Various Accordionists

Vol. 146 July 2008The Accordion Club of the Redwoods, Inc., NewsletterReedWOODER

theACRPicnic

SaturdayJuly 19th

INSIDE:President’s Message

p. 2 Club News

p. 3Petaluma to Scotland

pp. 4-5Save the Old Accordions

p. 6 Meetings and Playdates

p. 7

Celebrating the Accordion at the Petaluma Historical Museum

Page 2 ACR ReedWooder - July 2008

Recognizing that the International resurgence of the Accordion’s popularity has taken off with American audiences as well, Roland is catching the eye of the American public by supporting a search for America’s finest Accordionists by holding its first annual U.S. National Competition. See the Roland Ad on the back cover of this issue.One lucky participant will win a trip to Rome to perform in the International Accordion Festival to be held November 7-8, 2008. In addition to the Rome trip, the U.S. first prize winner will receive their choice of the world renowned Roland FR-7 or FR-7b V-Accordion. Participants 18 and older will perform in the Senior Soloist Division (the only division open to those in the U.S.) for a chance to win 5000 Euros.

Lucky finalists who have their 5-minute solo audition tapes selected will be flown along with the guest of their choice to the Saturday September 20th, 2008 competition to be held at Roland’s U.S. Media Center in Los Angeles. In addition each of these finalists will receive loans of Roland’s FR-7 or FR7b on which to perform their 5 minute solos in whatever genre of music they excel. Amateur and/or professional players have an equal chance of winning and are both invited to send their 5 minute video tapes to Roland using their own stand alone Accordions of any type (no special effects, audio files, mp3s, or etc. will be allowed).

Interested parties should contact Roland US for details and entry forms at their web site www.rolandus.com/v-accordion.

Players Can Win a Virtual Accordion, a Trip to Rome and 5000 Euros at Roland U.S. Corporation’s First Ever Virtual Accordion Festival

The President’s MessageHi Folks,It is because of the ACR picnic that you are receiving the Reedwooder early this month. Time is running short to get your reservations sent in. So please act fast. SEND IN THE ENCLOSED RESERVATION TODAY! The ACR Summer Picnic will be held on July 19th, 2008 (less than two weeks), and it’s VERY URGENT that you get your reservations in immediately. The price is $15.00

for adults, and $5.00 for kids 12 and under. We need to know how many folks are coming to the picnic so we can plan the meals and bar. So please don’t let the price of gas get you down. Create the fun, dance to the band, and relax this summer with other ACR members. Come on along and join the fun of the ACR Summer Picnic on July 19th! Send your check TODAY to: John Pordon. 349 Francisco Drive. Sonoma, CA. 95476.Celebrate the AccordionAs many of you know the 6th Annual Petaluma Celebrate the Accordion was held on June 28th and 29th at the Historic Petaluma Library and Museum. I was honored to be the Master of Ceremonies for the event. This year’s program was an amazing event full of fun music and entertaining performers. Over thirty performers took to the stage each day. Thank you to Ron Lankford of Roland US for filling the time between acts on Sunday. The crowd was literally standing room only on both days. Everyone seemed to be having a great time eating drinking, and socializing while they listened to the daily music program. This year we introduced a new feature I called our “seventh inning stretch.” With the help of several volunteers I rallied the crowd to participate in the first annual dance of the “Hokey-Pokey.” Everyone was truly in the spirit of the dance, especially when they “put their backsides in and put their backsides out” (I won’t go into the part where they ‘shook it all about’).The Celebrate the Accordion committee thanks their sponsors: the Petaluma Downtown Association, and the Petaluma Historic

Library and Museum. This year we had the honor of an additional sponsor, the American Legion Post #28 of Petaluma. We also wish to thank the Honorable Pam Torliatt, Mayor of Petaluma. She not only attended the event, she also danced the Hokey-Pokey. That’s what it’s all about, Your Honor! I wish to thank the heart of Celebrate the Accordion, Chairman and Founder Tom Cordoni and his wife Jeanette. They both spent many months calling various city organizations, musicians, and volunteers to make this year’s event the best one yet. Thank you also to Sheri Mignano for her work publicizing the event to the various media around the northern California area. Thank you also to the ACR who loaned their sound system to the event. Countless thanks to the musicians and performers for volunteering their time. Celebrate the Accordion is entirely volunteer. All of these wonderful individuals lend their talents free of charge to help promote the accordion music to those who might not otherwise get the chance to hear it.Cotati Accordion FestivalAttendees at Celebrate the Accordion got an additional treat. The fine folks at the Cotati Accordion Festival dropped by and displayed the new poster and T-shirt for the Eighteenth Annual C.A.F. It is a take-off of the Beatles’ famous Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover. C.A.F. displays the past performers of the C.A.F. taking the places of the many individuals in the group shot. It’s truly inspired and a lot of fun to play “spot your favorite players” among the crowd. See if you can find Steve Balich and Dick Contino.Congratulations to Bart Beninco!During a brief meeting with Bart Beninco last week I learned that he has been named Honorary Director of this year’s Cotati Accordion Festival. Bart has a long career in playing music and his playing takes the accordion to a very high level indeed. Congratulations to you, Bart. You certainly deserve this honor. See you at Cotati!And... I look forward to seeing YOU at the July 19th picnic.

