Digital Mausoleum for Deceased Accordionists

Accordions Worldwide (accordions.com) offers Accordion Memorials, an online place to post memorials for the greats of accordion around the world. As they say:

Accordionist Deaths: Art Van Damme – Father of Jazz Accordion

Famous for his masterful block chords and vibraphone arrangements, in addition to ridiculous dexterity. No relation to Jean-Claude Van Damme.
VAN DAMME, Art
Art passed away at age 89 on February 15, 2010, in Roseville, Calif. Born in Norway, Mich., Art had been a resident of Roseville for 12 years. Art was a pioneer in the use of the accordion as a jazz instrument, and as a prominent jazz accordionist,

Accordionist Gil Goldstein: Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland

Jazz accordion on the radio!?! Gil lays it down behind Janis Siegel. On piano, but more importantly busting out the accordion.

Big Accordion Festival Hamburg 2/13/10: Galliano, Accordion Tribe, Kimmo Pohjonen

Giant accordion festival in Hamburg Germany. Starting next week. I think the accordionists have more fun in Europe, and I’m here stuck in the snow. Well this is definitely an event I would like to go to!

30 Years of Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland

NPR last week put up a tribute to McPartland’s long running show by creating a beautiful interactive grid of interviewees from the show. Its a very cool thing, and they chose a great variety for guests from Chick Corea to Willie Nelson. Click on a music celebrity and you’ll hear a roughly 6 minute piece from McPartland’s interview.

Accordionist Deaths: Stéphane Delicq

Master of diatonic button accordion. Called the Piazzolla of the instrument. His waltzes he is known for.

Many in the accordion community and fans are broken hearted. Please listen to his work.

Accordion Poem by Tom Borek

Found this on the Providence Journal’s site. My heart’s an accordion, it bellows my life, plays polkas, sweet songs, sentimental tunes, ditties, waltzes, marches, tangos, dirges. The player plays, the player plays on. The dance hall is congenitally frivolous, laughter endemic. A Polish wedding in Central Falls. Men swill drinks, beer and whiskey, they curse,Read more..

Bayan Video: Outside an Accordion – Inside a Space Station

English language Russian TV News item on an accordion factory. They make the russian bayan. Friedrich Lips also has a small cameo.

Accordionist Death

From the Jackson Citizen Patriot January 27th, 2010. Daniel Sitko spent much of his life with an accordion in his hands. An avid musician, Sitko spent some of his childhood evenings sitting on his family’s front porch playing the instrument, friends said. “He found music comforting,” said his wife, Mary Sitko. Sitko, a longtime memberRead more..

Carnegie Hall Names Mehldau First Jazz Artist for Composer's Chair

Great news if you are a fan of jazz pianist Brad Mehldau. Mehldau has been given a season-long residency at Carnegie Hall this season, 2010-2011. What this means? Alot of fantastic new Brad Mehldau music; there will be music with strings, music with words, music for two pianos! Exciting. (Thanks to Nonesuch Records site forRead more..