Archive for August, 2009
Richard Galliano Interview
“The accordion is a traveling instrument, and that is why it is found all over the world.” opens the interview. An organ, Galliano calls it, and then plays an excerpt of a Bach toccatta.
Guy Klucevsek and Alex Meixner perform New-Polka in Brooklyn
If there’s Nuevo-Tango and New-Musette, is this New-Polka?
West Coast Accordion: Punk Rock and Alt-Accordion
Perhaps its the tattoos. The West Coast, and particularly the Pacific North-West, stretching up into Canada have a thriving alt-accordion scene. Here is just a small measure of performers and shops.
Busking: Americans Don't Like Street Performing
Busking is the ancient art of street performing. Americans often confuse buskers with pan-handlers or the homeless. Buskers are artists who have taken the world as their stage. They are intrepid entrepeneurs, corageuosly battling so many things in order to make a few dollars at what they do. Busking takes pride, patience, courage, talent, 100Read more..
Fuera: Jean-Louis Matinier and Renaud Garcia-Fons
These guys have something very special and rare. I am always astounded by the level of musicianship and perfection on the recordings of these two musicians and this is no exception. To listen to Fuera is an education in all things musical.
Wagner – Great Art or Anti-Semitism?
Addressing the question of whether or not one can separate the artist from the artwork? Especially in instances of great moral/emotional depravity (anti-semitic). The New York times has an opinion piece by Anthony Tommasini which addresses just this topic as it relates to the composer Richard Wagner. I agree with Tommasini when he says: AsRead more..
Chamamé – The Other Argentinian Accordion Music
When most people think Argentinian music they think of that passionate music from the seedy milongas of Buenos Aires. But there is another iconic music from the north of Argentina, it is called Chamamé. Chamamé is a rich cultural mix of indigenous and immigrant peoples to Argentina’s northern region. Not urban like the tango, butRead more..
Great Online Resources for Learning Accordion
This post from Let’s Polka Blog is a great compilation of different sites from around the web that offer accordion instruction. Some are good paid resources and some are excellent free ones like this link to free online accordion lessons for beginners. … Duane Schnur’s online accordion lessons may be the next best thing. RecentlyRead more..
Katzen Kapell
Check out Swedish band Katzen Kapell. Composition, jazz, accordion, piano, violin, marimba, hand drums. Its all a beautiful intertwined work. I feel the music takes from baroque sources like Bach, bebop and Piazzolla, world and jazz rhythms, intertwines eastern folk melodies and very interesting arrangements full of thought and depth. I would love to seeRead more..