Terry “T-Bone” Nagel has been playing the trombone since the Eisenhower administration, and more or less has it figured out.  During the Kennedy years, he found a mandolin in his grandmother’s attic, and set about learning old popular songs like “Goofus” and “Up a Lazy River.”  Eventually he built his first electric instrument, the Bat Mandolin, and formed The Mongers, a high school band whose motto was “Strange Music for Any Occasion.” His current electric mandolin is a Fender 5-string.

            In the 60’s, through a series of odd coincidences, T-Bone was hired to tour France in the horn section of a soul band, and spent most of the  summer on the Riviera.  He met a clueless French gigolo there who inspired his song “St. Tropez Cowboy,” recorded with Doug and Lynn about 30 years later. If you come to the Black Sheep and put a few dollars in the tip bucket, we’ll give you a copy.

       Kate O’Connor, a longtime career musician, band leader, and music educator, and part-time lepracheun, has entertained audiences throughout New England, Bermuda and Florida with her stellar vocals, keyboards, steel drum, and guitar playing, and her original compositions. She’s won best vocalist awards in Western Massachusetts newspaper polls, and was a longtime session vocalist for #1 hit songwriter Tony Romeo (I Think I love You).  

         Kate plays keyboards and sings with the Catalytic Swing Band. You can also hear her with Blue Rendezvous, (R & B, Blues, and Swing), and A Beautiful Future Band,  (Caribbean, Irish, and multicultural original music). She teaches lessons at the Northampton Community Music Center, Downtown Sounds, and Smith College.

          Rico Spence, The Catalytics drummer, is a  master groove musician who has performed thousands of dates with hundreds of musicians over a long music career. He also plays guitar, bass guitar, and sings.

            Rico knows “everybody” in music. He’s performed with the James Montgomery Band, James Cotton Band, Helen Hollins Gospel Singers Band, Dar Williams, George T Gregory Band, First Rate and many other great musicians. He’s shared the stage with Earth Wind and Fire, Patti Labelle, Doobie Brothers, Chambers Bros, Average White Band, BB King, Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters, The Pointer Sisters, and recorded with Dar Williams, Brookes Williams, Richard Berman, and many more.

            When he is not providing the swinging heartbeat of The Catalytics, you can also hear him with Kate in A Beautiful Future Band  (Caribbean, Irish, and multicultural original music); and Blue Rendezvous (R & B, Blues, and Swing).

            Lynn Lovell, the double bass player in the band, has performed around here since the 1980’s.  In fact, she first met T-Bone in 1983, when she joined The South End Jazz Band, replacing a tuba player.  She has played with Doug, Terry and Rico at the Black Sheep for decades.           

            In addition to her stellar swing chops, Lynn has serious classical cred.  She plays regularly with the Pioneer Valley Symphony, and ensembles at Mt. Holyoke and Smith College. She also frequently plays in the pit orchestra for regional musical theater, and teaches aspiring bassists at Mt. Holyoke College and most of the other schools here in the Pioneer Valley.