In the early 1960s the American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan released ‘The Times They Are a-Changin', a song that was hailed by many as a comment on how popular culture was then rapidly changing. This also happened to be the period that the accordion was quickly being overtaken in popularity by the electric guitar, and instrumental music in general – not just accordions – then became much less commercially popular.
However, the accordion’s chameleon-like ability to adapt to many different genres has not only ensured its survival, but led to the instrument being ‘discovered’ by younger generations.
This recent story from The New York Times demonstrates that the accordion has a fresh appeal for those who recognise its potential within modern popular music. There is also another article from the Los Angeles Times, both article being prompted by the recent American Accordionists' Association international competitions and festival. The newspaper links were kindly supplied by Roland Europe.
These articles are written in a very positive way concerning a new fashion: “The Accordion is back.” Such publicity looks really positive for the future popularity of the accordion.
Julien Labro on new CD ‘Night Town’, Detroit - USA
Ever since the 1930s heyday of the Quintette du Hot Club de France, featuring guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli, combos called Hot Clubs carry on the gypsy jazz sound around the world. One such is the Hot Club of Detroit, whose line up is Evan Perri (guitar), Julien Labro (accordion), Carl Cafagna (sax), Paul Brady (guitar), and Shannon Wade (bass).
The Hot Club of Detroit’s new CD is titled ‘Night Town’, and is a follow up to the group's widely acclaimed 2006 debut CD, ‘Hot Club of Detroit’.
Julien Labro, from Marseilles, France, links the Detroit quintet to the French musette style from which gypsy jazz partially sprung back in the 1930s, while Cafagna's robust saxophone work introduces bop and post-bop elements to gypsy jazz.
Labro is the winner of numerous international accordion competitions, and has performed at numerous jazz venues and festivals in the USA. His performances with The Hot Club of Detroit have drawn rave reviews, such as the Detroit Free Press Music Critic Mark Stryker noting the "jaw dropping virtuosity" of Labro's solos played with "vibrant joy and disciplined musicianship." In 2005, Labro grabbed 1st prizes in the Art Van Damme International Jazz Accordion Competition, the Vivian Stolaruk Intl. Entertainment Award (Detroit, MI), and the 2005 Heineken Jazz Starquest.
Auckland University accordion tutor Stephanie Poole was invited to perform the accordion part in a new symphonic work with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra earlier this month. Symphony No. III composed by New Zealander Ross Harris’ premiered at the Auckland Town Hall on August 14th to an appreciative audience.
The accordion part features the Jewish flavour of the composer’s own klezmer tunes, with the accordion combining at times with violin and clarinet. Harris himself is an accordion fan, playing klezmer accordion with The Café Klezmer Band based in Wellington city.
Stephanie said that with only five rehearsals over four days, it was impressive to see how quickly the orchestra pulled together this previously-unheard work, especially with its many rhythmic challenges.
Quote from the NZ Herald newspaper 18/8/08 After interval, Ross Harris’s new symphony proved to be the orchestra’s most ambitious commission to date. Fuelled by the art of Chagall and the composers klezmer tunes, the symphonies’ 40 minutes teamed with incident…….. Let us hope [the Symphony] receives another airing in the not too distant future.”
At the conclusion of the concert, conductor Marko Letonja from Slovenia presented his bouquet to accordionist Stephanie Poole.
To date competitors, delegates and guests from 26 different countries have made reservations and the 2nd hotel, The Erskine Bridge is nearly full for the 2008 Coupe Mondiale International Accordion Competitions and Festival.
On Thursday evening, one of the highlights in concert will be the Alphen Opus 2 Orchestra from the Netherlands. This orchestra specialises in contemporary music aiming to promote the accordion at a high level. The conductor is Sergé Latychev, a Russian by origin.
The orchestra has distinguished itself by its progressive choice in repertory, close teamwork and musical identification, and with a lot of attention paid to contemporary music from Dutch composers.
