gene frain was a veritable fountain of knowledge about irish music in general,
and in particular about the boston area. he played the uilleann pipes, flute,
tin whistle and piano. in my fledgling days as a piper. gene was very generous
with his skill at reed making, keeping more than a few pipers sets going.
he was a harmonic master and had the most
extraordinary manner of piano accompanment. he would have me play a tune
and out from the keyboard would come chords that would make a jazz musician jealous.
he contributed many recordings to shanachie records foe various compilations in his father owen’s name.
always a good word, a smile, good humor and good music would come from gene.
god bless you gene. o
Man ! This has been a flurry of Passings !!!
Jim Bryan the NSP Piper and Author of the “How to Make the NSP” book
(1st edition 1967), my Friend and Piper Juarez Roberts, and now Gene Frain.
On my annual trip to Boston with Computer Science Corporation, (in the go-go 1990s)
I would take a Cab over to Watertown and visit Gene at his upstairs apartment, to hear his stories about
the Boston Irish Music scene. He made me some cassettes from his Reel-to-Reel tape recorder,
some of which was off the Boston “Copley” label 78s, where Gene was the Piano Accompanist.
Gene also gave me a Catalin Plastic Chanter he made in the style of Patsy Brown, the
Boston Pipe Maker, who he knew very well.
The photo of Patsy Brown that’s in the Pat Skye book was from Gene’s Photo collection.
His Father Owen was a Flute Player from Mayo, with a keen interest in Irish Pipes, and as I remember,
it was his Father who bought the Brown set of Pipes that Gene inherited later on.
Gene was a Korean War vet, and lived for a many years with a Physical Disability, that did not dampen
his High Spirits when the Subject was Irish Music and Irish Pipes. One time I got Paddy Keenan to come
over to Gene’s place and we had a Great session for the whole afternoon. Gene recorded part of
it, as he was getting some explanation from Paddy about some very fast and florid Grace notes that Paddy
said he had come up with, that were original to his style of playing.
Paddy very kindly slowed it down for us.
Another time I brought over Paul Groff the Anglo Concertina Player and repairman
(for the Button Box in Amherst, West Ma.) and we got to hear 1950s recordings of Joe Dureain the
soon-to-be-famous-again Box player who was “re-discovered” in the late 1990s, when Joe decided to
play Irish Music again.
I’m very sorry to hear of Gene’s passing, I’ll always treasure my memories of the Man.
Sean Folsom
That is sad news . I remember learning some reedmaking things from Gene , and that he had been working on a small lathe in the sun porch where he lived .
tom .
Well…the second time looking at this page,
I finally “Clicked” now on the link the Lindsey’s put up, and the official Obituary
has just about everything I said in my previous post, and much more information
that I wasn’t aware of.
I didn’t know till now, that Gene had passed away on Oct. 29th, LAST YEAR (2008).
Even in these Days of instant communication, News still takes some time to make the Rounds.
However it does not change how I feel about my friendship with Gene,
I am, and will, miss that old Bostonian Irishman.
Sean
Its sad news indeed. I have known Gene for over 25 years. I first met him when he was living with his father, Eoin.
I remember his dad, who played the flute, telling stories about playing with Patsy Touhey and the old days. I wish now that I had taped them.
I used to supply Gene with Cane and showed him how to make staples. A few years went by and his dad passed away. I went to see Gene to offer my condolences and Gene gave me his fathers old English flute, which I still play.
Gene had a beautiful set of Taylor pipes. I wonder what happened to them.
I first heard that Gene had passed away last fall, due to an inquiry from his niece. It was a big surprise to me since I had moved away from Gene’s neighborhood to Miami, but when I called Gene’s other music friends in the Boston area they had also not heard.
I remember very well the day Sean mentioned, when he took me over to Watertown to meet Gene. We became good friends and had many more hours listening to the old 78s, and other recordings, from Gene’s collection. He had many stories including traveling with Billy Caples to New York to meet with PJ Conlon, the great melodeon player. Of course he knew and played with so many musicians from Boston, and those such as Paddy Cronin who arrived there from Ireland. When I opened a little music shop near the Cambridge-Watertown line, Gene had an open invitation to all the music sessions and often came to play whistle and piano, and we also met for sessions at Yeats County in Watertown or at the home of our friend Helen. With Gene, Helen, and Brendan Tonra we had the makings of a “Watertown Ceili Band.”
Passing along the favor from Sean, I may have been the one who suggested to Sue that she interview Gene for her thesis, later to become the basis for “See you at the Hall.” In any case, I’m sure Gene contributed a lot of humor as well as information to her research.
Since Pat, Sean, and the rest of us couldn’t meet for Gene’s wake I’m glad we could remember him here.
Thanks Paul ! Well Said ! I’m glad you got on here too !!!
It’s been a LONG TIME MAN ! I’ll P.M. you, when I get the chance, as
I’m busy at a School in Orinda this whole work week.
Sean
