Album Notes

BC Dean''s History Lessons Music to the EarsBy Jim O''SullivanThere was a time, during the irresponsibility of my youth, when I dodged Michael Ryan with a trembling fear for the disciplinary consequences he stored in his quiver.Now, I pop his CD into my stereo and rock out to "All for Me Grog."Ryan, a Boston College student development dean, metes out discipline to troubled college kids during the day, and then trades for Colonial garb and a drum, taking his place as a member of the Jolly Rogues.Working on their second CD, a compilation of 17th- and 18th-century sea shanties, the Rogues are a three-year-old touring band of history buffs and crooning musicians, bringing throwback tunes to the New England countryside. They aim to give a tavern feel, with traditional instruments like mandolins and tin whistles, along with tri-cornered hats and hose, lending airs of authenticity.Their music is a blend of American colonial with Irish folk with Scottish and British tavern tunes, even a little spiritual thrown in. "Most of the songs of the time period came out of England, Ireland, Scotland," Ryan says. "Usually, what''ll end up happening is you''ll have a tune with words that will be passed around among musicians, and someone will get a hold of it and change the words."It''s catchy and gentle to the ear, and I''ve cleverly avoided giving back the sample copy of "The Road to Boston" that Dean Ryan lent me.His bandmates - Paul Harty on the violin and mandolin; Alan Hicks with the guitar, tin whistle, and banjo; and James Murray on guitar and mandolin - share with Ryan a zeal for interpreting history, and a talent for blending musical styles.But instead of adding another battle re-enactment to their resumes, they picked up the instruments and took to the road, performing in the New England Folk Festival, and this summer at the Old South Meeting House and on Comcast cable. On September 30, they''re in North Reading and Wakefield, and in October, they''ll be bringing history to Concord. Ryan says they''re planning on a European tour for next summer.On their recordings, they opt for the imperfections of live performance rather than an overly-refined, studio feel. "We don''t want to come across as being a polished, perfectionist group," says Ryan. "We want to be a group that, if you walked into a tavern in 1660, or 1670, or 1680, this is what you''d hear."Ryan, whose judgments on my behavior in those erstwhile days of mischief were even-handed, has een a BC man for parts of five decades. A native of East Gloucester, he graduated from The Heights in 1967, then served 10 years of active duty in Vietnam. He came back to BC, where he is now the assistant dean for student development, and the administrative supervisor for the school''s R.O.T.C. program."It''s always been the Jesuits or the military for me," Ryan says. Now it''s the Jolly Rogues, which seems an interesting third to add to the mix. But it''s a good fit for Mike Ryan.And, with the unspoken threat of a postgraduate suspension pending, I''ll say it''s good enough for me, too.b --Boston Irish Reporter Boston, MA Quote: Three-year old Allison is a big "Jolly Rogues" music fan. Her dad obtained a copy of the CD "Capt. Billy''s Privateers" and played it around the house and in the car. Now, whenever Jay buckles Allison into her car seat for a ride and asks what CD she would like to hear for the trip, she begins chanting "J-o-l-l-y R-o-g-u-e-s...J-o-l-l-y R-o-g-u-e-s... J-o-l-l-y R-o-g-u-e-s". --Allison Concord, MA 4/14/2005 UPCOMING APPEARANCES: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 7:00PM - Concord Library Presents the Jolly Rogues Concord, Massachusetts Saturday, July 16, 2005 6:00PM - JOLLY ROGUES AT Breakheart Reservation Saugus, Massachusetts Sunday, July 17, 2005 2:30PM - Bryant Homestead Craft Festival Cummington, Massachusetts Friday, July 22, 2005 7:00PM - Citizens Park Concert Series Woburn, Massachusetts Saturday, August 06, 2005 7:30PM - JOL