An accordionist's blog on music, art & life

Reminiscences via Vintage Reeds

10/8/2015

This is an improvisational poem performed on my vintage 1930's Hohner Regina VI. In honor of someone I met many years ago while working a summer job, on a break from college, after the spring semester and looking onward toward the fall season. Along with this music, I send my heartfelt prayers and fondest thoughts to someone I never fully knew.

Inspired by listening to the many splendid instruments of Aristide Cavaille-Coll, the masterful builder and visionary whose influence is still being felt today. The recent release of "The Genius of Cavaille-Coll" from Fugue State Films illustrates in spectacular fashion the abiding interest in these fabulous treasures of musical art. Many thanks to Will Fraser, Simon Still, and David Hinitt for providing the world with a first-class review of the Cavaille-Coll legacy.

Although I still love visual art and cherish the delights of poetry, I believe that music may be the best means of expression for things which may otherwise remain intangible or inexpressible.

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In the Shadows of the Watchung Mountains

9/18/2015

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Impresiones Acordeon: En vista de las montanas Watchung; Akkordeon Impressionen: In Anbetracht der Watchung Mountains; Akordeon Impressions: W zwiazku z Watchung Gorach; Accordion Impressions: In View of the Watchung Mountains. This improvisation reflects upon some of the experiences I enjoyed while delivering mail for the Somerville Post Office in 1975 and 1976 in Somerville, New Jersey.

Some of the delivery routes in Somerville were mounted routes which utilized Jeeps for motorized transport, while other routes involved walking from the main office to the point of delivery and then walking back after delivering the assigned route. I had the pleasure of delivering many neighborhoods in this area and then taking time for lunch at a pre-determined place such as the Somerset Medical Center. You were allowed 30 minutes for lunch, just enough time for a quick salad or sandwich at the Medical Center's coffee shop and café.

While enjoying lunch, I often would gaze out the window looking North to the beauty of the Watchung Mountains, a lovely stretch of low hills which dotted the horizon in magisterial fashion. The entire line of hilltops was visible from the large windows at the café, a view which I can still vividly remember to this day. Though these hills measured between 400 to 500 feet in elevation at some points, the image they presented from a distance suggested they were just barely visible, perhaps seeming to measure only slightly higher than the far horizon. But what beauty they did possess, drawing my eye along the characteristic contours of their solidly impressive length.

So my vision was drawn to these contours along the North horizon, a moment which I have attempted to capture in this impressionistic music. I came to love these neighborhoods where I delivered the mail, walking down the tree-lined streets and boulevards, envisioning both angular entities and smooth transitions along the well-kept lawns and clean sidewalks and spacious driveways. There was a palpable atmosphere of small town America in such lovely neighborhoods, almost as if every day could be considered a cinematic adventure enlivened by the noble outreach of our appointed tasks.

This music attempts to clarify some of these artistic impressions, a retrospective recollection of events which transpired some 37 to 38 years ago. Performed upon my vintage 1950's Scandalli, a 4/5 reed instrument in LMMH configuration.

One of the joys of delivering the mail is seeing all aspects of a particular neighborhood and getting to know the customers who live along the streets and boulevards of a geographical area. When I started as a Letter Carrier in Somerville, New Jersey in June of 1975, I quickly became immersed in the sensory elements of walking different routes and observing the manifold varieties of visual beauty along the way. You notice the noble green avenues of leafy trees and freshly cut lawns, the trimmed hedges and colorful flower gardens, the lovely architecture of historical homes with lace-curtained windows and white trimmed wooden porches. It is almost like a nostalgic scene from Rod Serling's "Walking Distance," a favorite Twilight Zone episode from October, 1959, where Martin Sloan (Gig Young) goes back in time to an earlier and more idyllic age. You can sense the history of small town America and envision the mystery and the majesty of a thousand different patterns involved in the life of a petite representation of civilization.

The accordion improvisation above is a response to my memories of delivering the mail in Somerville and often catching a glimpse of the distant horizons as seen from the streets where I was walking my assigned route. I remember so distinctly the beautiful lines of the Watchung Mountains to the north, how these shapes seemed to dominate the horizon in a poetic and thoroughly engaging manner. You could trace these artistic lines with your eye and never tire of their encompassing beauty or subtle power of expression. To me it seemed like a form of musical expression in which I took considerable delight. As I do not have a pipe organ, I have tried to capture via the accordion a sense of the musical nature of those moments in time.

