Maybe I’m just nostalgic about my marching band days, but I’m a sucker for this story about a girl who’s playing accordion in her high school pep band. Shandra Korbelik, 16, of Exeter-Milligan High School in Exeter, Nebraska, has been sitting in with the woodwinds and belting out “classics” like “Eye of the Tiger” and “Hawaii Five-O” on her button accordion. It sounds like she’s having a blast, and I love her description of picking up her current, rhinestone-studded accordion:
“It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve got heaven in my arms.'”
Do you know of any proud pep/marching band accordionists in your area? Let us know and we’ll give ’em the attention they deserve.
Posted March 6th, 2006 in News, Profiles · Comments off
Lately, I’ve been spending way too much time playing Guitar Hero, a video game that turns your air guitar dreams into reality. Just strap on the Gibson SG-shaped controller (complete with whammy bar) and you can shred your way through well-known rock anthems. It’s ridiculously fun and completely addictive.
So imagine my excitement when world-famous (and fictitious) German game developers Schadenfreude Interactive announced their latest title: Accordion Hero. Here’s their description:
“Hit all the right notes and get the crowd on their feet waving their beer steins in unison — you are an accordion hero! Includes all the great accordion melodies you’ve ever gotten really, really drunk to… from Ein Munchen Steht Ein Hofbrauhaus to Rock You Like A Hurricane.”
Don’t forget to check out the “screenshots” — I love the Squeeze-O-Meter and the cuckoo clocks in the background. [Found via GameSetWatch]
This brief Pitch.com interview with Matt Hensley, the accordion player for punk/Irish band Flogging Molly, is worth reading just for his story of nearly being shot for playing the accordion:
“I was in an English pub, and this band that was playing saw that I had an accordion with me and wanted to see what it sounded like. So we went out to the parking lot after the pub was closed, and I was a little intoxicated, but I started playing some music. Well, this guy comes out of I don’t know where, in his underpants, and he’s tapping my accordion… and he’s half-naked, telling me to shut it. So I tell him to stick it… [and] he turned around and he had a 9 mm in his hand. I thought he was poking me with his finger, but I couldn’t see because the accordion is like being pregnant. It sticks way out over me, and I couldn’t see it, but he was pointing a gun at me. Had I known, I would have shut up and told him, ‘Yes, sir.'”
Just something to keep in mind next time someone pokes you in your “bellows blind spot.”
Posted March 2nd, 2006 in Interviews, Rock · Comments off
Just because Mardi Gras is over, it doesn’t mean les bon temps have to stop rolling. Here are some cajun/zydeco music links to keep the party going while you recover from that hangover:
Big Nick & The Cydeco’s Cajun Button Box Seminar is a fantastic introduction to cajun accordion and includes both audio and video lessons. Nick covers the basics, from scales and melodies to trills and rhythm techniques and, best of all, the lessons are free!
Clarence’s Cajun & Zydeco Radio Guide is probably the most comprehensive list of cajun and zydeco radio programs that broadcast online. KBON from Eunice, LA, is one I enjoy, and they focus heavily on local/Louisiana artists.
And if you’re into podcasts, ZydecoRoad “On the Air” features music, interviews (including Buckwheat Zydeco, the Neville Brothers, and more), and even gumbo recipes. You can subscribe to it through iTunes, Odeo, or wherever you get your podcast fix.
I recently purchased the album According to Gordieby Canadian accordionist Gordie Fleming. Gordie began playing at the age of five, toured extensively throughout his life, and became esteemed for his mastery of jazz accordion. During his career, he played with several famous jazz musicians and recorded songs for radio and film. He played his accordion to the end, and after his death in 2002, his daughter, Heidi Fleming, compiled and produced his album from historical recordings and radio performances.
All of the songs on this album are delightful, ranging from mellow and contemplative to upbeat and lively. Fleming is an amazing musician and his command of the accordion is superb. My favorite songs are ‘Parisian Thoroughfare’ and ‘Sunnyside Beach,’ which paint fantastic musical landscapes with nimbly-fingered melodies.
You can hear samples of the music or buy the album online at the Justin Time Records website.
Anyone who’s ever been to Battista’s Hole in the Wall in Las Vegas knows Gordy, the wise-cracking accordionist who roams the old Italian restaurant belting out tunes at every table. We ate at Battista’s earlier this year and, true to form, Gordy asked where we were from and launched right into a geographically-appropriate tune (“California, Here I Come”).
After trying in vain to describe him, I found a great video profile of Gordy from KTNV-TV in Las Vegas, recorded last summer after he had recovered from hip surgery:
Posted February 27th, 2006 in Profiles, Videos · Comments off
Were you at the Accordion Invasion at Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California on September 20, 1998? We had a huge group of accordionists gathered, playing ‘Lady of Spain’ in an attempt to be the Guinness Book’s largest accordion band.
I am looking for documentation of the event: photos, news clippings, or a copy of the news story that was on the local news that evening. If you were there and took photos, or if you recorded the news story off TV, please let me know! Thank you.
Henri Ducharme is offering some of his accordion arrangements of punk/alternative rock songs for download. These are the same arrangements Henri used while teaching his workshops at Smythe’s Accordion Center in Oakland, CA. We went to one last year and learned a Dead Kennedys tune. (Few things sound more beautiful than a roomful of accordionists belting out “California Uber Alles”.)
Arrangements include songs by The Ramones, The Clash, and They Might Be Giants. Each piece costs $5 and includes both beginner and intermediate arrangements. Check out the site for sample clips of his arrangements for “Anarchy in the U.K.” and “Blitzkrieg Bop.”
While most of the attention focused on this month’s Grammy Awards revolved around artists like U2, Green Day, and Kanye West, most people missed that Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra won in the Polka Album category for “Shake, Rattle, and Polka!” The polka category has only been around for 20 years, but Jimmy holds an iron grip on it — winning an astounding 15 times. You can check out a clip from the album, “Detour” (performed with Duane Eddy), on the NPR website.
Welcome to Let’s Polka, our new weblog devoted to all things accordion. We’re Chris and Anna, and in the coming months, you’ll find us writing about:
Worldwide accordion news and events
New music releases and reviews
Photos, videos, and audio clips of accordions in action
And a whole lot more!
Of course, we’ll be looking to you — the smart, savvy, accordion-loving reader — to let us know when there’s squeezebox news in your neighborhood. Just put a note in our Suggestion Box and we’ll share your news with the world!
I recently purchased the album 
Were you at the