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11th Annual Master Class and Concert Series, New York - USA
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
  The
American Accordionists'
Association is to sponsor the 11th Annual Master Class and Concert
Series, organized and led by Dr William
Schimmel. These events take place from August 26th to 28th, and
the venue is The Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A West 13th Street, between
5th and 6th Avenue, New York.
The Master Classes begin at 3pm, and the concerts begin at 7pm each
day. The events are intriguingly titled 'At Least You Get your Eats',
and the food-linked advertising advises "Arrive hungry and we
will take you to Hungary"!
For further information email billschimmel@billschimmel.com
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Carrefour
Mondial de l'Accordéon de Montmagny, Québec - Canada
Contributed by Holda
Paoletti-Kampl
 The
Carrefour Mondial de l'Accordéon de Montmagny is an annual
large-scale accordion festival, instituted in 1989, and attracts
visitors and players from many countries. This year's festival takes
place from September 1st to 5th, and the guests include Paul Grollier
(France), Raynald Ouellet (Quebec), Rock Schryer Band (Ontario)
and the Oblivion Jazz Trio (France). The festival includes folk,
classical, rock, jazz and popular music styles, and there are concerts,
dancing and workshops.
An important feature of this festival is a visit to the Accordion
Museum, founded in 1992, and situated in the Manoir Couillard-Dupois.
The Accordion Museum includes 130 instruments, 800 pictures and
1,500 sound recordings. There is also a shop, selling CDs, books,
and numerous accordion-related items.
For further information email accordeon@montmagny.com
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Ramon Ayala's Long Run of Success, Texas -
USA
Contributed by Rob
Howard
 Mexican-born
accordionist Ramon Ayala has had a career that must be the envy of
many others. He has recorded no less than 103 albums, composed songs
that have been covered by other artistes, won three Grammy awards,
and is often referred to within the Norteño and Tejano genres
as the 'King of the Accordion'.
Based in Hidalgo, Texas, since 1980, Ayala began his music career
performing at small cantinas in Mexico in the early 1960s. "I'd
like to believe that I have done my part to help the city's growth,"
he said. "Hidalgo has been wonderful to me. They are so supportive
and proud of me. … The whole (Rio Grande) Valley, to me, is super
special. … It's my home."
When asked recently about his longevity, Ayala replied: "I have
to give credit where credit is due. It's the fans. My first fans in
the early 1960s introduced my music to their children and grandchildren.
I've survived through many eras, from the Beatles craze, John Travolta
(in the 1970s), to now".
Ramon Ayala could soon be on his way to The Guinness Book of World
Records, who are researching his claim that his 103 albums is the
most for any Mexican-born recording artiste. Ayala also was nominated
recently for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a motion picture
about his life story is also a possibility. Ramon's attitude to music
was summed up: "Even if I'm in a wheelchair,
I'll keep playing my accordion. As long as my fingers don't give out,
I'm going to be playing my music."
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Jon Hammond Shows Accessible Via Podcast,
New York - USA
Contributed by Rob
Howard
 Accordionist,
organist and presenter Jon Hammond has archive tapes of his television
show, dating back over the last 22 years, now available for listening
via podcast technology. Jon's guests have included accordionists Art
Van Damme, Dick Contino and Tommy Gumina, plus other great musicians
such as Les Paul, Lionel Hampton and Sammy Davis Junior, to name but
three.
Podcasting is a method of publishing audio broadcasts via the Internet,
allowing users to hear previously recorded programmes. Any digital
audio player or computer with audio-playing software can play podcasts.
For further information email laterent@webtv.net
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Gary Innes Appears at Interceltic Festival, Lorient - France
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
 Accordionist
Gary Innes, from the Highlands of Scotland, appeared with his band
at the Lorient Interceltic Festival in Brittany, held from 1st to
10th August. He performed the repertoire on his debut CD 'How's the
Craic?', and was given a great reception.
The Interceltic Festival is the world's largest annual gathering for
the creative artists of the Celtic countries. Each year in August
4,500 of them converge to the Breton port of Lorient. They come from
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Asturias, Galicia
and Brittany, as well as from other parts of the world.