Reflections Upon Rural Images and Country Roads

Along Washington Valley Road in Warren, New Jersey. This area features some of the nicest rural roads in the Garden State, although it has increasingly lost farmland to residential and commercial development over the years. In the Summer and Fall you can find fruit and vegetable stands which offer a fine assortment of country goods.

Another view of some of the farmland along Washington Valley Road in Warren, New Jersey. A colorful area which offers a nice scenic perspective on all the four seasons.

Springdale United Methodist Church, Warren, NJ. Building erected 1840-41, enlarged in 1894, with small bell tower added in 1904. This church stands at the intersection of Morning Glory Road and Washington Valley Road and still holds services for the local population. The land was originally bought in 1839.

Google Earth view of Springdale United Methodist Church, along Washington Valley Road in Warren, New Jersey. The trees add a lovely aspect to the beauty of this scene. It is always fascinating to witness the changing colors of the seasons in this deciduously wooded area.

A Google Earth view of the distant Watchung Mountains at the north end of Adamsville Road in Bridgewater, New Jersey. This street is not far from where I often stopped to eat lunch at the Somerset Medical Center in Somerville while delivering the mail. The mountains make for a noble backdrop as you walk along the street and then notice their fascinating, looming presence. Lines to follow with your eyes!

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Heralds of Majesty - Hiking in the Arizona Wilderness

9/7/2015

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This improvisation is performed upon my vintage 1930's Hohner Regina VI, a 4/ 5 reed instrument with a 41/ 120 treble key and bass button configuration. Here I am thinking about ceremonial themes and engagement of the musical imagination. It is like walking into a room and hearing symphonic, pipe organ or choral passages upon one's entrance. At times I would also imagine such themes as a prologue to a day of hiking in the desert, mountains and canyons of Arizona. When finally arriving home after a day of hiking in the wilderness, I would try to recall these themes as visionary gifts associated with the discovery of natural splendors, like beautiful hummingbirds who hover before human eyes and invite us along on their path of flight.

Some of these sounds have been inspired by listening to the great pipe organs of Aristide Cavaille-Coll. I love the improvisations by Michel Chapuis recorded at Saint Ouen, also the artistry of Gerard Brooks, Vidas Pinkevicius at St. John's Church in Vilnius, Pierre Pincemaille at Saint-Denis, Daniel Roth at Saint-Sulpice, Olivier Latry at Notre-Dame de Paris, Marie-Claire Alain, Ben van Oosten and David Noel-Hudson, among many other notable performers. The recent release of "The Genius of Cavaille-Coll" by Fugue State Films continues to impress me through a comprehensive and thoughtful analysis of the Cavaille-Coll legacy. Many thanks to Will Fraser and Simon Still for their superbly written historical booklet, and for the fabulous recordings, interviews and performances assembled in this remarkable DVD/ CD presentation.

Following are a series of photographs taken by my friend Mike Davault on our hike through an Arizona canyon not far from Tortilla Flat. It was a breathtaking day in November of 1998 and quite a rugged area for our wilderness journey through the rocks. Years later I would record the video entitled "Fanfares & Reveries for Vintage Hohner Accordion" featured above. I wanted to capture some of the impressions gleaned as we explored the boundaries of this area. The canyon walls rise quite majestically from the floor below, where rocks and huge boulders guard the corridors of this vast refuge in the wilderness. The colors exhibit spectacular variety and richness of palette, with textures everywhere indicating an almost untouched garden of plant life amidst the chiseled rock formations. After a period of rain, delicate green-yellow lichen and moss align the rocks along the course of a miniature stream, feeling soft to one's touch and bringing radiant colors to this canyon wonderland. There is a huge boulder which displays a perfectly flat surface toward the middle of the canyon, a neat place for rest, lunch or listening to the quiet. When you finally reach the lower end of this area, you climb tenuously back up to the road and then gratifyingly admire the area you have just traversed with considerable effort. As always, you should dress appropriately to hike this area, wear very good hiking shoes, bring plenty of water, some food and snacks, and tag along with an experienced friend who knows this part of Arizona fairly well. This is some of the background story, in both pictures and music as inspired by the rugged beauty of Arizona, a place of considerable majesty.

Hiking North of Tortilla Flat, Arizona - A Gallery of Images

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An Improvisational Valse on the Patti Bros Accordion

3/3/2015

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An improvisational dance performed upon my vintage Patti Bros accordion, a 3/5 reed instrument in LMM configuration.

