Okay, I promise this will be the last Grammy post (at least until next year). No big surprises, but here’s a quick rundown of the accordion-related winners from tonight’s ceremony:

• Best Polka Album: Come Share the Wine by Jimmy Sturr
  Surprise, surprise. This gives Sturr 17 wins in the 23 years that the polka category has existed. Maybe the Grammys need a system like some county fairs I know, where if you win for several years in a row, you’re taken off the ballot and given permanent “hall of fame” status.
• Best Zydeco or Cajun Album: Live! Worldwide by Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience
  It’s fitting that the person who campaigned for this category’s creation would win its first-ever award. There were a lot of deserving albums nominated, though, and I’m sorry I didn’t finish my Cajun/Zydeco Grammy preview in time. (I’ll explain why very soon!)
• Best Norteño Album: Detalles Y Emociones by Los Tigres del Norte
  Already recipients of a lifetime achievement award at the Latin Grammys, the Norteño legends collect this particular award for the second year in a row.

Check the full list of winners and let me know if there’s anyone (carrying an accordion) I missed.

With so many Grammy categories, it’s no surprise that what you see on TV is only a tiny fraction of the awards presented (usually about 12 out of 110 total). Most awards are given out during a ceremony before the televised show.

This year, for the first time, you can watch those pre-televised awards — including Best Polka Album and Best Cajun/Zydeco Album — live online at Grammy.com. It starts at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern today and, while there are a lot of awards to get through, things move pretty fast.

File this one under “Buskers Gone Bad”: Police in Tromsø, Norway, are cracking down on accordion street musicians after fielding numerous complaints from residents. Police chief Truls Fyhn says:

“The reports we’ve had indicate that people are being driven mad by the tunes coming from the accordions all day long… I have myself stopped to listen, and let me make it clear: The quality of the music is very, very low.”

Ouch, that’s a harsh review. According to the article, it’s now only legal to play accordion music outside in the city’s main central square. I think what this town really needs is some better accordion players; who’s up for a trip?

Gilbert Reyes of Reyes Accordions recently shared some photos of the new diatonic accordions that Hohner will unveil at the NAMM Show later this month. These three new “Xtreme” models have 34 buttons (the standard Corona has 31) and include reed switches — three on the Tex-Mex Corona II Xtreme and five on the norteño and vallenato tuned Corona III Xtremes. They certainly seem designed to compete with Gabbanelli accordions, which have long been popular in the Conjunto/Tejano scene.

Hohner Corona II Xtreme

Continue reading ‘New Hohner Accordions for 2008′ »

Talk about an accordion crime. Police in Costa Mesa, CA, are on the lookout for thieves who stole an antique accordion from a crowded parking lot on Sunday. Gigi Rabe had the accordion in the trunk of her car when she pulled into the Plaza West shopping center. She got out of her car, opened her trunk, and then stepped away to greet some friends who pulled up. When she returned, her accordion was gone.

Rabe is an accomplished accordionist working on a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at UCLA, and the accordion — a rare, vintage Dallape — is valued at $10,000. Police think it’s an “opportunist-type crime” and doubt the thieves knew they were stealing an accordion. Keep your eyes peeled; if you see a classic Dallape accordion on Craigslist, eBay, or your local pawn shop’s window display, you might want to give the Costa Mesa police a ring.

The nominations for the 50th annual Grammy Awards were announced this morning and there are plenty of accordions in the mix. (Really!) First, the nominees for Best Polka Album:

• Polka’s Revenge by Brave Combo
• Bulletproof Polkas by John Gora & Gorale
• Polka Freak Out by Bubba Hernandez and Alex Meixner
• Dueling Polkas by Walter Ostanek and Brian Sklar
• Come Share the Wine by Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra

It’s no surprise to see 16-time winner Jimmy Sturr nominated again, but he’ll face stiff competition from one of the few non-Sturr artists to take home the polka Grammy, Brave Combo.

