Welcome to old and new friends who are interested in discussing Cajun and other diatonic accordions, along with some occasional lagniappe....



CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION GROUP

 

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Re: Elusive is the right word

Thanks for the kind words Hohner fan, your appreciation makes the effort all worth while.
Just bought this Hohner as a stop gap while I customise a Harmona/welty. Was getting frustrated not being able to play it while in pieces and have been too busy to get on and do a proper job.
Was a fortuitous last minute ebay uk purchase, the box turning up not far from the end of a mammoth drive to visit family living down south. A great bargain and an old one hardly played. Planning to have it cajun dry tuned but will be keeping it as it is while I practice and play the impending first gig of "The Riding Aces"- Cajun and Creole music with a splash of Yorkshire Relish!
I can get along with the spoons but my only reservation is the lightness of only having single frames which is really noticeable when I swap over to my Cajun modelled handmade D box. The HA114 does have a suprisingly powerful sound and I will be making the comparison when I get the modded Welty up and running- one of them might have to go!
Thanks also for the advice on the old classic design flaw with the stops. Its kinda sweet when you see clips of seasoned players with their boot laces holding the things up.

Re: Elusive is the right word

AJ,

A little tough to find on youtube, but,
see if you can find Bobby Gardiner of Ireland.

He plays two rows but is best known for 1 row Hohners.

His favorite, a knackered old HA114 in "G".
Worth the look. He is a fine player and a good guy. I have one of his later CD's.. I called him to order it and he autograohed it for me.

Also the famed Johnny Connolly plays one row.. I have 3 or four of his recordings.. most are with Hohner HA114 in C and D, and I believe a Cajun made box...

I just bought another HA114 form the early fifties, 100% original and in incredible condition. It is so original is has the cloth, not the leather bass strap. I am fitting it with a Hohner bass strap but will save the cloth one.
It has a wood keyboard with "horns" and the original combination of "H" and "T" reeds.

One day (unfortunately) folks will discover the magic of these boxes and the prices will soar.
Meantime I am enjoying mine and play them as much as my Castagnari.


Your playing is spot on and inspiring and honors the legacy of the box, the players, the tunes and the character of the music..

Thanks.

PS are you tuning your own boxes or having them done , and if so who will do it for you?

Re: Elusive is the right word

Must admit I already checked out some Bobby Gardiner clips on the tube- "Swallow Tails" I think it was that left an impression. To be honest I'd probably struggle to start taking on Irish tunes, the playing is so different and does'nt quite do it for me like Cajun music. Great to hear and watch though. "Pigeon on the gate" is another tune i'm fond of- curious title, do you know what it means? Might venture a little down that road one day.

Will be asking Theo Gibb of Newcastle to do the tuning.
Ironically I was going to have him fit hohner Ts into the Welty- no need now!

Having an old HA114 in such good nick does give me the satisfying feeling of holding a classic instrument, I'll make sure I don't mess this one up and apart from tuning and perhaps a more comfortable thumb strap- will keep it just as it is.

Re: Elusive is the right word

AJ,

Do you "hang" at melodeon net ?

I just got a PM from Theo a couple hours ago.
He will do a credible job of tuning.

You must also be aware of Rees Wesson down in Wales.
He also likes and plays Hohners and of course builds melodeons based on the lowly Hohner HA 114.

Press on

Re: Elusive is the right word

Nedro, great quotes, both from you and from Steve Riley, both applicable to me - but yours really cracks me up, and so true! BTW, you continue to amaze with your rapid development and ear. Keep up the good work, my friend. I wish you would make it up here occasionally, and I PROMISE you, we would jam!

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Loved your playing, Chris!! School almost out?

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Here I go! Recorded at my studio in Bathroom #2 at Club Ned. Acoustics are similar to Westminster Abbey, but scaled to a 5' x 9' room with sounds bouncing from tub to toilet - the latter being an appropriate destination.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Some much to like about your video, Brother Nedro, not the least of which is the commentary - priceless!