Kristofer NelsonPresident - Accordion Club of the Redwoods.

Mystery PhotoCan you identify this dashing accordionist?

You’ve seen him often at the ACR!

Read all about him in the August ReedWooder.

Do we have a mystery photo of you? Please contact Sheri Mignano.

ACR ReedWooder - July 2008 Page 3

Club News

12th Annual Summer PicnicNeeds Volunteers for July 19thThe annual ACR picnic is coming up and as we prepare for another good time we need volunteers. Members attending the picnic are invited to come early and help with preparing the grounds. There are plenty of tasks that need to take place, from setting up the barbeque, organizing the kitchen, erecting the dance floor, to organizing the raffle items. Folks who come early have the chance to spread their tablecloths on the shadiest tables. We also count on volunteers to handle clean-up following the event, to leave the grounds as neat as we found them and to recoup our deposit fees. So please help by calling coordinator Kris Nelson at 707 795-4860 and be a part of the good time.

We’ll be featuring BBQ chicken with pasta and salad served from noon to 1 pm. Beer and soda is supplied while it lasts, but you may also bring a bottle or two of wine and we always recommend you provide a colorful tablecloth.

Of course there will be entertainment throughout the day culminating with dancing to the Steve Balich Polka Band.

We hope you have already sent in your reservation form from the last issue as the deadline for sign-up is Monday, July 14!

Sheri Mignano would like to interview members and guests at the picnic for future articles. Whether it’s a funny story, an accordion joke, or your own biographical story, share your stories with Sheri for a future ReedWooder. Bring some old photos that might be published in the newsletter, too. It’s a fun way to celebrate our musical heritage while we enjoy the ACR picnic. Count on some picture-taking from Tom Shamp and Beppi Narduzzi as well.

by Tom Shamp

Vacaville Club Picnic Brings Out Accordion Lovers of All AgesA warm sunny day in Vacaville brought out several hundred members and guests, many from the ACR. Pretty grounds, lots of shady trees and good food catered by the Pippo Ranch family, made the setting perfect. And as you can see, there was lots of great accordion music for listening and dancing. Vacaville puts on an exceptional event which attracts many members from other clubs in the Northern California area.

Welcome Visitors and Returning MembersIt was inspiring to see Gina Gallo with husband Ron at the June ACR meeting looking wonderful and refreshed after her recent illness. Welcome Back!

Also in our audience, and on stage, was talented accordionist Phil Venturacci and his wife Nancy visiting from Arizona. Phil has extended

family here in Sonoma County where he was born. Thank you, Phil, for being part of our program. You can read about Phil’s performance on page 4.

And welcome to Mitchell Terribilini from Meridian, Idaho. Mitchell, is a former student of Bart Beninco. He has been visiting his grandmother, Jan Terribilini.

On the Cover: Celebrating the Accordion on June 28th and 29th under the giant oak

behind the Petaluma Historical Museum are Kris Nelson, Tom Cordoni and his grandaughter, Vanessa Bautista, opening the festivities. Thanks to Tom and his staff for their hard work in producing this annual event. And thanks to everyone who turned out to support the museum and celebrate the accordion.

Wishing Ricardo a Speedy RecoveryMember Ricardo Hill is now recuperating from a recent illness and we all hope to see him back at the ACR soon.

by Sheri Mignano

On a pleasant summer’s eve the room was electric with excitement. We saw a new name on the board and some good ol’ familiar ones

including the special featured accordionists from Scotland.

