Editors Note

Click the link below to take part in our "Technology and the Accordion" survey. We have already had many responses and we urge you to also give us your opinions. Thank you for your input.

Harley Jones
Acccordions Worldwide Director
 

Professor Joan Cochran Sommers Recordings Reviewer - USA

Accordions Worldwide would like to welcome Professor Joan Cochran Sommers as a Recordings Reviewer. Our accordion community is very lucky to have access to the experience and ability of Prof. Sommers working with our other reviewer, highly esteemed Dr Paolo Picchio of Italy to provide this important service for our accordion artists and enthusiasts.

Prof. Sommers has a long history of assisting the development of the accordion in her professional capacity and also in different executive positions of the Accordionists & Teachers Guild Int. We thank Prof. Sommers for all she has done over many years for our beloved bellows instrument.
 

"Star Tracks" According Competition - Kraguievac, Serbia

The Inaugural International Accordion Competition "Accordion Star Tracks" is to be held in Kragujevac from 30th April to 2nd May.

There are 12 competition categories with some junior classes for piano accordion only, some for button accordion only, and some senior classes including both.

Prizes include sheet music, accordion CD's, ruksak for the accordion, sponsored attendance to the Kragujevac International Accordion Summer School, sponsored travel and accomodation to the Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition - a prize sponsored by the Pigini Factory.

The director of "Accordion Star Tracks" is eminent Serbian accordion teacher Radomir Tomic.

Guest Artists at the "Star Track" Accordion Competition include winners of the most prestigious accordion competitions :
- Milan Lazic, 3rd place at the Coupe Mondiale 2003
- Rade Mijatovic, the winer of the Klingenthal, Coupe Mondiale juniors 2002 and Trophée Mondial de l'Accordéon 2002
- Jelena Zivic, the winner of the Trophée Mondial de l'Accordéon, senior 2003.

The teachers course will be organized during the competation and the lecturers will be the eminent tutors: Nikolai Davidov, PhD Accordion - Kiev, Tibor Racz - Bratisalva.

For further information email: tomic@ia.kg.ac.yu
 

Dr William Schimmel with Odeon and the Augusta Ballet - USA

Contributed by Kevin Friedrich

Dr. William Schimmel will be the featured accordionist with the jazz group, Odeon, in a new work choreographed by Peter Powlus for the Augusta Ballet in Augusta, Georgia.

The work is entitled: Night Under the Cajun Moon and will premiere in D. Timms Jazz Cafe, then move to the Imperial Theatre, both in Augusta.

"Cajun Moon" is set in post Civil War Louisiana and tells the story of a young woman's attempt to escape capture after witnessing a forbidden and deadly voodoo ritual. Musical styles range from West African drums to zydeco, Cajun and jazz.

Dancers from CutnoDance will perform along with the dancers of the Augusta Ballet in this remarkable collaboration. The performances are from March 24th to 27th.

Odeon is founded and led by Jazz at Lincoln Center musician Ted Nash, a reed player and also features Wycliffe Gordon on trombone and tuba, Natalie Bonin on violin, Matt Wilson on drums and accordionist Dr. William Schimmel.

Odeon's first CD, Sidewalk Meeting on Arabesque Records was voted best new CD of 2002 by the New York Times, the Village Voice, New York Newsday and the Boston Globe. It was also voted best new CD of 2002 by the Downbeat critics poll.

After the Augusta event, Odeon will record their new CD on Palmetto Records and then will appear at the Jazz Standard in New York on April 13, 2004.
 

New CD by Freeland Barbour - Scotland

Accordionist Freeland Barbour has just released a new CD titled 'An Linne Dhubh/The Black Water.'

A really nice collection of music from an accordionist who was a founder member of the great band Silly Wizard.
The tunes have an easy familiarity and pace which is rather beguiling. For further information about the new CD, email: info@footstompin.com

Freeland Barbour comes from Glen Fincastle near Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire, and has been a very well known figure in the Scottish music scene for many years. He joined folk group Silly Wizard in 1975 before moving on to form the highly influental Wallochmor Ceilidh Band.

Freeland is also noted as a soloist, record producer, composer, and BBC Radio Scotland producer.He has 4 solo recordings including his latest An Linne Dhubh/The Black Water, and has appeared on many other group recordings.
Not content with standard accordions, Freeland designed his own accordion, the Pigini Alba, which is used on all Occasionals recordings. He also teaches accordion at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Freeland currently runs one of the UK's leading recording studios, Castlesound in East Lothian.
 