This improvisational Valse is based upon the idea that dance is often spontaneous, expressive, and joyously alive. Although the title does not refer to an individual character specifically, I have never forgotten the enchanting cinematic roles played by several film-version Princesses from the 1940's. The first one I can remember is June Duprez who plays the beautiful Princess in Alexander Korda's spectacular fantasy film "The Thief of Bagdad" (1940), one of the most magical films ever created. Duprez is perfectly cast in this film opposite John Justin as Ahmad, with fantastic Technicolor production, a wondrous screenplay and dialogue, memorable cinematography, lavish set design & costumes, and fabulous special effects. Who can forget the magic flying carpet or the flying white horse or the Genie who appears out of the smoking green bottle? June Duprez looks absolutely lovely in this Arabian fantasy film, one of the all time great classics in cinema.

The second image that comes to mind is that of Josette Day who plays Belle in Jean Cocteau's 1946 masterpiece "Beauty and the Beast." Cocteau directed this cinema classic with superb attention to detail, featuring marvelous set design and costumes, expressive music by Georges Auric, Henri Alekan's sensational cinematography and near magical integration of all elements. Josette Day captures the beauty of the story through her memorable portrayal of Belle, both repelled by and attracted to the Beast played by Jean Marais (Avenant/ The Beast/ Prince Ardent). Long after I watch this film, I simply cannot forget the astonishing visions captured within the heart of this fascinating fairytale.

The third image that stirs in my memory is that of Moira Shearer in the 1948 classic "The Red Shoes," Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's sensational ballet film which features Jack Cardiff's brilliant cinematography, superlative art direction by Arthur Lawson, masterful production design by Hein Heckroth and memorable music composed by Brian Easdale. Moira Shearer illuminates the hard work and dedication of the professional ballet dancer, and she is aided by a superb cast of actors and dancers. Robert Helpmann created the choreography, with Sir Thomas Beecham conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in the ballet sequences. Moira Shearer as Victoria Page lights up the ballet stage, the silver screen and the intense drama of the unfolding artist's story. We sense the struggle between Art and Life, the contest between Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook) and Julian Craster (Marius Goring). Although ultimately a tragic tale, the marvelous beauty and artistic talents of Moira Shearer are abundantly displayed throughout the length of this fascinating film. Here is the majesty and the agony of the ballet dancer revealed and ultimately preserved for all who love the art of dance.

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Wayfaring Stranger on the Vintage Hohner Regina VI Accordion

2/18/2015

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This Southern American folk melody is performed on my vintage 1930's Hohner Regina VI, a 4/ 5 reed instrument with 16" keyboard and a full 41 treble keys as well as 120 standard Stradella bass. Anonymous 4 performs this traditional song on their album entitled "Gloryland," kind of a continuation of their fabulous artistry on the previous album entitled "American Angels: Songs of Hope, Redemption and Glory." (Anonymous 4 includes Susan Hellauer, Marsha Genensky, Johanna Maria Rose, and Ruth Cunningham.) I believe that Joan Baez performed this song either in her very popular concerts or in some of her many recordings.

Vintage accordions often sound sweet when playing folk music or traditional hymn tunes. This vintage Hohner features a rather beguiling set of tones which seem to especially come alive while performing in certain keys or treble registers. Here I am playing in the key of D minor and calling upon G minor, D minor, B flat, C7 and F to accentuate the characteristic voice of the melody. There is a yearning, haunting quality to this music which breathes throughout in a natural, flowing manner, each phrase speaking as if to the interior of the heart or the inner chambers of one's spirit. Because the accordion fits so closely to the musician's chest, you can feel the resonance emanating from the body of the instrument, sensing the pulse of the music in your fingertips and hands, arms, and legs. It is a dynamic relationship between the player and the bass and treble sections, a heightened sense of awareness as one listens to the passages in musical presentation.

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Trumpet Tune by Jeremiah Clarke - Hohner Regina VI accordion

2/13/2015

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A classical favorite performed on my vintage 1930's Hohner Regina VI, a 4/ 5 reed accordion with the traditional 41/ 120 treble key and bass button configuration. The keyboard is only 16.5 inches in length, and the action feels quite a bit different from more modern instruments. But what a sound this petite instrument makes! This has been tuned and restored by my friend Jerry, one of the most remarkable technicians I have ever met.