Taking the stage was yours truly bring a more international sampling to her repertoire. “Mighalas de Amor” (Tasty Morsels of Love) written by Jacob de Bandolim (Bittencourt) in the “Choro” Brazilian tradition, was an expressive piece that transports any listener to a classic film noir from the 1930s. “L’Indifference” by Tony Mureno is a bal musette waltz that is carefree in its ambience and a fun challenge to play. The next two songs were with lyric tenor Michael Van Why. Michael is Executive Director of Project Applause which helps fundraise for non-profits. Michael and I have been working together for the past several months and enjoy exploring

Neapolitan canzoni, French chanteur/chanteuse ballads, and operatic arias. “O Marenariello” was written in the 1880s and was the waltz heard in the wedding scene in the Godfather. The second

song comes from the operatic bel canto tradition. Donizetti’s “Una Furtiva Lagrima” is a heartbreaking aria sung by a tenor. (We’ll be back again, I’m sure.)

Phil Venturacci (and wife Nancy) who were visiting from Surprise, Arizona, surprised us with two delightfully entertaining ragtime tunes and an Italian waltz. “Old Swanee Rag” and “Bees Wax Rag” were both written in the early 1900s by James Pitt-Payne. Phil wrote his own arrangements of those pieces. His last piece was “Alla Wolmer” an Italian waltz he learned after buying the CD on Ebay. Phil is the leader and founder of the “Squeezemasters” accordion band in Arizona. And he belongs to the Arizona Accordion Club. He studied with Toni Napoli and Joe Maggiolio in the 1950s-1960s.

The Steve-Steve duo comprised of Steve Balich Sr., Steve Balich Jr. and Harry Cannata, brought a lot of shouting, whooping it up, and clapping as the Balich team played a raucous rendition of the “O Detto O Sole.” Starting with Fliege Mit Min in die Heimat” the Dueling-Steves went on to play a second German waltz “Forever and Ever” and then went south of the border to play a tender “De

Colores” and the classic tango “La Paloma.” Harry Cannata kept up the tempo with his rhythm guitar. Thanks guys for giving us lots of smiles!

Bart Beninco provided us with a lovely cruise down the Seine under Paris skies with a popular French waltz “Pigalle,” followed by three passionate tangos which included “Arrivederci Roma” “Tango delle Rose” and “Chitarra Romana.” He sprinkled his performance with “The Breeze and I” and the prancing tippy toes (on his left hand) of the “Baby Elephant Walk.” To top off his fun-filled romp, the audience was treated to the “Beer Barrel Polka.” The applause was ample evidence of a great time enjoyed by the nearly filled-to-capacity room.

After a short break in which Tom Cordoni entertained and Renée de la Prade sang, the featured accordionists were ready.


Petaluma to Scotland(via Arizona)

Guinness World Record for the number of times you can hit the same key over and over in 3 seconds or less. I swear he made that accordion squawk like a chicken. I’m sure he sold a lot of CDs with that tune on it! As he shifted into his overdrive gear, the chicken stomped, strutted, swaggered, and squawked its way to the finale! The Russian pieces showed off one of the smoothest bellow shaking

styles I have ever heard. The moving parts in the left hand and his right were flawless. A so-called “Icelandic” tune was followed by “Red Rose” and “Bicyclette” which are both on his “Missing Time” CD. If you haven’t seen the cover of this CD, it shows Gary with six fingers on his right hand. Then, he played a special piece called “Magic Fingers” composed by Charles Cavalieri who apparently resides on the island of Malta.

The grand finale was a medley tribute called the “American Express.” This was a rollicking

locomotive ride on the fastest keyboard train in the West. How did he do it? Hang on to your seats because we rode no fewer than 12 different folk and popular songs, all well known to any American. He even threw in the theme of the television series “Dallas.” Juliette Babcock (who was seated next to me) and I guessed the titles of each tune as we waited for the locomotive to screech to a halt. We were exhausted but we all jumped to our feet along with everyone in the room to show our appreciation. It just doesn’t get better than that! Phew!

And thanks to everyone who came out and supported all the players and enjoyed the delicious after-concert snacks.

ACR ReedWooder - July 2008 Page 5

Photography by Beppi Narduzzi and Tom Shamp

Young Gary Blair Jr. is in his mid-

teens and has already won awards in more than five categories and in several competitions. His proud father, Gary Blair Sr., introduced his son and we were off to the races. Gary Jr.’s first medley kept accelerating—zero to 60 in less than a minute. His second piece was

written by one of our very own ACR members, Michael Corino. “Fisarmonica Impazzita” (Crazy Accordion!) is a wild, tricky polka that is rarely attempted. It was full of flourishes, a lot of skidding and sliding up and down the keys, along with lots of twisty, gnarly intervals that kept the excitement going. As if that weren’t enough, he followed it with a Czardas style Hungarian rhapsody. It was wicked! Dramatic tempo changes provided the charm but in the end, the wild and busy melodic line kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

Then the Gary-Gary duo played a polka medley and a Henri Mancini style “Peggy’s Waltz” which was written by Gary Sr. “Tutti Pepi” was a seamless, energetic series of tunes, one of which sounded like “American Patrol.” As the pace increased into double-time, and if you had closed your eyes, you would have sworn that it was one person playing because

the father-son team sounded so unified. It was a pyrotechnic Fourth of July performance! Sparks were flying and if you weren’t careful, you could get hurt!

