Re: klez accordion

[Paul M. Gifford <PGIFFORD...>]

Owen Davidson <owend (at) tp(dot)net> wrote:
> 
> 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.

You must have meant that the *diatonic* accordion came first.  But I 
would disagree that it was not in widespread use in America in the 
19th century.  It was introduced in the 1840s and was popular among
"non-ethnics" (if I can use that term), at least based on various old-
timers I've encountered and talked to, as well as in references in 
local histories, etc.  Of course it was popular with Germans, Czechs, 
etc.  But weren't Italians, specifically Pietro and Guido Deiro, 
responsible for popularizing the piano accordion, by playing on 
vaudeville?  

Paul Gifford