This Hohner was built in 1938 and features a rather remarkable sound from those distinctive Hohner reeds. I have never heard another 1930's vintage accordion quite like this one. The tones seem to exude a ringing and innately joyous texture from the unique tuning of the reeds. My friend Jerry Sleger did extensive work on this instrument to bring it up to playable condition, including tuning of bass and treble sections, replacement of worn leather strips and re-waxing quite a few reeds where the old wax had weathered. The result is a vintage instrument which now breathes with new life and a wild sonic texture. Here I am playing the famous Classical piece by Jeremiah Clarke (1673-1707), a composition which has always been one of my favorites. The sheet music is from Volume Four of "Das Grosse Akkordeon-Buch" (Le Grand Album pour l'Accordeon), published by Edition Melodie, Anton Peterer Music & Books, Zurich, Switzerland. All of the songs in this four volume set have been collected and arranged by Herwig Peychaer.

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A Memorial Tribute to President Abraham Lincoln (1865)

9/22/2014

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This American song is a memorial tribute to President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), with words written by Edwin S. Babbitt and music composed by L. B. Miller. Originally published in 1865 by Root & Cady in Chicago and marked "Quartette," for mixed voices (4 parts) with piano. The sheet music I am using is published by Hal Leonard under the title "A Treasury of Civil War Songs: 25 Songs of the Union and the Confederacy," collected, edited and arranged by folksinger Tom Glazer. Performed upon my vintage 1930's Hohner Regina VI accordion, a 4/5 reed instrument in LMMM configuration.

Folksinger Tom Glazer (1914-2003) collected many Civil War era songs and published them under the title "A Treasury of Civil War Songs: 25 Songs of the Union and the Confederacy," issued in 1996 through Hal Leonard. From this collection I found the haunting hymn-like tune entitled "The President's Grave," with words by Edwin S. Babbitt and music by L. B. Miller. I love vintage accordions and find that they often impart a culturally rich resonance to songs of a bygone era, helping modern ears to hear anew historical treasures which may have inherently special character. This tune is written in the key of E flat major, with some chords in G minor and F diminished, under the notation to play the song "Solemnly." The reeds on this particular Hohner sound very much at home in this key, lending a sense of noble purpose and reflective solemnity as the music draws us closer to the heroic life and tragic death of President Lincoln. There are certain sounds and tonalities heard on a vintage accordion which seem to accentuate the resonances of the music as it is written and received, especially when the subject matter is as historically powerful and significant as this truly remarkable song.

The hat I'm wearing is a reproduction of a Union Officer's kepi with the military rank of either Captain or Major, made of dark blue wool and lined with cotton and leather. The gold stripes and overall form of the hat's shape are derived from the French pattern, often seen in the French Army and the French Foreign Legion. This particular kepi was procured via eBay from a store called "Under the Southern Cross," maintained by owner/ proprietor Finandel.

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A German Folksong on the Vintage Hohner Regina VI (1938)

9/13/2014

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A German folksong performed upon my vintage 1938 Hohner Regina VI accordion, a 4/5 reed instrument in LMMM configuration. The sheet music is published by Edition Melodie in a songbook entitled "Das Grosse Akkordeon-Buch - Volume Three" (Le Grand Album pour l'Accordeon), Anton Peterer Music & Books, Zurich, Switzerland. All of the songs in this collection have been arranged by Herwig Peychaer.

This 1930's vintage Hohner accordion features some very distinctive treble sounds and possesses quite a powerful bass section, even though it is a relatively small instrument with a petite 16 inch keyboard. Internally the accordion displays a very strong wooden frame with good workmanship on the reed-blocks and those remarkable German reeds. My friend Jerry tuned the instrument, provided new wax and leathers, and adjusted the bass mechanism as well as the treble keyboard. Without Jerry's help this instrument would not have been playable. European folk-songs often sound so completely at home on a good vintage accordion such as this one. The external appearance of this instrument is still in remarkably fine condition, featuring a beautiful ivory/cream color, ornate black lettering and decorative details, exhibiting an extraordinary mother-of-pearl keyboard and suffering almost no scratches or missing pieces of exterior trim. The grill section above the keyboard is embedded with sparkling accents of various exotic hues and features superlative carving of the materials used in manufacture at that time. In many respects I prefer the sound of the 1930's accordions to the more modern instruments which came later. One professional accordionist once described such vintage instruments as sounding more like a large harmonica than a typical accordion. That's true, for the timbres sound so alive and thrilling that one might temporarily believe the musician is indeed playing...."a glorified harmonica!"