Gary Sr. took the stage to bring it all home. “Alpine Slopes” waltz was played at a dizzying tempo. Dancers beware! The “Haynes March” had a subtitle of “…a chicken peeing in the outhouse…” Well, that chicken pecked out an unbelievable

(Diana Santi will return to write musical reviews in the August issue)


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Share comments with George Bachich at [email protected]. Or write to George at 4271 Dry Creek Road, Napa 94558.

Save the Old AccordionsIf the leather has delaminated from the felt, re-glue it with fabric cement (applied with a toothpick), or replace the felt and leather valve. New valve padding (goat skin laminated to felt) can be purchased in ½ square foot sheets of various thicknesses from Canadian source Frank Romano* and other hardware suppliers. Order a sheet the same thickness as your valves. Use a wheel cutter (available from fabric stores) and a straight edge to cut a strip the proper width and length to fit your pallet. Remove the pallet, remove the old leather and felt, then glue on the new strip, using fabric cement for wood pallets, or Barge Cement for aluminum pallets. Reinstall the pallet and level the key.If there is foreign matter under the leather valve, such as a piece of wax or wood, remove the key, brush the leather clean with a toothbrush, then reinstall it.If the valve is out of parallel with the pan, bend the key rod as required to get a good seal, and re-level the key. Check for a good seal using a ¼-inch wide strip of paper as a feeler gauge under all edges of the valve.If your valve sticks closed because glue has migrated through the leather, or because hot wax has flowed onto the leather, then replace the leather and felt as described above.Play the accordion, check for air leaks, and then reinstall the grill.* FRM ENTERPRISES, 7250 Durocher Street #2 Montréal, Québec H3N 1Z9 Canada Phone: 514 274-9793 Fax: 514 270-9717 E-mail: [email protected]

Repairing Treble Valvesby George Bachich

If a treble note sounds without the key being depressed, a treble valve is failing to seal. If that key rests higher than its neighbors, the key rod may be bent, the key rod may have come out of the wooden key, or the pallet may have fallen off the key rod. Other possible causes of a poor seal include a misaligned key spring, foreign matter under the valve, misalignment of the pallet, or de-lamination of the felt and leather seal. Remove the grill to identify the problem.If the key rod is slightly bent, straighten it with the adjustable bending tools described in a previous column on leveling treble keys. If the key is badly bent, remove it and straighten the rod with pliers.If the key rod has come out of the wooden key, force it back in (with glue on it), taking care to maintain the proper alignment. If the wood key has cracked, glue and clamp it overnight before reinserting the rod. If that fails, you will have to make another hardwood key.If the pallet has fallen off the rod, reinstall it. If it was secured to the rod with wax, clean off the old wax, position the pallet for a good seal, re-level the key, and then apply new hot (200ºF) reed wax with a medicine dropper. If the pallet is two pieces that were glued together with burnt shellac (dark brown, flexible), re-glue it with Permatex Indian Head Gasket Shellac Compound (available from auto parts stores), or with Barge Cement or other glue that remains flexible.

Accordion Repairwoman • Performer

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Meetings and PlaydatesACR ReedWooder - July 2008 Page 7

ACR General Meeting - 7:30pm 3rd Monday of the month Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western, Petaluma Info: Kris Nelson 707 795-4860ACR Board Meeting - 7:30pm 1st Monday of the month Hermann Sons Hall, 860 Western, PetalumaNo. California Accordion Society. - 7:00pm 1st Wednesday of the month Lutheran Church Hall, 6365 Douglas Blvd. Granite Bay, CA, Info: 916 791-3041

Humboldt Accordion Club - 7:00pm 3rd Tuesday of the month Info: Judy 707 442-6546 [email protected] Good Time Accordion Club - 7:00pm General meeting 2nd Wednesday of the month Info: 209 545-3603Silicon Valley Accordion Society - 2:00pm 1st Sunday of the month Info: 408 270-5003

