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CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION GROUP

 

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Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

The accordion was resisted by quite a few old fiddle players because of its limitations. To some, it might have been like the bagpipes when it first showed up. I sure wish there was more info on this, but there is probably very little, and a lot is educated speculation.

Back then most families, if not most households, had musicians, and noone traveled beyond their communities. So even with the racial barrier, there was plenty of mixing of ideas in communities, whether it be food, language, or music. Many dont realize what is now considered Cajun music, at one time was pretty localized, like many other things, such as the dialects. When people started getting record players, and traveling a little, the music started being shared more, but at one time a lot of the music was different from area to area, look at the first recordings of the Balfa brothers, the Deshotel brothers, and others.

Juste mes 2 sous.

Re: Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

My dad told me that fiddler Chuck Guillory once said that he would like to poke holes in all the accordions with an ice pick.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

Chuck Guillory isn't the only one.
My wife and two of my daughters will do the same with a big knife.
They destroyed now several bellows, but I keep on repair them, just like the tires of my bike and keep on playing.
My third daughter loves the accordion but also the fiddle and she helps me with repairing.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

Ron,
Try playing a little softer.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

Ron,

apart from the volume, would they also react like this if you played a decent LA made Cajun accordion?
Gus

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

I don't doubt that you would probably trade that wife and two daughters for a couple of really nice accordions.

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: first squeeze

No way, further they are very kind to me.
By the way, my accordions are Castagnari's and they play very good, but I know that they are not real Cajun.

Sorry Ron

Sorry about the castagnari's. They are lovely instruments. And you play well too! The problem is the family, not the accordions.

Gus

Re: Sorry Ron

Doesn't matter gus.
I have also a lovely family.
It isn't bad at all.

Re: Re: first squeeze

Excellent article, notice all the mentions of "it will probably never be known"? For anyone who has not been to this website, there are a huge collection of great stories and and essays.

Re: first squeeze

First RECORDED accordion player was reckoned to be Joe Falcon, of course, unless anyone knows different (Neal?). How about wax cylinders?

I remember my own first squeeze, but that's another story!

BJ

Re: Re: first squeeze

I concur -- Joe & Cleoma Falcon -- probably the "first" "Cajun" player(s) to be recognized as such by the "first" recording. Then again, I wasn't around then. Ha! First accordion player in Louisiana was probably Creole -- very likely in New Orleans. I can only discern this historical info through the same videos and books available to everyone else.

Ta-dah!

T!



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