my Goods and Services area - let me know if you want me to list something for you. My commissions are negotiable - or should I say negligible?

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ONGOING CONCERT SERIES
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As we slowly emerge from the darkest days of the pandemic, we might be seeing some life again the the various concert series that have gone dormant for the past 18 months or so. Slowly but surely . . .

In the meantime, some shout-outs for folks in the area who in better times have produced these concerts, not always involving "Celtic" acts but always presenting quality performers regardless of genre. I know from personal experience that putting these things together is not easy, so I would appreciate your support for their efforts once we're past the worst of the pandemic.

Sara Piazza's summer sessions in Edgartown (Martha's Vineyard)
Dinah Mellin's Brick Hill Concerts
Rose Clancy's Chatham Fiddle concerts
 

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GOODS AND SERVICES DEPT.
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Various friends have asked me over the years to post information about goods and services they have to offer, which I am happy to do free of charge for anyone who provides me a short description of what's involved and a website or email contact where potential clients can find out more.

Disclaimers:
(1) I reserve the right to decide what goes on this website
(2) I'd like to think these folks know what they're doing, but no guarantees of any kind are implied.