Rony Verbiest 3rd Album "Nouvelles" - Belgium

Rony Verbiest featuring the group Cattleya will release his 3rd album in April 2004. This time, Belgian accordion player Rony Verbiest combines with the German band Cattleya in the new album titled "Nouvelles" to be released by Rent-a-Dog Records.

"Nouvelles" will be Rony Verbiest's most personal album, making a musical bridge between tasteful jazz influenced music, Belgian styles that will appeal to a large public.

Verbiest represents the typical Belgian musette using music inspired by jazz, tango and other folk elements.
    

Nelson Conceição records Bordeira-Algarve music - Portugal

Nelson Conceição from Portugal recorded a new CD of Bordeira-Algarve music.

The CD title is "Mitos" and the CD is a homage to the players of the region Nelson was born. The three composers of all the music on this CD are all fine players (José Ferreiro Pai, Antonio Madeirinha and João Bexiga) and they are from Bordeira - Faro, a very little place that live with the accordion with some intensity.

Several of the tracks are Corridinhos, a traditional music of Algarve, southern part of Portugal. Nelson. Conceição shows the typical style of this music in the arrangements and demonstrates well his virtuosity. This new CD also includes valse, a vira and a fado too where Nelson collaborates with other instruments such as the bandolim, accoustic guitar and ferrinhos.
For further information email: n.c.@sapo.pt
 

Jérôme Richard concerts - France

Very popular accordionist Jérôme Richard continues his busy schedule of concerts.

20 March Roanne. The Orchestra Jérôme Richard evening dance.
20 March Roanne. Concert of Stravinsky
22 March Châteauponsac,
22 March Le Grand Bourg,
25 March Eymoutiers
26 March Ayen,
29 March St Benoît,
30 March Le neubourg,
01 April Lencloître,
02 April Nozay.

For further information, please contact: JERORICH@aol.com
 

Aranykapu Tábor 2004 Dance and Music Camp - USA

The 3rd Annual Aranykapu Tabor will be held from the 4th to 10th July at Camp Cazadero, near Guerneville in the Russian River Valley, California.

This year's camp occurs after Mendocino Balkan Camp. Téka Ensemble will again provide music instruction and evening dance music. Tamás Szappanos & Erika Fejer will teach the Mezõkölpény dance cycle.

The beginner dance sessions will be taught by István "Kovács" Szabó & Deanne Hendricks. The camp program is now available.

For further information email: info@aranykapu-tabor.org
 

Bulgarian Accordionist Martin Lubenov and ORFEJ - Austria

A new star shining on the Viennese accordion scene is Martin Lubenov, the Bulgarian master accordionist. Well known in Bulgaria, Martin Lubenov drops his accompanying image and shows himself as a superb soloist, arranger and composer of Balkan accordion. With breathtaking virtuosity, rich harmonies, singing of beauty, complex rhythms, he pays tribute to his Balkan music roots. Some predict, that Martin Lubenov will promote Bulgarian music like Astor Piazzolla did the Tango and Richard Galliano musette music.

Future Concert dates
24 April Tunnel, Wien, ORFEJ im Rahmen des Balkanfestivals
25 April Heuriger Müllner, Krems, ORFEJ im Rahmen des Donaufestivals
29 April Treibhaus, Innsbruck, Martin Lubenov Orkestar
1st May Bühnenwirtshaus Juster, Gutenbrunn, Martin Lubenov Orkestar
2nd May Tunnel, Wien, Martin Lubenov Orkestar im Rahmen des Balkanfestivals
4th May Cinema Paradiso, St. Pölten Martin Lubenov Orkestar
7th May Stadtsaal, Wieselburg, ORFEJ
13 May Sargfabrik, Wien, ORFEJ

For further information email Sabina Schebrak cultureworks@aon.at
 

Quote of the Week

Did You Know? by Willoughby Walshe

Yellow Pine, a city with a population of 40 in the state of Idaho (USA), is transformed from a sleepy mountain hamlet as hundreds of harmonica players and thousands of spectators gather each year in August to play and listen to every form of music conceivable.

Find out more….. "Walshe Essential Guide to Accordion and Harmonica Events"
 

CD Review

New CD "The Moon is Blue" by Kenny and Mary Kotwitz