Meanwhile, this year marks the first time the Best Cajun/Zydeco Album Grammy will be awarded. Here are the nominees:

• Le Cowboy Creole by Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie
• King Cake by Lisa Haley
• Live: Á La Blue Moon by Lost Bayou Ramblers
• Blues De Musicien by Pine Leaf Boys
• Racines by Racines
• The La Louisianne Sessions by Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars
• Live! Worldwide by Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience

Seven great albums and it’s especially fitting that Terrance Simien — who worked so hard to make the Cajun/Zydeco Grammy reality — is one of the inaugural nominees.

In other categories, Tejano accordionist Sunny Sauceda is up for Best Tejano Album, while the legendary Los Tigres Del Norte are nominated for Best Norteño Album again after winning last year. They’ll square off against Intocable, Conjunto Primavera, Pesado, and Los Rieleros del Norte.

Just like last year, we’ll have reviews and clips from each of the nominated albums in the weeks leading up the awards ceremony, which will be held on February 10 in Los Angeles.

We’ve seen people attempt to break world records for the fastest accordion player and largest accordion band, so it’s only natural someone would go after the record for marathon accordion playing.

Last week in Bochingen, Germany, Thomas Schmelzle set out to break the record of 28 straight hours of accordion playing set by Dutchman Hennie Hulk in 2002. Under the rules set forth by Guinness, Thomas could take a five minute break each hour, but could not repeat a tune within four hours. In the end, Thomas smashed the old record with a performance lasting 29 hours and 16 minutes. Of course, he won’t be able to feel his fingers for a few weeks, but it’s a small price to pay for enshrinement in the Guinness Book of World Records. At least, until the next marathoner comes along…

A few months ago, we wrote about the sudden disappearance of Bobby Jones, popular polka DJ and accordionist for the Bobby Jones Czech Band. Since then, we’ve received numerous emails and comments from friends and fans of Bobby who remember the joy and music he brought to their lives.

As KHOU in Houston reported this week, though, we’re still no closer to finding out what happened to Bobby. Tire tracks and his license plate were found on the banks of the Colorado River in Wharton shortly after his disappearance, but an extensive search has failed to turn up his vehicle. Was it an accident? Was it suicide? Or is he still alive and somewhere else entirely? Fans have been frustrated by the lack of answers, but in some ways, it seems like the mystery has only served to further build the legend of Bobby Jones.

Art’s Concertina Bar in Milwaukee is a polka institution. Billed as the “only Concertina Bar in the U.S.A.,” the walls are lined with concertinas and memorabilia, there are live bands and dances every weekend, and the affable Art Altenburg presides over it all, posing for photos with tourists and squeezing out the occasional tune on the concertina.

Art’s been trying to sell his business, though, so he can spend more time with his ailing mother. After a long search, he’s finally found a buyer: Andy Kochanski is taking over later this month and, thankfully, will be keeping the music that Art’s place is known for alive. Art’s Concertina Bar will become Kochanski’s Concertina Beer Hall and Andy will even allow accordions in (Art had strict concertina-only rules):

“It’s open to people and musicians who just love polka music… I’m going to do as much as I can for the polka community.”

Meanwhile, the 78-year-old Art still has dreams of his own to pursue:

“I’ll probably go chasing women, do a little playing, and do a little traveling.”

Sounds like a plan to me! There’s a farewell party for Art planned for next Saturday night, October 13, on his last night in business. Get there early and roll out the barrel one more time with a polka legend.

Three years ago, the Irish government banned smoking in all workplaces, including bars and restaurants. According to a recent survey, the ban has not only improved public health, but it’s also helped accordions as well. Dr. John Garvey of St. Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin talked to local accordion cleaning and repair specialists to learn how smoking affects accordions.

“Those interviewed noted that, when opened, accordions that had been played in smoke-filled rooms emitted a strong cigarette odor. Deposits of soot-like dirt were also found inside the instruments. One worker interviewed said that, in some cases, enough dirt could be deposited in the instrument to affect the pitch.

All interviewees said that both the cigarette smell from accordions and the dirt residue inside had improved since the smoking ban.”

Yet another reason to kick the habit!