Some folks don't like the Hohner syrupy sound.. I do
and in this case it's appropriate

I really like to get back to the rootsiness of music whether its Cajun/Creole or Irish Traditional or Belizan Punta...(also Creoles)

Cedric has really got some talent and put together a great package

There is a Player form Calif by the name of Blustein (sp) who playes Cajun style on a 2 row Hohner Pokerwork
and Chris Parkinson of England plays some wicked Cajun licks on a 2 Row Saltarelle and a very old Hohner 2 1/2 row..

I'd like to learn a bit more about this Creole sound.. great stuff

Rick,

I was lessening to some of the Artists, box players on
the Harhoolie CD " Zydeco the early years", and Cedric accordeon style and sound is very reminiscent of the players on this particular cd.

Ambrose Sam, I know of , but since he is only part of one recording, and I have not been able to get it , so it's hard for me to compare.

Did he not play, a 3 rows chromatic like Beau Jocques?.

I have always thought that I should get a Hohner 3 rows , and try to emulate Albert Chevalier.

But I'm with you on the wet sound aspect, and although not very fond of it otherwise , I concur that it "works" beautifully with "Creole" box music.

It's relly too bad, that there is not enough of old recording of this beautifull music around .

C.

Hi Claude,

I actually got to play with Ambrose for several gigs when he moved to S. Cal. in the early 90's.

At the time, he was playing a triple row diatonic. He was well known to play 2 row diatonic previously. It is hard to remember exactly, but I think he tended to play the 3 row in a 2 row kind of way, if you know what I mean.

I don't think he ever played a chromatic button accordion of any kind, but I could be wrong.

As for Beau Jocque, yes, he played a 5 row chromatic, but that was definitely NOT his main instrument. For the most part he play single row and triple row diatonics. I think that his use of the chromatic was somewhat as a novelty, and that he kinda just dabbled with it a little bit.

-David

I concur with David. Must've been cool to have had the opportunity to meet, much less jam with Ambrose! Dang, dude.

There's just not a lot of recordings on Ambrose. I have a vinyl release of him on one side and Preston Frank on the flip. I think he used a 3-row on those tracks. That record is probably out-of-print, and I believe it is an Arhoolie release.

Perhaps the best clip of Ambrose playing is on the video, "Zydeco Nite and Day", where towards the opening of that documentary, Ambrose pulls away for less than a minute on a bare-bones blue 2-row. It's my favorite part of that entire video -- a very compelling moment. While it is zydeco that he is playing, it's like nothing I've heard before... until the clip I heard from Cedric's upcoming CD.

Valcour is proving to be a label that I'm going to keep an eye on. Seems like they dig the rootsy zydeco stuff, preserving Creole music, especially in view of Valcour's 2006 release of Cedric's and Corey Ledet's "Going Down to Lousisiana" -- a great release for old-skool zydeco lovers.

R!CK

David, lucky you, and you also played with Mark "bon ton" St-Mary, how great!.

As usual, thanks for the info.

Now, off hand,would you know what key, the 2 row Hohner played by, C.Watson is?.

I really would like to know.

C.

Hi Claude,

This is a strange one. If the recording on the video is playing in the correct pitch, it is using the chords B and F#, so it would seem that the outer row is in B. That's pretty unusual, isn't it? If it follows the usual pattern, the inner row would be E.

That's the best I am able to tell.

-David

Bb/Eb with a morphed pitch on the recording

there is a rare chance it is a B/C

Thanks Gus. Whether anyone thinks he is an "amazing" artist or not, I like what he does, and will be waiting in line for this cd. I love it when someone can pour that much emotion into his music.

I agree totally and really I like what he does, In my opinion he one of the best!

I'll be getting this CD too.

..... Ed

Very nice stuff, but I'm curious. too. What is that accordion he's using?
Steve

The first is definitely a Hohner Erica. Can't miss the grill and keyboard styling.
I swear the second, the green one, looks like one of the Chinese boxes I've seen on Ebay.

He is not going into NEW territory. Cedric is going BACK to where creole accordion players have been since at least the 50's. Just look at the instruments shown in Anne Savoy's book. Definitely "roots" music.

I believe the green one is a Dino Baffetti. Nice accordions. Not cheap

That makes more sense. I changed my mind about the chinese idea after looking at some pixs of them. I know I have seen the case design somewhere. Probably Italian like you say.

Looked at the second video again...It is DEFINITELY a Dino Baffetti. Saw the name flash clearly one time.

The first is a Hohner Erica.

It's probably Corey's green Dino that he used in his instructional 3-row video. Sweet box.

R!CK

I would say that sometimes going back is new....

I make traditional painted furniture

I have taken it upon myself to reintroduce cultures and styles from immigrants to No Amwerica largely unknown....

so in a sense.. it is new just as Cedric reintroducing of introducing the classic home gron music

and what s particular refreshing is like it used to be when I was a kid.." you run what you brung"

in this case a very simple Erica..

My guess is that the box may be a C/F doesn't sound quite low enough for a G/C but it could be given that these boxes have only 2 middle reeds and about 17 cents wet...

I think most of us would agree that there is a quiet fire in this music..

soul smoldering stuff...

As I have said before , historically more good music
has been made on Hohners than any other brand

I love 1 rows but there is also magic in a 2 row..

I prefer them over 3 rows..
lissten to early Tex Mex and what Santiago Limenez and the boys dod with old 2 row Hohners before the rage of the 3 row..

Yes, sometimes old is new. Bless all those who bring back what seemed lost.
I was talking with an hispanic man recently whose grandfather played accordion. He remembers three rows as a relatively new instrument. The main thing was two rows cost less and no one ever had a great deal of money for such things. I suspect Santiago Jimenez (Sr.) started on a two row.

Santiago Sr indeed started on a two row

and Santiago Jr is a very fine 2 row player I much prefer his playing over Flaco and his 3 row

If it is a C/F, then the pitch on the recording must have been changed. When I was trying to figure out the key for Claude, I pulled out the guitar and played along. Much to my surprise, it came out that the chords were B and F#. I thought maybe the guitar was out of tune, but I checked it with my tuner and it was fine.

So either the pitch of the recording was changed, or this accordion is in an unusual key. I wonder which it is?

-David

Boozoo, many of you will recall, recorded on a two row Erica and was photographed with both an Erica and Corona. John Delafosse once played a mic'ed Erica as well as a Hohner Corso.. Evo plays in CF Pokerwork on his vid..and it does the trick.. I suspect that one was a CF that Cedric is playing ??

That old La la music is way underexposed IMHO.. I am hoping for some re-releases of Mr. Sam's work.. it's great to see/hear Cedric bringing it back to us.

I will stick with my guess that it is a C/F

but with modern electronics and recording techniques. anything is possible

The cool thing about C/F 2 rows is that they seem to be one of the least desirable key systems.. unless you live in the Netherlands.. in which case nearly every one plays a C/F

Also the Brits play D/G first and a second choice is often C/F

I owned a brilliant C/F Corso ....and a Pressed Honey Pokerwork from the late 40's... excellent machine

Anyone Know Cedric? that could give him shout..

I still own one, a C/F erica (vintage, nice tone), but my daughter uses it whenever she has to.

GUs