Many sites claim that today (January 13) is the anniversary of the day the first U.S. patent for an accordion was granted to Anthony Faas in 1854. A quick look at Faas’ original patent, however, reveals that it was filed on April 7 and granted on JUNE 13 (not January 13). I’m guessing that, somewhere along the line, someone mistook “Jun” for “Jan” and the mistake was unwittingly perpetuated. Let it stop here once and for all!

Faas’ patent wasn’t even the first relating to accordions. The first (non-US) accordion patent was actually granted more than twenty years earlier to Viennese instrument maker Cyrill Demian on May 23, 1829. And Christian Friedrich Buschmann invented the first hand-held bellows-driven free-reed instrument (the hand-aeoline) as an aid for tuning organs in 1822. (Brush up on your accordion history at the Classical Free-Reed.)

For more accordion-related patent fun, give Google’s Patent Search a whirl. I found a couple of odd patents granted to Lawrence Welk — one for an accordion-shaped lunchbox and another for an accordion-shaped ash-tray (which we saw on eBay several months ago!).

low down accordion blues, uploaded by aokeh

A man passionately playing the accordion in his underwear, another guy looking incredibly bored, an ironing board covered with newspapers, food, and what appears to be a bottle of gin… I have no idea what’s going on in this photo, but I love it.

Matt Hensley, accordionist for the punk/Irish band Flogging Molly, announced today that he’s leaving the band to spend more time with his family. Matt, a professional skateboarder, will probably also spend more time at Innes Clothing, the skateboarding clothing company he founded with his brother in 1996. From his farewell letter to the band’s fans:

“I would have never thought that playing the accordion, an instrument that almost got me shot when I first was learning, would have led me down a road to Molly Malone’s, Dave King, and an extended family called Flogging Molly. I have been blessed to be so lucky.”

Flogging Molly starts a month-long tour on February 22nd; no word yet on whether they’ll be replacing Matt anytime soon.

Flogging Molly: Salty Dog (MP3 download)

If the Chicago Bears needed any more motivation for their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, they’ve got it now. Vlasta, the (self-proclaimed?) “International Queen of Polka” has resurrected the polka she wrote for the Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl run and hopes it will inspire this year’s team to bring home another championship.

If the Bears go all the way, will Vlasta’s polka become the new “Super Bowl Shuffle”?

Vlasta: Chicago Bears Polka (MP3 download)

I’ve been on a polka kick lately; I just received a bunch of CDs from Jimmy K. Polkas, we watched It’s Happiness: A Polka Documentary on Saturday, and I’m almost finished with Bob Dolgan’s biography of Frankie Yankovic. I’ve also been doing a lot of polka-oriented web surfing, which was what led me to the Kielbasa Kings of Dearborn, MI.

Like many polka bands, the Kielbasa Kings play a mix of polkas, waltzes, and obereks, but they also throw in an occasional traditional Polish tune (sung in Polish). What really caught my attention, though, were their polka-fied covers of alt-rock songs by artists like Barenaked Ladies and Violent Femmes. Check out their waltzing cover of Elvis Costello’s classic “Alison”; some might consider it blasphemy, but I think their aim is true.

Kielbasa Kings: Alison (MP3 sample)

Accordion technology has come a long way since the days of Guido Deiro. MIDI accordions continue to grow in popularity and just this past weekend, at a Silicon Valley Accordion Society meeting, we listened to a brand-new Roland FR-7 electronic reedless accordion. But not all of the latest advancements are so high-tech.

Tom Tonon, for example, has developed an acoustic technology called BluesBox that allows accordionists to bend notes (or pitch) much like a harmonica player can. With Tom’s system installed, you can bend notes simply by pressing down harder on any key or button. Check out this video for a demonstration.

It’s not a far-fetched idea; after all, accordions and harmonicas are cousins in the free-reed family. Tom’s looking for musicians willing to give his technology a try, so if you’re interested, check his site to learn more.

Accordion Noir is a new all-accordion radio show on Co-Op Radio 102.7 FM in Vancouver. Hosted by Bruce Triggs and Rowan Lipkovits, each show features accordion music from a dizzying range of styles and genres. Last Friday’s playlist alone included tunes from Esteban (Steve) Jordan, Neko Case, Gogol Bordello, Pee Wee King, Guy Klucevsek, and even Marlene Dietrich. Now that’s my kind of radio show.

You can listen online, but unfortunately for those of us in North America, the show’s current time slot is Friday mornings between 2-3am Pacific. (They’re hoping to add a podcast soon so you can listen on-demand.) Sounds like I have a new excuse for coming in late to work on Fridays…

There was a fascinating profile of polka bandleader Eddie Blazonczyk Jr. in the Chicago Tribune earlier this week. For more than forty years, Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones have been the gold standard of Chicago polka bands. Eddie Blazoncyzk Sr. was a pioneer of the Chicago style, evolving the sound and promoting it around the world.

But after he suffered a stroke in 2002, the torch was passed to his son, Eddie Blazonczyk Jr., who had been playing concertina with the Versatones since the 1989. With “Junior” at the helm, the band continues to record and tour relentlessly, but the polka crowds have shrunk over the years and it’s difficult for even a top band like the Versatones to make a living. And for Eddie Jr.’s wife, Cheryl, it’s especially hard raising a family with a husband who’s always on the road:

“I’m impressed that he can play so well, but I always ask Eddie, ‘What’s the difference between a musician and a pizza? A pizza can feed a family of four.'”

Ouch. On top of all this, everytime he performs, Eddie Jr. must face inevitable comparisons to one of polka’s living legends: his own father. But Eddie Jr. carries the legacy proudly, and the Versatones’ latest record, Batteries Not Included recently earned a Grammy nomination (their 18th overall) for Best Polka Album. We’ll be reviewing that album — along with the other Grammy nominees — over the next few weeks.

Paul Everett always wanted to play a Hayden Duet concertina, but new instruments can cost thousands of dollars and used ones are nearly impossible to find. So he did what anyone else would do:
he built his own.

The result isn’t really a concertina — there are no bellows, reeds, or valves — it’s a MIDI keyboard with buttons arranged according to the Hayden Duet system. It’s no substitute for a real concertina, but it looks like a useful little practice gadget.

Check out Paul’s site for more photos and details, as well as some useful links if you’re interested in building your own MIDI device.

[Found via MAKE: Blog]