I came across these two lovely articles covering master accordionist Daniel Colin on his tour in Japan.

Musette Delivers Taste of France, from Friday November 20th, 2009, in The Japan Times Online. Written by Yung-Hsiang Kao. The piece covers French Accordionist Daniel Colin’s current tour there, and includes a little backup history on the mordinary (a better word for extraordinary) music that is Musette! Interestingly, the article also connects the Musette interest with Japan’s larger Francophilism: Louis Vuitton bags, french baking, and frog legs (just kidding about that one.)

“For 15 years now, there has been a comeback of the accordion and musette — trash musette, hip-hop musette — but with this group (with Colin) it is a more traditional French musette and chanson.”

Musette is an accordion-centered traditional French music created in Paris in the 1920s from a mix of sounds by Italian immigrants and Auvergne folk from the Massif Central region.

It is to France what jazz is to the United States, according to Cravic, a producer and guitarist.

“Musette was very successful until the beginning of rock ‘n’ roll,” Cravic says in English on a recent visit to Japan with Colin, an accordion player. “Accordion players were overwhelmed, so most of these guys tried to be more showy.

And the other article, Paris, Love Song for You, in Metropolis, written by Dan Grunebaum, from November 12th, 2009.

The accordion revival took hold in Japan in the ’90s, rooted in the continued popularity here of musette and its more sedate cousin, chanson. Among its exemplars are virtuoso Coba and young chanteuse Uri Nakayama.

“It’s an instrument that can be impressive even for young people. They are used to electric guitars, keyboards, and usually this music is not complex. But when we have the experience of playing in front of different musicians in France who are involved in rap or whatever, when they see and hear and feel Daniel, it’s very impressive for them. From the mid ’80s, accordion came back in all sorts of different fields. Now you can hear accordion players in rap or even punk.”

Enjoy!

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The article Accordion Reborn published Wednesday November 19, 2009, got my attention. From the Guardian, a thorough and highly accessible article on the state of contemporary ‘Classical’ Accordion music. Specifically Denmark, which since at least the 1970’s has been a bastion of creativity and genius in this genre.

For most people, the sound of the accordion conjures up images of bearded morris dancers, or jolly sea shanties sung with raised tankards of real ale. But in Denmark, the accordion has a classical life, with a whole generation of serious musicians developing new means of expression on an instrument Mark Twain once called “a Steinway on your lap”.

Supporting and fleshing out the work and world of composer Jexper Holmen, we learn about his newest project being performed in England.

Alongside Holmen will be two Norwegian accordionists, Frode Andersen and Frode Haltli, accomplished classical players who graduated from the prestigious accordion programme at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. So are there lots of high-flying jobs for accordionists in Scandinavia? “I would never aspire to become a full-time classical accordion soloist,” admits Haltli, “because I wouldn’t be able to eat.” In addition to solo work, Haltli plays with a jazz ensemble and a folk group, and has released a CD of new arrangements of traditional Norwegian melodies.

Try this list to expand your listening.

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I remember reading a huge biography of Thomas Alva Edison. The motion picture camera was amongst the many things he was credited for inventing. Then in college I mentioned that fact which was rebutted by some film student who claimed it was a French guy. Who knows? I don’t really care.

Here’s the First Accordionist on Film Ever:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-I06ahR0Y]

Here’s Dallas on Film:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-VnaIvUwB8]

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Daran Kravanh, a Cambodian accordionist, has been playing concerts and speaking engagements with his wife, Bree Lafreniere. Lafreniere has written a book telling Kravanh’s many stories of avoiding death and the meeting horror of Pol-Pot’s regime and the Khmer Rouge.

I found Kravanh’s stories fascinating and horrifying. Edifying and an important reminder of the evil in the world.

Kravanh has a disc of music and Lafreniere has her book. Both are titled Music Through the Dark, you can find more information here.

From PNW Local News:

After taking power in 1975, Pol Pot, leader of the Khmer Rouge, renamed the country Democratic Kampuchea. Their goal was to create a purely agrarian-based Communist society. People who lived in cities were deported to the countryside where they had to work in collective farms or forced labor projects. Even after losing power following a Vietnamese military intervention in December 1978, the Khmer Rouge still maintained control in some regions of Cambodia. Between 1.5 and 3 million Cambodians are estimated to have died by murder and starvation, especially the intellectual elite, during these years. The United Nations later declared what happened in Cambodia the largest per capita loss of life in the twentieth century.

Bree learned quickly Daran used music, specifically accordion music, to survive his ordeal. It was like a sign to Kravanh when he found his accordion on a stump in the forest considering the rarity of such an instrument in the Asian country.“There are not many accordions in Cambodia,” Kravanh said.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yaEls97vn8]

Here is a Public Radio Exchange story about Kravanh.

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Finally there is something written about this concert! I had been seeing people twitter about it, and I saw some things on Coba’s blog. But I was unable to get the drift of exactly what went on. And now Elke Ahrenholz has posted a write up on accordions.com. On Octover 23rd, 2009:

To mark the 90th Anniversary of Victoria Accordions, a truly superlative concert was organised. A mega-event of three very famous accordionists together on stage in the Megura Permission Hall, a 1200 seat Theater with excellent acoustics in Tokyo.

The three were Richard Galliano (France), Frank Marocco (USA) and Coba (Japan) who enchanted the audience with a concert program lasting approximately 2 hours.

I wish I was there to see that.

Some small thoughts from Coba on his blog:

Successfully completed the world premiere of the concert accordion contest the world’s three largest Keru Meguro Persimmon.

Richard and Frank is really amazing.
Were giants.
Was consistently full of great love from the stage to rehearse.

But feel the responsibility as the fate of those who bear the same instrument, we are very innocently, “accordion-like” the atmosphere. Became deeply ingrained in the minds of each one through one ear of each phrase ….

It is nice to finally get the scoop on this concert. I really hope they release it as a recording or DVD.

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I’ve been rehearsing with award winning guitar player Mark Cosgrove for a spot with his band at his annual music festival. Its exciting for me to play with such a great musician and in such a different genre.

Annual Bucks County Guitar Summit

November 28, 2009

Afternoon workshop: 12:30PM
Concert: 8:00PM

Afternoon Workshop & Evening Concert
Buckingham Friends School
RT 202 & RT 263, Buckingham, PA

w/Rolly Brown and special guest Tony McManus

This year, Mark & Rolly’s special guest will be none other than Scottish guitar sensation Tony McManus for a triumphant return. The evening concert will feature sets from each artist. Mark’s set will also include guests John Kirk and Trish Miller, bassist Kevin MacConnell, and accordianist Dallas Vietty.

Mark, Rolly, and Tony will be teaching workshop sessions during the day.

For more information call: 215-340-0586

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I just wanted to let everyone know that the posts on here have slowed down a bit as I am working on a project I hope to have out by the end of February. The working title is The Delaware River Suite.

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Another post about Busking

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Another post about Jean-Louis Matinier and Renaud Garcia-Fons

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