Jazz Accordionists with Jazz Guitarists

**Dennis D** · 03-05-2018, 09:42 AM

I just thought it was time those duos got some love here ! I've been around Milwaukee all my life, and there used to be some really good ( non-polka ) accordion players here. Carl Elmer, Rudy Maroner, ( both deceased ), and Kenny Kotwitz, who I believe is still active.
The recorded heavyweight duo was probably Art VanDamme & Johnny Smith. Were / are there any others at that level? I am guessing there were some. Didn't see a lot of albums listed though.

So if anyone knows any, give them a mention.

And if someone says Ry Cooder and Flaco Jimenez I agree !

**paulkogut** · 03-05-2018, 09:49 AM

Joe Pass and Polytone amps founder Tommy Gumina?

When I was in Chicago, I played a bunch with the great Don Stille on accordion, but we never recorded together...

PK

TH · 03-05-2018, 10:09 AM

Art Van Damme worked with Johnny Smith. That's a pretty good combination. I loved them, yeah. Larry Goldings is known as a pianist but also quite accomplished on the accordion. He's worked with Jim Hall and with John Scofield too, but as far as I know only recording documentation is with him on piano.

David

Oh yeah!

**grahambop** · 03-05-2018, 10:24 AM

Martin Taylor had accordionist Jack Emblow in his Spirit of Django band years ago, I saw them at Ronnie Scotts. Jack played some great jazz solos and it all sounded authentically Parisian!

**adrianh** · 03-05-2018, 10:37 AM

Lots of this combo happens in gypsy jazz!

Marcel Loeffler (accordion) and Adrien Moignard (guitar):

Marcel is like the Coltrane of the accordion. Just an insanely good musician. Adrien is amazing as well.

Also, check out basically anything Angelo Debarre (guitar) and Ludovic Beier (accordion) have done together. Example:

**dasein** · 03-05-2018, 10:56 AM

The sadly-difficult-to-find Jimmy Wyble Quintet LP features Carl Carelli on accordion prominently. It's an album worth seeking out -- it sounds very much ahead of its time, and is one of the best ways to hear Wyble (almost all his recordings are as a sideman).

After a quick Google search, the only other recording I can find featuring Carl Carelli is George Liberace's "Hawaiian Paradise."

**mr. beaumont** · 03-05-2018, 11:33 AM

My jazz mentor was a piano player, but he loved accordion, and we did most of our playing together as guitar and accordion. I still love that sound.

Man, I miss that guy. RIP, Joe.

**AndyV** · 03-05-2018, 12:05 PM

I don't know if he ever recorded with guitarists but my favorite jazz accordion player is the late Frank Morocco.

**guido5** · 03-05-2018, 12:07 PM

Ludovic Beier is a monster! He plays wonderful bebop informed lines on the accordion...

Gary Versace is my favorite accordionist in a more modern style...

**Stringswinger** · 03-05-2018, 12:15 PM

Ludovic Beier and Richard Galliano both are current jazz accordionists who play with guitarists (mostly European Gypsy's) often.

Besides the already mentioned Art Van Damme (who recorded two albums with Joe Pass) and Tommy Gumina (who recorded several albums with Joe Pass), there is Dick Contino (who also recorded with Joe Pass).

Jazz Accordion, if done well is very cool stuff, having an organ like sound.

**AndyV** · 03-05-2018, 12:22 PM

He's not a jazz musician but Guy Klucevsek plays some interesting stuff in the ... what would you call it? ... "deconstructed polka"? genre?

Guy Klucevsek | home

In Western Swing music, George Bamby played some hot swing solos (not to forget Joaquin Murphey on steel).

**wintermoon** · 03-05-2018, 12:31 PM

I have several 50s lps featuring Matt Mathews w/Joe Puma on guitar.
Another excellent player was Ernie Felice though I don't know the guitarist he usually used.

**Dennis D** · 03-05-2018, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by AndyV

He's not a jazz musician but Guy Klucevsek plays some interesting stuff in the ... what would you call it? ... "deconstructed polka"? genre?

Guy Klucevsek | home

In Western Swing music, George Bamby played some hot swing solos (not to forget Joaquin Murphey on steel).

Gotta love them ol'cowboy songs.......I hope TCM is having 'singing cowboy' week soon !

Thanks.