On stage, in the street or under big tents, 260 events were played
out in front of 300,000 spectators and the players were as diverse,
including traditional, classical, folk, rock and jazz musicians, singers,
dancers, painters, sculpters, writers, film makers and lecturers.
There was even a Welsh band specialising in Cajun and Zydeco, whose
accordionist switched between one row melodeon and piano accordion
depending on the style required. The accordion plays a significant
part in much of the music, with all types of accordions, melodeons
and concertinas in evidence everywhere.
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 Richard
Galliano at Jazz Festival, Valetta - Malta
Contributed
by Rob
Howard
French
accordionist Richard Galliano and his trio, featuring Scott Colley
on bass and Clarence Penn on drums, combined Parisian and Mediterranean
influences with bebop in their appearances at the recent Malta Jazz
Festival. This festival, held in mid-July, featured musicians from
France, Germany, Portugal, Brazil and the USA.
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Ballyshannon Folk Festival, Ballyshannon
- Ireland
Contributed by Rob
Howard
The
following report appeared in the Belfast Telegraph, written by Neil
Johnston:-
"My annual pilgrimage to the recent
Ballyshannon Folk Festival - this was its 28th year, no less - also
yielded some great music, both in the session pubs and at the three
official concerts in the Rory Gallagher Theatre. Altan were in great
form, before heading off to Cambridge, accordion legend Joe Burke
did the business, as he always does, and was cheered, as he always
is, and there was an immaculate set by the velvet-voiced Galwegian
songstress Mary McPartlan.
Crowd
numbers around the town over the festival weekend were down on previous
years, but those of us who were there thoroughly enjoyed it. Maybe
some of the regulars were saving themselves for the mega-meeting,
coming up in Letterkenny, in a fortnight's time - its first ever
All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil, at which some 250,000 musicians and fans
are expected".
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'Seven Words' at the Goetheanum, Dornach - Switzerland
Contributed by Dr
Herbert Scheibenreif, of Friedrich
Lips Productions
 The
performance of Sofia Gubaidulina's 'Seven Words' at the Goetheanum
stage in Dornach, by Friedrich Lips (bayan), Vladimir Toncha (violoncello),
together with the Moscovite Gnessin Orchestra, directed by Mikhail
Khokhlov, brought a completely new approach to this work, which
was received enthusiastically by the large audience.
The score represents a conversation between God the Son (bayan),
God the Father (violoncello) and the Holy Spirit (orchestra), including
much dramatic expression. Further performances are scheduled in
Den Haag on September 25th, in Witten on 27th, in Evinghausen on
28th, in Kassel on 29th, in Mannheim on 30th, in Saarbrücken
on October 1st, and in Dornach on 2nd.
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Jimmy
Shand Junior Old Tyme Dance Dates, Fife - UK
Contributed by Rob
Howard
The
Jimmy Shand Junior Trio will play for another series of Old Tyme Dance
evenings at Letham Village Hall, Fife, Scotland, from 7.30pm to10.30pm.
The dates are:-
September 14th
October 12th
November 9th
December 14th
December 24th - Christmas Eve Old Tyme Dance
For further
information email jimmyshand@tiscali.co.uk
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New site - South
East Accordion Association, The: encompasses Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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New site from
french accordion shop (school/repair) Accordez...Accordéons
in Paris lead by Gilles Brislance.
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New site of Håvard
Svendsrud, formerly of Norway, has established himself as a professional
performer of both classical and traditional entertainment music
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New site of Lidia
Kaminska, Polish accordionist, energetic and captivating performer,
now USA resident selling her new CD's.
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A site promoting
the exciting new CD
recording of Vladimir Sidorov, with repertoire ranging from classical
to contemporary.
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Pianist
and accordionist Nick Perito, an Emmy-nominated Hollywood composer
and arranger who worked for more than three decades with Perry Como,
has died at the age of 81. Born in America to Italian parents, Perito's
musical career began by playing accordion at parties and restaurants.
He later studied piano at university in Denver, after which he spent
the war years as an arranger and pianist for the US army band.
A
new