An important way of co-operation in this respect is with NOVAM, the Dutch national accordion organization and national member of CIA. Since November 2007, Alphen Opus 2 has become the promotional orchestra for this organization, with new music also saved in the library of NOVAM allowing conductors to look at the scores and ask for a recorded piece as reference material.
The picture shows Jon Hammond playing his beloved accordion in Topanga Canyon, California, at a wedding in 1971. The instrument, a rare model purchased from the late John Molinari, was stolen during a burglary in 1975 in Boston.
Jon recalls: “An old friend brought me these long lost photos yesterday from 1971! I can't believe it...these are the only photos of me during this period. I was the world's first psychedelic electronic accordion player! I played at the Berkeley Folk Festival with Country Joe and The Fish, Kaleidescope, with David Lindley, jammed with quicksilver Messenger Service (these were all big bands in SF Bay Area during the 1960s). I was 18 years old here! It is the same instrument I won the Jr. Jazz Championship with in 1966”.
A couple of weeks ago a fellow accordionist sent me a Link for an eBay listing that was apparently the instrument. These Giulietti Classic 127 instruments are extremely rare with factory pickups. It went for over 5 grand from a seller in a state of Connecticut. Mine was stolen from me in Boston, which is not far away so I'm pretty sure it was it.
Sadly, I couldn't prove it because I didn't have the serial number documented, sadly. That's the way it goes. Editor: This is lesson to all accordionists how important it can be to have documented the serial number of their accordion and even better, some digital photographs of the instrument and case.
The 2nd International Accordion Contest took place in the city of Jaú, San Paolo, from August 21st to 23rd. Brazilian accordionist Waldonys carried out the opening ceremony, and the contest adjudicators were Mirco Patarini, Professor Roberto Bueno, Professor David Saidel, Oswaldinho of the Acordeon, Waldonys, Elizeu Vargas, and Bruno Moritz (winner of the 2007 contest).
The festival included the release of Bruno Moritz’s first CD, and a concert performance by Argentinean accordionist Alejandro Brittes.
A new accordion class by Professor Giuseppe Scigliano at the Conservatory of Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of Southern Italy, is creating an interesting perspective for those who dedicate their studies to the concert accordion. Until now, the accordion schools in these regions were oriented only towards traditional or popular music music.
Giuseppe Scigliano graduated from Rome's Conservatory under Professor Massimiliano Pitocco, and attended for 3 years the Accordion Course (Italian Accordion Academy) held by Claudio Jacomucci and by many visiting teachers such as Matti Rantanen, Viatcheslav Semionov, Yuri Shishkin and Geir Draugsvoll.
From August 18th to 24th, the Conservatory "P. Ciaikovsky" in Nocera Terinese organized a Summer Campus of Music with their teacher Giuseppe Scigliano, and a Master Class given by Claudio Jacomucci. The organisers were amazed by the interest of the participatants, dedication and commitment of the young students.
Our best wishes to Giuseppe Scigliano and his new accordion class.
Chico Chagas playing with some top Jazz stars! , London – UK
Brazillian accordionist Chico Chagas performs with tenor saxophonist Dave O’Higgins at The 606 Club, 90 Lots Rd, London SW10 0QD, on Thursday September 4th. They will be supported by John Parricelli (guitar), Adriano Adewale (percussion), Enzo Zirilli (drums) and David Chamberlain (double bass).
Chico Chagas is generally recognised as one of the finest Jazz/Brazilian accordionists in World music. His fluent style and remarkable technique have made him something of a star in his native Brazil, and he now divides his time between London and Rio. A real character, his music is at once flowing and surprising, melodic and rich in Brazilian melody.
On Friday September 19th, 8pm, accordionist Jeancristophe performs at l’Espace Culturel Avionnais (Avion - 62).
Future performances include:
October 10th - Prix du Marais, Lomme
December 18th – Centre Arc, Ciel de Liévin
March 21st – Espace François Mitterrand de Bully les Mines
On September 19th Guildford Accordion Club presents ‘A Musical Variety Night’, featuring accordionist Romano Viazzani, The Tillingbourne Accordion Orchestra, Andrew Lukins (vibraphone), George Bennett (keyboard), and the Diana Mitchell Irish School of Dancing. All proceeds to benefit ‘The New Ripley Village Hall’.