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Cracking job Jumpsuit, you might be on the express train but its certainly all there. The humble Hohners had a good turn on this tune and I love it that you did the 2 vids, when you hear the richness of that Acadian though theres no comparison.
Perhaps Peer should dust down the old Hohner for this one!

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

I did a little test, AJ: timed myself playing in the truck (my most used studio, by far) and compared it to the videos - sure enough, I'm about 15 seconds slower on the song in the truck. That might not sound like much, but it is, in terms of overall tempo (Chris Miller's wonderful submission is about the same). I don't know what it is about the video camera that makes me speed up, but like Brother Nedro says, when the red light flashes, the race is on!

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Ned!! Right on! Live, from Westminster bathroom de Ned. Man.. I've been trying to work on this and all this month has been just one thing after another that is taking me away from playing.

I need to win the bloody lottery and be a man of accordion playing leisure.

John in Oregon

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

I heard that, John! That's exactly how I feel!

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Okay, gave it another shot. I wonder how many more I could do by the end of the month . . . Is it any better?

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Steadier, and more on pace with the rest of the world! Good job.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)


Heres my lagniappe- april's SOTM
Apologies for the poor filming, appearance, location and out of tune reeds.
Hopefully the rest is OK.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Well done on both, AJ! You have a nice, swingy rhythm, and not too **** fast! And I like the Hohner . . ..

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Thanks Jamie- just needs your vocals!
I'm enjoying my honeymoon with the Hohner she certainly is a jolie 'tit fille, nice and light and responsive, I could recommend them to anyone.

Keep on bro.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Okay, finally got a little rainy window to record this. I decided not to look at anyone else's beforehand, especially Chris' - might lose my nerve! I recorded it on a Mouton with Honer reeds first, then an Acadian with Binci's that I just bought from a good friend. The Mouton has pretty "bouncy" spring tension in the buttons, while the Acadian's is very soft. So I did two videos to double your pain - what I lack in rhythm, I'll try to make up for with novelty. And yeah, I know they're both too darn fast, but hey, that's one of the reasons for videoing, right? to figure out what needs shoring up?



Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Yup, definitely had too much coffee before recording this one . . . great song, though, and among my many favorites by Octa Clark. Wish I could do it more justice. I'm sprinting when I ought to be loping . . .

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Me too! The red light signals the start of a race.

Steve Riley: "...simple music played by simple people on simple instruments...this music can be enjoyed at any tempo...if you can feel the music, you will find great pleasure playing it at any level." Sage advice.



Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Great job, Jamey. Personally,I prefer the first one on the Mouton, which seems to be a bit more solid.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

I like the Mouton, too, Peer. It doesn't have the "punch" of the Bincis, but the Hohners have a "growl" that I like.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Well, to be honest, I meant your playing!
Youtube is great, but you always lose some subtleties in the sound, so it's sometimes hard to tell which accordion sounds better. For me anyway with my worn out ears. So I concentrate more on the playing than on the sound of the instrument.
BTW, according to my metronome Octa Clark's and Chris' versions are around 92 bpm, and yours around 104 (first) and 102(second! A lot faster than I can play, that's for sure.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Ha! That means I BEAT'EM! I win! Cuz 104 is like an A+ . . .

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

Err, that metronome definitely needs a recalibration. Maybe Jamey too.

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

I think the reason I was playing so fast in the first place is that I had just recalibrated . . .

Re: May 2014 Song of the Month - Dixie Ramblers Special (Octa Clark)

I'll be already glad if I can manage 92 bpm. I'm doing my best, but I have to be careful with my ears. Every day I practice a short while. By now I'm able to play a pale copy of Chris' version, not really worth to make a video.
What I want is that peculiar rocking rhythm that both Octa Clark and Chris put in. A lot comes from an emphasis on the second beat, but that's not all. Very elusive indeed, and hard to capture!



Jamey Hall's most excellent Cajun Accordion Music Theory

Brett's all new Cajun Accordion Music Theory for all keys!

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