It's Friday... let's put on some party music! The rhythms of Colombian vallenato, by way of Los Angeles - that's the sound of Very Be Careful . Vallenato is a traditional folk music of Colombia that typically features the accordion, caja vallenata (drum), and guacharaca . The Very Be Careful quintet adds bass, cowbell, and a relentless parranda (party) style that few can resist. Very Be Careful: El Camionero mp3 Buy Ñacas [...]
Barely thirty years old, Lidia Kaminska has already set herself apart as one of the world's premier classical accordionists. Her chamber music, concerto, and solo performances explore the accordion's complex and expressive range, and her repertoire includes a broad spectrum of classical, contemporary, and avant-garde music. Recently, she's taken up the bandoneon - making her debut this past Spring at New York's Lincoln Center - and has researched the works of Astor Piazzolla intensely. This clip, however, finds her playing the bayan on a contemporary piece by Jaroslaw Bester, leader of the Bester Quartet [...]
Dreamland Faces is a Minnesota duo combining our household's two favorite instruments - the accordion and musical saw. Together, Karen Majewicz (who worked for Hohner doing repairs) and Andy McCormick play enchanting and haunting music that evokes a bygone era, when flappers flapped and films were still silent. With earnest, warbling vocals and an old-time jazz sensibility, all that's missing is the sound of a needle making its way across a dusty record. Dreamland Faces: I'm a Dreamer mp3
For day #16 on our accordion advent calendar, we have a track from one of my favorite holiday albums, Brave Combo's It's Christmas, Man! Brave Combo has been creatively bending genres for more than 25 years, and this album is no different. It's filled with eclectic, twisted renditions of Christmas classics: a ska version of "The Christmas Song, a samba "O Christmas Tree", and more. If you're sick of hearing the same old holiday songs over and over again (sorry Burl Ives), this is your cure. [...]
You may think of Grace Jones as a model, a disco diva, an actress, or a tempestuous artiste, but probably not as an accordion player. And yet here's a clip of Jones performing the strangest version of the classic French chanson "La Vie on Rose" I've ever heard. Of course, she isn't really playing the accordion so much as using it as a prop, though she certainly strikes an intimidating pose. (Watch her performance of Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango" for an example of her excellence at accordion-holding, if not playing.) [...]
So far this month, we've focused entirely on the accordion; but today we turn to its expressive cousin, the bandoneon. And you can't talk about the bandoneon without talking about Astor Piazzolla . Father of the nueva tango , Piazzolla revolutionized classic Argentine tango by incorporating elements of classical music and jazz, harmonies and dissonance, and new instrumentation ( e.g. electric guitar, saxophone). This stirring performance of "Hora Cero" comes from the last performance of Piazzolla's New Tango Sex-Tet. Astor Piazzolla: Hora Cero [...]
I couldn't do the accordion advent calendar without featuring the group that first inspired me to pick up the accordion: They Might Be Giants . For more than 25 years, John Linnell and John Flansburgh have been pumping out clever, quirky pop for adults and children alike. Linnell's accordion isn't featured as prominently as it was in the old days, but this bouncy instrumental (released via their online TMBG Clock Radio ) is a shows he can still squeeze. It was also the first song on the first mix CD Anna made for me after [...]
As we cross the halfway point in our accordion advent calendar , we highlight a track from Chinese classical accordionist Zhang Guoping . Zhang comes from a family of professional accordion players - his father was president of the Chinese Association of Accordionists - and has been trained in the Western classical tradition, becoming a master of the free-bass accordion . Zhang returns to his roots with this song, an old melody calling to mind the sound of the sheng , the accordion's Chinese predecessor. Zhang Guoping: [...]
Zydeco music is filled with families where the torch (or accordion) has been passed from generation to generation - families like the Ardoins, Broussards, Cheniers, and Delafoses. John Delafose comes from the first tier of zydeco accordionists, along with Clifton Chenier, Boozoo Chavis, Rockin' Dopsie, and others. With his band, the Eunice Playboys, Delafose played strong syncopated rhythms on both button and piano accordion for packed dance floors throughout the Gulf Coast. He passed away in 1994, but his son Geno Delafose is currently one of zydeco's most popular artists, having garnered one of [...]
