No actually I live in Woodstock, Ga a suburb of Atlanta (sigh)! I picked up the accordion from my many visits playing in Louisiana. Bought my first one off of ebay, thought "man this thing is hard to play". I worked up some christmas tunes finally to the dismay of many youtube patrons LOL! Miserable playing to say the least ( man the banjo has been my thing with all the mountain folks of North Ga) I'd break out that squeezebox and folks would shudder and run for it. So I put it down for a while. Took another trip to Louisiana and visited with Marc Savoy who invited me to his jam. I warned I would bring the banjo, but he said "come on". So one saturday morning I sat in with a bunch of folks singing french which I couldn't understand a word, but I could hang in there with the banjo, because other than the language and beat the music is basically the same as bluegrass. Someone let me play there box while I was there, which I'd never had a real one in my hands, just some chinese junk. After 3 hours of that jam, sitting beside Wilson cranking on his, I must admit my accordion desire rose to the point of when I get home I'm calling Jr Martin. I would have bought one from Marc, but I love the Crawfish bellows (like that makes a difference ). Anyway after purchasing several Savoy cds, Wilson's DVD, every possible Boozoo recording I could come up with on Amazon, and www.live365.com radio louisiane I got it in my head. Now for the most part its as natural to me as bluegrass, I just still don't understand a word of french, but the tunes I can remember. Made up a few of my own tunes, converted some gospel tunes for the churches we play just to give some variety and basically just to have fun and entertain myself. Oh I didn't mention that talking with Larry English (major suckup) and video taping them at Pappadauex's really helped me also. Larry was kind enough to let me sit in behind them and record one of their gigs there. So there you have it I'm a Georgia boy, rooted in bluegrass, but fell in love with the diatonic accordion from our many trips to play bluegrass in churches in and around southwest Louisiana. Bruce

Oh Jamey I am also an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God, Cleveland Tennessee as far as church affiliation. Bruce

Thanks for the reply Bruce - you have a fascinating history. JB must've gotten you and me mixed up with the Stuttgart thing . . . unless there's someone else out there from Stuttgart? In which case you have my sympathy and a few questions.

-Jamey