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CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION GROUP

 

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Re: An Epiphany And Why We Should Just Give Up Now!

Planting a garden? That's good. I been meaning to get back to gardening myself. Just been so much pestilence the last few years! Dam stink bugs! Big fat green worms with horns, and these little smelly orange and black bugs. They show up like I planted the garden for them. I always think....now I'm doing a good thing planting a garden, and god wants to not only create pestilence like these, but also send them to a good man's garden! Makes me wonder about what this world really is.

Or, are you a farmer planting a crop?

Re: An Epiphany And Why We Should Just Give Up Now!

Put some mint about halfway down a couple of rows that should take care of your orange bugs the green worms take a solution from home depot can't remember the name white spray bottle will a purple label with red and green writing it is organic
And no not a farmer I've been lucky enough that the last time I worked the fields was my 12th year just a small batch of planter boxes to see if the boy is interested
As far as what the world is I have some interesting people that come by every other Saturday to try to explain it to me they conduct themselves like ladies and gentlemen so I haven't seen a reason to run them off my place should I send them over your way?

Re: An Epiphany And Why We Should Just Give Up Now!

Tuning stand up blocks is no big deal, not sure why anyone wouldn't want to tune them unless they have limited time and are selective about what they do.

I've heard a fiddler once say there's only 4 songs to the Cajun accordion, 2 waltzes and 2 two steps. It's a joke but it's a good point. There are songs with just very slight changes and wallah, new name. I love listening to the Varise Connor cd, in it he very tactfully says, "have you ever noticed that with the accordion, after you hear a few songs, they all sound the same. A cajun takes a part of one tune, and another part of another tune, and calls it another song." Paraphrasing.

Re: An Epiphany And Why We Should Just Give Up Now!

That comment made me smile and reminded me why tbe Lawrence Walker medley worked so well

Re: 1852 The Year Accordions Began

Weltmeister may have begun in 1852, but the accordeon, specifically the 10 button diatonic accordeon, was invented in Austria by Armenian immigrant Cyril Damien in 1829.

No one can build a "CAJUN" accordeon except a CAJUN. All other 10 treble button, 2 bass, bellows driven, diatonic, bisonoric, aerophones, are accordeons.

CAJUNS copied the Saxon/German/Austrian instruments. And those copies would be CAJUN accordeons.

Persons, or companies, who are not Cajun, making CAJUN accordeons are comical. They are making copies of Cyril Damien's invention, or copies of copies of Sterlings and Monarchs. Badging or labeling or calling the 10 button 2 bass etc accordion "CAJUN" is nothing more than a cheap marketing ploy and ripping off the CAJUNS.

Re: 1852 The Year Accordions Began

The PIANO accordeon (abomination) was invented in the 1850s.


And calling the 10 Button Accordeon "CAJUN" dismisses Cyril Damiens invention and contribution to the world of free reeds and also dismisses all the Germans, Austrians, Saxons and Bohemians who built accordeons for decades before they were made by CAJUNS.


However, if it were not for CAJUNS making copies of these earlier accordeons, most folks in the US, and a bit around the world, would not have enjoyed listening to a unique, colloquial style of music or enjoy playing accordeon.

1852 The Year Accordions Began In the Minds of Some

Isn't interesting when you post facts, it gets very quiet around here. ?

Re: 1852 The Year Accordions Began In the Minds of Some

Now you know how I feel sometimes Jeff.

Re: 1852 The Year Accordions Began

The Gabb "CAJUN KING"

is ok not made by GABB
has strange stacked stand up reed blocks and not made anything like a Cajun Accordeon other than 10 buttons and 2 button bass with bellows.

Re: 1852 The Year Accordions Began

I have a Gabb "Cajun King" lacquered black "D" and it sure does play like a Cajun accordion. Actually plays the same or a lot better than some of the Cajun accordions I've played on in the past. I study Nathan Abshire and Amedee Ardoin with it often, and the sound and playability of that "King" is good enough to accomplish this. The stacked stand up reed blocks pi** off the local Cajun box builders, but I think they'll come around to eventually compromising and offer to tune or fix them. I only know of Mouton accordions north of Crowley, La that will work on the stand up reed blocks, probably because Greg Mouton will order Cajun Kings for his customers. Stands to reason that he'll adjust or repair them too. I am forever grateful to him for hooking me up with that Cajun King accordion. He outfitted it with Cajun style leather strapping and before hand had Gabbinelli put in some dam good sounding reeds too which Greg retuned "perfectly Cajun". No doubt, life changing!



Jamey Hall's most excellent Cajun Accordion Music Theory

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

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