The Band

Chicago Reel brings some of the city’s finest musicians together for a new look at Irish traditional music. Fiddle, flute, banjo, and button accordion combine with piano to showcase a wide repertoire of reels and jigs – old and new – energetic and full of spirit.

Denis O’Sullivan, master singer of the old-style sean-nós tradition, sings stories of forsaken love and tales of emigration. He delivers powerful interpretations of lesser-known material and brings fresh arrangements to audience favorites.

While paying homage to the great Irish musicians of the past who influenced them most, the band brings a contemporary drive and energy to their music. Dan Neely of the Irish Echo lauded the group’s “smart arranging and nuanced ensemble work” and their “delightful dance band feel that harkens back to Chicago bands of an earlier era.”

Since their formation in 2010, the band has appeared at festivals and venues throughout the country, including the Milwaukee Irish Festival, the Catskills Irish Arts Week, the Indianapolis Irish Festival, IBAM, the Gaelic Park Irish Festival, Millennium Park and SPACE.