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http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=05-Aug-2011&lang=en&s=4623
http://www.accordions.com/news.aspx?d=05-Aug-2011&lang=en&s=4623
05-Aug-2011
Andy Banks (1948-2011), Birmingham – UKby Rob Howard |
 Andy Banks, Chairman and Treasurer and a founder member of the Birmingham-based Club Accord, died at his home in Handsworth last week at the age of 63. Born in Wick in the north of Scotland, but raised in the Midlands, Andy had a strong Brummie accent whilst always considering himself an exiled Scot.Largely self-taught, Andy played the Shand Morino 3-row diatonic button accordion, melodeon and English concertina, and played Scottish and English traditional music. When the late Malcolm Gee founded Club Accord in 1976, Andy was one of the first to join, and played at most of their concert evenings. He played in Moonstone, a ceilidh band, and for Blackadder Morris. A great admirer of Sir Jimmy Shand, Andy once actually had an accordion lesson from the great man. He tracked Sir Jimmy down to his house in Auchtermuchty by asking at a local petrol station and soon found himself in the middle of a master class! Andy had a great knowledge of Scottish accordionists, and was a devotee of the Hohner Shand Morino. He contributed an article about the origins of this iconic instrument to my first volume of ‘An A to Z of the Accordion’, which also included a biographical entry for him based on his long-term contribution to Club Accord. In this entry I commented: “Lots of people come and go as members of accordion clubs, but it is people such as Andy who are the real backbone due to an unstinting loyalty and interest.” The next meeting of Club Accord is on Monday August 8th, 7.30pm, which will feature a tribute to Andy Banks, with all players present playing through ‘The Dark Island’, one of Andy’s favourite tunes. Club Accord meets at Catshill Social Club, 13a Meadow Road, Catshill, near Bromsgrove, Birmingham B61 0JJ. For further information email: Matthew.Butcher@swft.nhs.uk |