Before there was Lady Gaga, there was Phoebe Legere. The New York City based musician, first signed by Epic/Sony at age 17, emerged in the early 1990's as a young singer of promise with extraordinary vocal range and quality. In the years since, she opened for David Bowie (1991), and has recorded, written, produced and … Continue reading Phoebe Leger, Artist of the Avant Garde
Pauline Oliveros always thought outside of 'the box.' During her sixty-year career as a composer, musician, performer, researcher, writer and educator in the field of sound, she utilized a "conventional instrument," the piano accordion, as an unconventional tool in her work. Not only did she focus on music as a sequence of sound, but she … Continue reading The Maverick, Pauline Oliveros–Don’t Call Her a ‘Lady Composer’
Bio courtesy of Jamie Maschler.com Carving her name in the music scene as Sanfoneira, or accordionist, Jamie Maschler is among Seattle’s few female lead instrumentalists. “Jamie Maschler, knows the versatility of the accordion better then most. She has played the instrument since she was four and spent years perfecting and competing with pieces by such … Continue reading Jamie Maschler, Seattle’s ‘Sanfoneira’
It all began with a gift to Meredith Pangrace from her husband. The small accordion, intended as a ‘gag’ gift, incredibly, became enormously important in Meredith's life and would take it down a different path. It was, in fact, the spark that led to Meredith's decision to choose to save a fellow musician's life by giving her the … Continue reading Meredith Pangrace of Maura Rogers & The Bellows
You take one actress of “Harry Potter” fame, a piano accordion, excellent musicians, then add a little touch of theatrical Burlesque--stir it up, shake, and voila! Natalia Tena and her five piece band, Molotov Jukebox, add a shot of Gypsy spirit, then create their own potent blend with a mix of original compositions with Americana and … Continue reading Natalia Tena and the Explosive Molotov Jukebox
In 1998, The Time Jumpers began as a garage band comprised of some of the sharpest and most respected session musicians in Nashville. It started as a practice band, with no particular concept other than as a musician's "workshop" in which each could hammer out, nail down and hone their skills between gigs. But, it … Continue reading The Time Jumpers: Any time is ‘Jumpin’ Time’!
Charlie Gillingham, a bright guy born in Torrance, California, graduates from The University of California -Berkeley with a degree in Artificial Intelligence and is quickly hired as a software engineer. He makes a good living for nearly a decade. If not for the fact that Charlie also happens to be a very talented musician and … Continue reading The Insightful Charlie Gillingham of Counting Crows
News was received that Ponty Bone has passed away on July, 13, 2018. Thank you, Ponty, for making music your own unique way. Rest in peace. Ponty Bone always knew he was different. "...I always thought of myself as some sort of artist...a character in a novel, all my life...I knew something was up." Harry … Continue reading West Texas’ Own, Ponty Bone
Invented in 1829, the accordion came to North America early on, and as westward expansion took place, was heard in the mountains and bayous….in cities, towns and in the country….in the deserts of the West and Mexico…. on the Great Lakes and the Great Plains…in all states, estados and provinces….North to Alaska and West to Hawaii. For more … Continue reading A History of the Accordion in Americana Music
There is no place in America that is more "about the music” than Louisiana. While it is true that New Orleans was the sweet spot for those responsible for the birth of several distinct genres of music, Louisiana, in its own right, has served as a fountain of inspiration for generations of musicians and songwriters. … Continue reading Steve Conn: Music with a Mission
Accordion Americana 