**John A.** · 03-05-2018, 01:19 PM

There are two tracks with Gil Goldstein playing accordion on Jim Hall's "Dialogues" album, "Snowbound" and "Dialogue"

Dialogues - YouTube

Goldstein's piano playing with Pat Martino is also really good, though quite different from this.

John

**bleakanddivine** · 03-05-2018, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by dasein

The sadly-difficult-to-find Jimmy Wyble Quintet LP features Carl Carelli on accordion prominently. It's an album worth seeking out -- it sounds very much ahead of its time, and is one of the best ways to hear Wyble (almost all his recordings are as a sideman).
"

This is available on Spotify.

**christianm77** · 03-05-2018, 02:27 PM

**christianm77** · 03-05-2018, 02:28 PM

La Vie en Rose: Richard Galliano with Sylvan Luc

**sgcim** · 03-05-2018, 03:45 PM

There's a lot of recordings of Joe Puma playing with accordionist Matt Matthews, especially on Joe's LP 'Wild Kitten' which was re-issued on CD.
Puma also played on some of Matt Matthews' records, and in a group called the NY Jazz Quartet, featuring Puma with Matthews and Herbie Mann. I don't even think Fresh Sound has reissued the NY Jazz Quartet LPs, but they have the Matt Matthews albums.

I met Matthews when I was a kid and I entered a jazz group contest in the NY Accordion Festival with an accordion player friend of mine. Matthews seemed drunk or something and started laughing when he saw my Barney Kessel Custom, and said 'What are you guys gonna play, some Grand Funk Railroad?!"
We played Satin Doll, and Matthews came up to me afterwards and apologized for the crack he made and told me i sounded great.
I didn't think much of it till i found out who he was later on.
My guitar teacher said he was one of the best modern jazz accordion players, but was kind of whacked out. He said that every subway in NYC had an amplifier that Matt Matthews left behind on the way back from a gig!
Another friend of mine said MM had to leave the US because he was in trouble with the mob for something involving a woman or some huge gambling debts...

**sgcim** · 03-05-2018, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by dasein

The sadly-difficult-to-find Jimmy Wyble Quintet LP features Carl Carelli on accordion prominently. It's an album worth seeking out -- it sounds very much ahead of its time, and is one of the best ways to hear Wyble (almost all his recordings are as a sideman).

After a quick Google search, the only other recording I can find featuring Carl Carelli is George Liberace's "Hawaiian Paradise."

That album goes under a few different names. I have it on vinyl under the name 'Diane'. A lot of contrapuntal things going on there.

**sgcim** · 03-05-2018, 04:14 PM

There's another interesting album called 'Two basses- Vinnie Burke and Oscar Pettiford'
The eight cuts with the Vinnie Burke Quartet feature guitarist Joe Cinderella with an accordionist named Don Burns.
Cinerella was a great guitarist who played with Gil Melle.

**guido5** · 03-05-2018, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by AndyV

He's not a jazz musician but Guy Klucevsek plays some interesting stuff in the ... what would you call it? ... "deconstructed polka"? genre?

Guy Klucevsek | home

Forgot about Klucevsek. He has played on some amazing projects! Thanks for the reminder...

**339 in june** · 03-05-2018, 04:51 PM

Vincent Peirani and Ulf Wakenius
They played also together with Youn Sun Nah

**neatomic** · 03-05-2018, 04:55 PM

dynamite trio recording-tridruga-with brad shepik on guitar and yuri lemeshev (gogol bordello) on accordian...with tony scher on bass balalaika...saw them live as well...great shortlived grouping

cheers

**lawson-stone** · 03-05-2018, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by paulkogut

Joe Pass and Polytone amps founder Tommy Gumina?

When I was in Chicago, I played a bunch with the great Don Stille on accordion, but we never recorded together...

PK

Wow Joe is rocking some great tone on that clip! The accordion also sounds more like an organ, but without the irritating Leslie thing.

**Dennis D** · 03-05-2018, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by lawson-stone

Wow Joe is rocking some great tone on that clip! The accordion also sounds more like an organ, but without the irritating Leslie thing.

My Uncle played accordion professionally back in the day, and he eventually got a Cordovox. Not sure the sound it got but he loved it. He just didn't like lugging around whatever the extra equipment was that came with it. I know it was heavier than his old standard amp. That may have been what was used here. ( ? )