Re: klez accordion

[Owen Davidson <owend...>]

Well, I'll tell you...  I have come to believe that the five-row chromatic
accordion is the best suited to "klezmer" style.  The system is totally logical
and absolutely consistent.  The familiar ornaments lay perfectly under the
fingers, and use identical fingering in any key.  The layout of the buttons is
much "friendlier" to the human hand than the linear keyboard: an entire octave
falls under the relaxed hand, and, if you are ambitious and stretch out, a
compass of two octaves is not difficult.  Two and a fifth is available to the
macho-competitor.  Having tried both the Italian C system and the
Viennese-Russian B, I have to favor the C system, but I will admit that it was 
my
first love, and so the B felt "Backwards."  I tried to fall in love with that
instrument, but it just didn't seem as amenable to my carress.  The analogy for
bass players is bowing underhand (German) verus overhand (French).  I suppose
that makes me an underhanded kind of guy, since that's the C-system posture.  My
advice: try 'em both, if you can even find *one!*

I'll probably catch some flack here from piano-snobs who will accuse me of
cheating, but they're just jealous because they had to sit through all those
lessons.  The chromatic accordion came first!  It was in widespread use in 
Europe
before the turn of the century, but not in America, except in ethnic enclaves.
It was only after the introduction of the piano-keyboard accordion, in the early
years of this century, that the instrument came into popular use, as a doubling
instrument for pianists.  There is nothing inherent in the linear piano keyboard
to recommend it for the accordion, especially in music that  uses non-western
modalities.  The piano keyboard was designed to play western melodies in a
horizontal position (Zzzzzz...).

Sorry, I *do* have opinions, don't I?  If the question was more to the point of
what register selection to use, musette tunining seems preferable to piccolo,
which is more desirable for Balkan music.  If you can afford an awesome ax like
the Titano wielded by Sy Kushner (whose virtuosity shows that klezmer-sublimity
can be achieved on the piano-accordion, by dint of much practice and innate
talent, thus putting me to utter shame), then you can have the best of all
worlds.  There are some exotic accordions out there.  Our clarinetist Sherry
Mayrent traded a little three-row B system for a nice five-row C with a 
free-bass
converter.  It's intriguing, but I don't think I want to try free-bassing after
what happened to Richard Pryor.

Owen



Ernie Gruner / Cathy Dowden wrote:

> A friend who works at an accordion shop asked me what sort of accordion to
> recommend for a customer who wants to play klezmer accordion. what size etc..
> please send any suggestions, advice, ideas .
>  thankyou...
> also, recommendations for listening CDs/accordionists might be the next
> question......
> KALEIDOSCOPE MUSIC
> Management for Jugularity, Klezmeritis & Kalinka
> Agency for acoustic musicians  (jazz, classical, celtic, gypsy etc)
> Phone/Fax +613 9386 7108          2 Cole Crescent, East Coburg 3058,
> Australia
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> __________
>                JUGULARITY   http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~sci148k/
> ____________________________________________________________________________
> _________
> JUGS :  Rye Foreshore Jan 26,     Thomastown Jan31,
>              Feb13 Benefit Medecins Sans Fontiers at Corner Hotel Richmond
> KLEZMERITIS : CERES "Music and Dance under the Stars", Brunswick Jan 22
> KALINKA : Waterfront Festival, Geelong Jan 25

--
Owen Davidson
Amherst  Mass
The Wholesale Klezmer Band

The Angel that presided o'er my birth
Said Little creature formd of Joy and Mirth
Go Love without the help of any King on Earth

Wm. Blake