The venue is The Ripley Village Hall, near Guildford, Surrey GU23 6AJ; M25 J10. Doors open at 7pm.
Accordion tuition courses led by Ian Lowthian take place on September 20th and 21st November 8th and 9th in the beautiful village of Ettrickbridge in the Scottish Borders.
The courses involve teaching on both Saturday and Sunday from approximately 10am to 5pm, after which there is a lovely pub in the village that the course participants and tutor invade on the Saturday night for a session.
Accommodation is available at the local pub and in hotels and B&B’s in Selkirk, 7 miles away. Camping and caravan facilities are locally available.
On Friday, October 3rd, 8pm, at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, singer Jorge Celedón and accordionist Jimmy Zambrano, two of the most highly acclaimed Colombian Vallenato artistes today, perform an energetic mix of up-tempo dance music and romantic ballads.
Individually, they are top musicians, but it's their partnership for the past decade with six hit albums and countless live appearances that have made them favorite performers of Colombians (their hit ‘Esta Vida’ was Number One for 45 weeks!) throughout the Americas and Europe.
At the Knight Concert Hall, they'll combine the emblematic instruments of Vallenato, such as the caja, guacharaca, and accordion - with the big instrumental sounds of a symphonic orchestra for the first time in the US, playing hits such as ‘Ay Hombre’, ‘Cuatro Rosas’, and ‘Esta Vida’.
Accordionist Maria Kalaniemi is acclaimed in Finland and beyond as both a technically skilled player and an accomplished composer. See the Celebrity Interview Maria Kalaniemi
Maria Kalaniemi performs as follows:
September 28th - Sibelius Academy Concert Hall, Helsinki, Finland
October 11th – Muziekpublique, Brussels, Belgium
Joseph Petric Premiere Performance, New Brunswick - Canada
The 2008/2009 J.E.A. Crake Concert season presents the Symphony Nova Scotia on Friday March 13th 2009, 7.30pm, at the Convocation Hall, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick.
Their program includes a brand new work for accordion and orchestra by Canadian composer Brian Current, featuring the Canadian accordionist Joseph Petric.
From the 29 to 31 August will be held the third edition of Buonvicino Art Festival in Buonvicino (Italy, CS). Conceived by Calabrian accordionist Salvatore Cauteruccio and coordinated by Salvatore Vergara, the event features three days of music in the beautiful scenery of this historic centre of Italy.
The first evening features the duo TIZIANO CILLIS with a tribute to composers and the festival will close with the Calabrian group NAGRU that presents arrangements of Calabrian folk music, and the ANTONELLA BLOND trio with acoustic songs in Italian and Neapolitan jazz styles.
Accordionist Johanna Juhola will represent Finland in ‘Folkelarm’, a festival of Scandinavian folk music, in Oslo, September 25th to 28th. In showcases you will hear Johanna Juhola will perform music from her solo CD ‘Miette’, released by Texicalli Records, Finland, in 2006. Johanna Juhola will perform together with Roope Aarnio, guitar and Hannu Oskala, voice engineer.
Johanna Juhola studied the accordion at the Sibelius Academy’s Department of Folk Music. In 2000, she won the International Astor Piazzolla competition with the Novjaro Quintet, and in 2002 Johanna Juhola and the pianist Milla Viljamaa were awarded the International Citta di Castelfidaro prize. Johanna, also an acclaimed composer, performed her commissioned composition ‘Fantasiatango’ as one of the opening numbers of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest.
Within the sphere of orchestral music, Johanna has appeared as a guest performer with various ensembles in performances of Timo Alakotila’s composition ‘Concerto for Free Bass Accordion and Chamber Orchestra’, and as one of the soloists in the Tapiola Sinfonietta’s ‘Symphonic Fantasies’ project.
