Accordions certainly aren’t the only instruments blocking the exits at our house. In fact, the first instrument I bought Anna (shortly after we first met) wasn’t an accordion at all, but a musical saw. There’s something oddly beguiling about the saw; maybe it’s the otherworldly sound, the amazing flexiblity, or the fact that (in a pinch) you could use it to fix an uneven table. Regardless, it can sound fantastic when accompanied by an accordion.
For proof, check out Minneapolis-based duo Dreamland Faces, which consists of Karen Majewicz on accordion and Andy McCormick on musical saw. Together, they play an enchanting mix of original tangos and waltzes, as well as jazz and folk classics from yesteryear. Majewicz has studied with Tejano accordion legend Eva Ybarra and Russian virtuoso Stas Venglevski, and even worked on accordions at Hohner’s repair center in Virginia. (She currently offers lessons and repairs in Minneapolis.)
In addition to their self-titled CD, Dreamland Faces has provided original music for theatre shows and accompanied silent films. I haven’t found many clips of their work online, but here’s a quirky music video for one of their songs:
Dreamland Faces: Zawszie Bedzie Czegos Ci Brak (Quicktime video)
2 Comments:
Musical saws are fun! I saw a show in Brooklyn last Saturday with my son and in it there was a great saw player who demonstrated playing on 3 different size saws – perhaps you know her, the ‘Saw Lady’ (her website is http://www.SawLady.com ). Anyway, saws really sound great with accordions. Keep up the good work.
by Michelle on March 14th, 2007
The Saw Lady is amazing. If we ever start another blog, it’ll probably be one about musical saws. (Hmm… “Let’s Saw”?)
by Chris on March 15th, 2007