Performing Traditional Celtic Music with a Rock and Roll Heart
Boston Blackthorn, has stayed on top of the New England folk and Irish circuit for more than 20 years by delivering exciting shows and solid recordings. Their first self-produced and directed CD "Better Late than Ever" won the award for best local album from the Springfield Newspapers in 2007. The song Back When the Craic was Grand has won several songwiting awards including first place in the International Narritive Songwriting Contest in 2008.
In 2010 the band released the CD "County Kerry to Kerry Park". The album was recorded in the Spring of 2010 at Signature Sounds recording studio with noted engineer Mark Thayer at the controls. Boston Blackthorne is unique in that several members of the band are award-winning songwriters writing about contemporary subjects in the context of traditional music as it has been played for centuries. The theme running through the new CD is the transition of traditional music as it followed the Irish diaspora from County Kerry Ireland to Kerry Park in Holyoke MA where thousands of Irish immigrants, including songwriter Jim O'Connor's family made their home. The band features:
Jim O'Connor on vocals, guitar, banjo, bouzouki and mandolin. Jim has played as part of the folk duo O'Connor and Lees (with Jon Lees) and as guitarist for the Paddy Noonan Band. Jim's time playing with traditional Celtic greats Andy McGann and Joe Burke is the inspiration for the song Back When the Craic was Grand. Jim and Boston Blackthorne were the featured Irish band at the Church Street Station St. Patrick's Day festival in Orlando FL for 10 years during which time the band played in front of over 100,000 fans. Jim wrote "Big Old City" and "Billy in the Lowlands", songs of the history of his family from Ireland to Holyoke MA in the 1920's and 30's as well as the jigs "Sam Adams/Shores of Lake Cochituate".
Jon Lees on vocals, 6 & 12 string guitar. Jon was guitarist for the Tom Willits Band in the 1980s when they opened shows for acts including Billy Joel, Maria Muldar and Jonathan Edwards. Jon and Jim toured New England as the folk duo O'Connor and Lees. Jon contributed one song from that era ("Lose Your Troubles") to the new CD and one new tune "St. Peter's Lament", a tune about the looming demise of the New England fishing industry, to the new CD. Jon's distinctive vocals and driving rythym guitar are a major force in the Boston Blackthorn sound. Jon contributed "St. Peter's Lament", an ode to the troubled New England fishing industry, and the bluegrass romp "Lose Your Troubles" to the new CD.
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Jim Keegan on vocals, bass, tenor banjo (Donkey Pilgrim). Jim, AKA "Chetz" Keegan has played with Jim and Jon since the early 1990's. Jim was played in Northampton MA bands too numerous to mention but here are a few- Al Fuller Band, The Soc Hops, Ed Vadas Band and Peter Newland (formerly of Fat). His distinctive, driving bass style is instantly recognizable and helps propel the band's arrangements. Jim sings backup harmonies on "Big Old City" and "Black and Tans".Jim wrote the instrumental pieces "McCall's March" and "Donkey Pilgrim".
Peter McAvoyon mandolin, tenor banjo and fiddle. Pete plays Celtic instruments with a dedication to an authentic Irish sound. As our resident traditionalist Pete is often the one bringing the tunes to the repetoire, in fact he added the medley Humors of Ennistymon/Old as the Hills to the CD following a late night sessuin in the studio following our first day of recording. Pete frequently travels to Ireland with his wife Maureen, whose family hails from the Blasket Islands and was the subject of the book "Hungry for Home". 
Dale Monette on drums and bodhran. Dale has been a force in Pioneer Valley music for years playing with respected bands including John Coster and the Medicine Band, John Sheldon's Blue Streak (Sheldon penned the tune September Grass featured on James Taylor's last studio album) and recently played country music at Gilette Stadium with Darren Bissette. Check out Dale's voluminous myspace page for a complete history of his amazing career behind the drums. Dale is a frequent traveler to the Canadian maritimes and is a follower of that particular style of Celtic music.