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A Traditional Irish Folk Song on the Vintage Scandalli

9/13/2014

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This traditional Irish folk song is also known as "Cockles & Mussels," or under the title "In Dublin's Fair City." It was first published in 1883 at Cambridge, Massachusetts, but the song may be of earlier origin. This song is featured on the soundtrack for the notable film "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn," directed by Elia Kazan and released in 1945, also known as "Lazos Humanos." In that film, James Dunn plays Johnny Nolan who sings and plays the piano in a touching and memorable scene. As Johnny sings for Francie (Peggy Ann Garner) and Katie (Dorothy McGuire) and Neeley, one can feel the passion of the artist who offers up portions of his soul as he shares his talent with others.

Performed on my vintage Scandalli accordion, an instrument from the 1950's still capable of touching hearts and influencing modern minds.

This Scandalli is one of my favorite accordions, sounding good on folk music, Classical compositions, popular tunes and improvisation. The reeds are of very high quality, probably handmade and mounted on beautiful reed-blocks which exhibit great Italian craftsmanship. This tune appears in Elia Kazan's film "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" as Johnny Nolan walks to and from his apartment in turn-of-the-Century urban America (circa 1900). James Dunn won an Academy Award for his sensitive portrayal of the life and relationships of Johnny Nolan, and Peggy Ann Garner won an Academy Juvenile Award for her dramatic portrayal of Johnny's beautiful daughter Francie.

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Annie Laurie on the Vintage Hohner Tango II M Accordion

8/27/2014

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A traditional folksong played upon my vintage Hohner Tango II M accordion, a 3/5 reed instrument in LMM configuration. Words and music by William Douglas and Lady John Douglas Scott, written in 1685. The sheet music is from the Folksong Fake Book published by Hal Leonard. This song appears in the 1945 film "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (Lazos Humanos), directed by Elia Kazan. James Dunn (as Johnny Nolan) sings this song and plays an upright piano for Dorothy McGuire (as Katie Nolan), while Peggy Ann Garner (as Francie) and Ted Donaldson (as Neeley Nolan) look on. Other notable players in this film include Joan Blondell as Aunt Sissy, Lloyd Nolan as Officer McShane, and James Gleason as McGarrity. The story takes place in Brooklyn in the year 1900 and is superbly directed and photographed with superlative performances by the entire cast.

Hohner produced the Tango model between 1953 and 1961. It has a very strong wooden frame and distinctive German reeds. It is lightweight enough to allow the player to stroll with the instrument, especially at a restaurant or wedding or public gathering. This design features 34 treble keys and 96 bass buttons, somewhat smaller than the typical 41/ 120 treble key and bass button configuration.

This Hohner features a rather sweet sound on traditional folk music and is versatile enough to play just about any genre of music from contemporary to Classical. The scene where Johnny Nolan sings this song to Katie Nolan (James Dunn and Dorothy McGuire in "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn") remains one of the most dramatically moving moments in this 1945 Elia Kazan film. All of the players in this film offer superlative performances, especially James Dunn who won an Oscar for his memorable portrayal of an imaginative artist and loving husband struggling to provide for his family. Equally impressive in their respective roles are Dorothy McGuire and Peggy Ann Garner as well as the rest of the cast. One feels the anguish of the artist's soul as Johnny pours out the poetry of his spirit in "Annie Laurie," reaching for the beauty and release of the gift of music in a moment etched in time.

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<<Previous

Reminiscences via Vintage Reeds

In the Shadows of the Watchung Mountains

Reflections Upon Rural Images and Country Roads

Heralds of Majesty - Hiking in the Arizona Wilderness

Hiking North of Tortilla Flat, Arizona - A Gallery of Images

An Improvisational Valse on the Patti Bros Accordion

Wayfaring Stranger on the Vintage Hohner Regina VI Accordion

Trumpet Tune by Jeremiah Clarke - Hohner Regina VI accordion

A Memorial Tribute to President Abraham Lincoln (1865)

A German Folksong on the Vintage Hohner Regina VI (1938)

A Traditional Irish Folk Song on the Vintage Scandalli

Annie Laurie on the Vintage Hohner Tango II M Accordion

Author
Glenn Tompkins

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Reflections Upon Rural Images and Country Roads

Hiking North of Tortilla Flat, Arizona - A Gallery of Images

AuthorGlenn Tompkins

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Author
Glenn Tompkins