Golden State Accordion Club - 7:00pm Sacramento 4th Wednesday of the month Info: 916 966-5917 Golden State Accordion Club - 7:00pm Vacaville 2nd Tuesday of the month Info: 707 864-2359San Francisco Accordion Club - 2:00pm 3rd Sunday of the month Info: 510 531-4836

ReedWooder Editor/Publisher:Sheri Mignano, Copy Editor Tom Shamp, Production Editor Send newsletter submissions to: Sheri Mignano, P.O. Box 2704, Petaluma, CA 94953-2704 or e-mail to: [email protected] [email protected] information for the newsletter must be received no later than the first of each month. It is the ACR’s intent to publish all newsletter submissions in accordance with Article V.3 of the Bylaws. Text may be edited or deleted depending on available space.Member Advertising Rates Per Issue:Small Ad. $5.00 – Business Card $10.00 – 1/4 Page $40.00 – 1/2 Page $80.00Non-Member Rates: Double the above rates.

ACR OfficersPresident: Kristofer Nelson 707 795-4860 email: [email protected] President: Tony Mustaro 707 538-4090Treasurer: John Pordon 707 935-7334Secretary: Ann Albertoni 707 763-4213Board MembersSteve Balich 707 874-3494Elmo Fama 707 545-0565Janice Terribilini 707 588-9026Ivano & Diana Santi 415 479-9185CommitteesScholarship Committee: Xavier de la Prade 707 769-9880 Joe Chiesa 707 539-1407 Ralph Muscatell 707 836-9205Musical Program Director: Diana Santi 415 479-9185ACR Annual Membership Fee:Member & Spouse $30.00 Individual Member $20.00Make check payable to: ACR and send to: John Pordon, 349 Francisco Drive, Sonoma, CA 95476

ACR Treasurer’s Monthly ReportJune 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008

Beginning Bank Balance $16,756.76Income 1,137.00Expenses 970.21Ending Bank Balance $16,923.55

ACR Scholarship FundJune 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008Previous Balance $621.85May Meeting 11.00

Ending Balance $632.85

Steve Balich Polka BandJuly 16, 23 Santa Rosa Senior Center, Bennett School 1-4pmJuly 11 Santa Rosa Community Center, Finley Hall 1-4pmJuly 11 Santa Rosa Moose Lodge Dinner Dance 7-10pm July 19 ACR Picnic, Penngrove Park 11-4pmJuly 27 Napredak Hall, San Jose (Lamb & Chicken Barbeque) 1-4pmAug. 6, 13, 20, 27 Santa Rosa Senior Center, Bennett School 1-4pmAug. 8 Santa Rosa Community Center, Finley Hall 1-4pmAug. 8 Santa Rosa Moose Lodge Dinner Dance 7-10pm Aug. 16 I.C.F. Dinner Dance, Vets. Bldg., Santa Rosa 8-11pm Aug. 17 Little Switzerland, El Verano 5-9pm All times denote when music is played and is subject to change. Please call Steve Balich Sr. at 707 874-3494 for information about tickets, locations, and time of dinner being served.

Karl Lebherz BandFor the current schedule please see flyer at www.karllebherzband.comor call Karl at 707 644-4577

Culann’s Hounds with Reneé de la PradeVisit SFHounds.com for information and playdates.

R I S T O R A N T I & B A R

S I N C E 1 9 2 5

The Famiglia VolpiJohn, Mary Lee, SylviaDeanna, Gina, John Jr.

Reservations Call(707) 765-0695(707) 762-2371

122-124 WASHINGTON STREET, PETALUMA, CA 94952

Mattinata di MatteoJuly 12, 28, August 2 & 9 10:30am-NoonCaffe Trieste, 601 Vallejo, San Francisco For information call Sheri at 707-765-1657

Tony Raymann’sEdelweiss Band For information call Tony at 707 422-4392

Johnny “Giovanni” Kaz Fridays 7-10 pm Serella Cafe, FairfaxSaturdays 10 am-1:30 pm for brunchBogie’s Cafe, San Rafael Civic Center

60 Regents Circle Rohnert Park, CA 94928The Accordion Club of the Redwoods, Inc., NewsletterReedWOODER

the

ACR PicnicSaturday, July 19th, 2008

ROLAND U.S. V-ACCORDION FESTIVALin conjunction with the 2ND ROLAND INTERNATIONAL V-ACCORDION FESTIVAL

LosAngelesSEpTEmbER 20, 2008be a part of the Roland V-Accordion Festivalin Los Angeles, CA and win a trip to Rome, Italy!

01049_Reedwooder_VAccordionFest_AD.indd 1 5/30/08 1:50:19 PM

Various Accordionists

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