Gary Dahl - accordionist as well as a composer, arranger, recording artist and music educator, update 1 new work for accordion available for purchase online, 'Twilight Time'. Samples of this music are available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
Peter Piccini - accordionist, composer, arranger, performer, update 1 new work for accordion available for purchase online. 'Cara Maria'. Samples of theses music are available on the site. The music is in eSheet format, able to be emailed to your computer. Purchase with credit card.
русско 
In the early 1960s the American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan released ‘The Times They Are a-Changin', a song that was hailed by many as a comment on how popular culture was then rapidly changing. This also happened to be the period that the accordion was quickly being overtaken in popularity by the electric guitar, and instrumental music in general – not just accordions – then became much less commercially popular.
However, the accordion’s chameleon-like ability to adapt to many different genres has not only ensured its survival, but led to the instrument being ‘discovered’ by younger generations.
Ever since the 1930s heyday of the Quintette du Hot Club de France, featuring guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli, combos called Hot Clubs carry on the gypsy jazz sound around the world. One such is the Hot Club of Detroit, whose line up is Evan Perri (guitar), Julien Labro (accordion), Carl Cafagna (sax), Paul Brady (guitar), and Shannon Wade (bass).
Julien Labro, from Marseilles, France, links the Detroit quintet to the French musette style from which gypsy jazz partially sprung back in the 1930s, while Cafagna's robust saxophone work introduces bop and post-bop elements to gypsy jazz.
Auckland University accordion tutor Stephanie Poole was invited to perform the accordion part in a new symphonic work with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra earlier this month. Symphony No. III composed by New Zealander Ross Harris’ premiered at the Auckland Town Hall on August 14th to an appreciative audience.
To date competitors, delegates and guests from 26 different countries have made reservations and the 2nd hotel, The Erskine Bridge is nearly full for the 2008 
The picture shows Jon Hammond playing his beloved accordion in Topanga Canyon, California, at a wedding in 1971. The instrument, a rare model purchased from the late John Molinari, was stolen during a burglary in 1975 in Boston.
2nd International Accordion Competition – Brazil
A new accordion class by Professor Giuseppe Scigliano at the Conservatory of Nocera Terinese, Catanzaro, in the Calabria region of Southern Italy, is creating an interesting perspective for those who dedicate their studies to the concert accordion. Until now, the accordion schools in these regions were oriented only towards traditional or popular music music.
Giuseppe Scigliano graduated from Rome's Conservatory under Professor Massimiliano Pitocco, and attended for 3 years the Accordion Course (Italian Accordion Academy) held by 
Brazillian accordionist Chico Chagas performs with tenor saxophonist Dave O’Higgins at The 606 Club, 90 Lots Rd, London SW10 0QD, on Thursday September 4th. They will be supported by John Parricelli (guitar), Adriano Adewale (percussion), Enzo Zirilli (drums) and David Chamberlain (double bass).
On Friday September 19th, 8pm, accordionist Jeancristophe performs at l’Espace Culturel Avionnais (Avion - 62).
On September 19th Guildford Accordion Club presents ‘A Musical Variety Night’, featuring accordionist 
Accordion tuition courses led by Ian Lowthian take place on September 20th and 21st November 8th and 9th in the beautiful village of Ettrickbridge in the Scottish Borders.
On Friday, October 3rd, 8pm, at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, singer Jorge Celedón and accordionist Jimmy Zambrano, two of the most highly acclaimed Colombian Vallenato artistes today, perform an energetic mix of up-tempo dance music and romantic ballads.
Accordionist Maria Kalaniemi is acclaimed in Finland and beyond as both a technically skilled player and an accomplished composer. See the 
The 2008/2009 J.E.A. Crake Concert season presents the Symphony Nova Scotia on Friday March 13th 2009, 7.30pm, at the Convocation Hall, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick.
Accordionist Johanna Juhola will represent Finland in ‘Folkelarm’, a festival of Scandinavian folk music, in Oslo, September 25th to 28th. In showcases you will hear Johanna Juhola will perform music from her solo CD ‘Miette’, released by Texicalli Records, Finland, in 2006. Johanna Juhola will perform together with Roope Aarnio, guitar and Hannu Oskala, voice engineer.
