Chris Brinn came to the U. S. from the small fishing port of Padstow on the North Cornish

coast in the UK. He now lives in Searsmont with his wife Carol and their son Declan. Chris has been playing piano accordion for over thirty five years, specializing in Irish music and songs, as well as the music of Cornwall. His connection with Ireland stems from his grandfather, born in Wicklow and raised in Dublin. Since coming to America, Chris has been able to immerse himself in traditional Irish and Irish-American music and is heavily influenced by the great Jimmy Keane of Chicago. He is a member of a number of locally based Irish bands, but plays most regularly with mates Matt Smith and Randy Billings, Maine’s best Irish Pub Band, The Napper Tandies.

On Wednesday evening, Chris is determined to drag us all down memory lane with some examples of the music he grew up with, and because he plays the piano accordion it could be a bumpy and unpaved lane. Along with some of the first and favorite Irish tunes he learned, there will be some songs from his home land of Cornwall and, as he’s fond of comic songs and parodies, probably a few….comic songs and parodies as well. After all, when one plays the piano accordion, one can’t afford to take one’s self too seriously.

Quarantine has been tough on us all, but you have to pity accordion players with nothing to do…well, pity their loved ones at least. Here’s a video of Chris with his brother Kevin who knows nothing about technology and can’t silence his bloody notifications on his phone when recording. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EqOhBquGek
Here’s a concert that The Napper Tandies did for the Maine Cletic Celebration.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZwmrsiSH7g&t=382s
And here’s a video of The Napper Tandies with their good friend Hanz Araki. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8NEe5NGvaw
Hope to see you on Wednesday. Yeaghes da!!

Chris plays a number of piano accordions by G Verde, a MusicTech Digital Reedless piano accordion, and a vintage Sonola SS5.