Our featured artist for day #11 in our accordion advent calendar is neither an animated being created from clay, nor a character from Lord of the Rings. Led by singer/accordionist Annette Ezekiel Kogan, Golem is a klezmer/"Eastern European folk-punk band" (their own description) from New York City, and a damn good one at that. Combining Jewish folk music with a punk ethos, their music is rowdy, but reverent - Yiddish lyrics are often belted out in-between snarky English asides. Recommended for fans of Geoff Berner . Golem: [...]
Musical supergroups have a spotty track record. For every Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, there's an XYZ (the failed ex-Led Zeppelin/Yes supergroup). Fortunately, Accordion Tribe has managed to overcome the odds. This collaboration between five of the world's most innovative contemporary accordionists - Guy Klucevsek (USA), Maria Kalaniemi (Finland), Bratko Bibic (Slovenia), Lars Hollmer (Sweden), and Otto Lechner (Austria) - began in 1996 and has since yielded three excellent albums and several European tours. This track comes from their most recent album, [...]
For some, music is in their blood. One in a long line of conjunto legends - including his grandfather (Patricio Jimenez) and father (Santiago Jimenez Sr.) - Flaco Jimenez has become tejano music's unofficial ambassador to the world, spreading the music and absorbing rock, country, and jazz influences along the way. His list of collaborators is extensive, including Ry Cooder, Dwight Yoakum, Linda Ronstadt, the Rolling Stones, and numerous others; not to mention his stint as part of the Texas Tornados with Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers and Freddie Fender. No matter who he's playing with, though, his [...]
Still looking for that perfect holiday gift? Want to help our nation's beleaguered retailers and stimulate the economy? Never fear: Let's Polka's 2008 Accordion Gift Guide is here! We've got music, books, DVDs, and more for the accordion aficionados on your list - and for those folks you're looking to convert to the squeezin' side. Music At Let's Polka, we're always hesitant to play favorites (because we have so many), but we'll heartily [...]
Let's see, so far on our accordion advent calendar we've had gypsy jazz and Irish punk ... for day #8, how about some gypsy punk? Led by charismatic frontman Eugene Hütz, Gogol Bordello has built a following on the back of its raucous, sweaty live shows and eclectic musical stylings since 1999. The band is a melting pot in and of itself, including the Ukranian Hütz, an Israeli guitarist, an Ethiopian bassist, an American drummer, two percussionist/dancers, and 53-year-old Yuri Lemeshev on accordion. Gogol Bordello: Start [...]
This is the one that started it all. Recorded in late 1947, "Just Because" sold over a million copies and catapulted Frankie Yankovic - and polka music - into the national spotlight. Legend has it that Columbia Records didn't want him to even bother recording the old tune, but Yankovic was so confident in his Cleveland-style rendition that he promised to buy the first 10,000 copies himself. There are two accordions playing here: Yankovic (on piano accordion) and another Cleveland polka legend, Johnny Pecon (on chromatic). Pecon may not be as widely recognized but, in polka [...]
Bouncy cumbias, a pumping accordion, Spanish lyrics... you would assume this music comes from somewhere south of the border. But no, Pistolera comes straight outta Brooklyn, combining Latin rhythms and instrumentation with indie-rock guitar and politically conscious lyrics. Which makes sense given the background of leader Sandra Lilia Velasquez, who grew up in San Diego listening to a combination of alternative rock and her mom's cumbia records. They recently released their second album, En Este Camino , but this track comes from their excellent debut, Siempre Hay [...]
Over the past several years, there's been an explosion of energetic, young Cajun bands coming out of the Lafayette, Louisiana area. Feufollet is a perfect example: 20-somethings raised on Cajun jam sessions, now reviving and revamping the old styles for a new generation of listeners. Like fellow local bands the Pine Leaf Boys , Lost Bayou Ramblers , Lafayette Rhythm Devils and others, they demonstrate a deep respect and awareness of their roots, but with a drive to keep moving the music and culture forward. Feufollet: Prends [...]
It's that time of year again. The nominees for the 51st annual Grammy Awards were announced yesterday and, as usual, accordions dominated at least two categories. First up, the nominees for Best Polka Album: El Maestro Del Acordeón Y Sus Polkas by Paulino Bernal Speechless by LynnMarie & Charlie Kelley As The Boxhounds Back To Back Hall Of Fame Polkas by Walter Ostanek & His Band , [...]
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