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ere I publish links to books, DVDs, videos, websites, reviews\u00a0and all other similar topics related to the accordion. DVD – Accordion Tribe (2004):<\/span><\/span><\/strong> “Accordion Tribe – Music Travels is a German-language documentary film about the band, produced by Maximage of Switzerland and written and directed by Stefan Schwietert. It premiered in January 2004. In 2005 it won the Swiss Film Prize for the Best Documentary, as well as the documentary film prize at the Wurzburg International Filmweekend. The film features the life of the band on the road and in concert, as well as exploring each individual member in their homelands.<\/em> My review:\u00a0 <\/strong>I’ve purchased this DVD and enjoyed it.\u00a0\u00a0The story is about a man that brings\u00a0five completely different accordion stylists who are also composers, from different parts of the world,\u00a0together with the intent to create an accordion recital that travels across many nations\u00a0and contains the\u00a0original works from all of the five accordionists.\u00a0 The story gives a pretty fair insight into the personalities and musical genius of each musician and how they experienced this adventure.\u00a0 The music is truly unique, if some of it,\u00a0for me, was a little more “out there”.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n This is the kind of DVD that needs to be watched several times over in a nice quiet setting so that you can soak in not just\u00a0the nuances of the music, but the diverse personalities of each accordionist.\u00a0 I think the concept was brilliant, however, had I made it, I would have included different accordionists.\u00a0 At the VERY least I would have added Joe Macerollo, a Canadian master accordionist that has likely done more\u00a0 for the furthering the vision of the accordion\u00a0in North America\u00a0than any artist in this video.\u00a0 Having been made by an American, the vision of the movie is\u00a0skewed a little towards their point of view, which is expected.\u00a0 It’s not bad, it just needs to be said so that it is expected. Being a tough critic, I would have to give this\u00a0DVD a 3 out of 5 stars<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n DVD – Behind the Bellows (2009):<\/span><\/span><\/strong> “\u2026\u00a0is Steve Mobia’s comprehensive sixty-minute squeezebox documentary which chronicles the accordion\u2019s variety, history and it’s effect on popular culture. Includes interviews with accordion legends such as Anthony Gall-Rini, Guy Klucevsek, and Dick Contino, and ventures through concertinas, button boxes as well as a presentation of MIDI accordions\u2026.”<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here is a link to the site<\/a> where one can purchase it at.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n My review:<\/strong>\u00a0 I have purchased this DVD and enjoyed it.\u00a0 I found this DVD and it’s story quite charming.\u00a0 I find it hard to believe that it took 7 years to make this DVD, because that’s a LONG time to accumulate only 2-3 hours of material, and if there was a lot more, where is it?\u00a0 There are a lot of nice things presented and I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of old footage of some of the greats from the golden time of the accordion and even more surprised to see some of them still with the accordion on.\u00a0 They speak a little about the history of the accordion and show some of the variants out there, but\u00a0with a very limited view.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The documentary is indeed on the accordion, but shot only from the\u00a0perspective of someone living in\u00a0only certain parts of the\u00a0USA (not even a hint as to what is happening in other parts of the USA!).\u00a0 In that sense, I found\u00a0the story lacking and\u00a0a little limiting because in many places in Europe the accordion is still held\u00a0in high esteem and maybe some more footage of Castelfidardo, specifically some\u00a0key accordion manufacturers\u00a0(a place I commonly refer to as “accordion heaven”), should have been included, it would have added so much more to the story and interest of the accordion.\u00a0 Had I made this DVD, I would have included a few minutes on how accordions work and how they are assembled, with a little footage of a factory and a few people working on them. Being a tough critic, I would have to give this\u00a0DVD a 4 out of 5 stars.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n DVD – Accordions Rising (2016):<\/span><\/span><\/strong> “Accordions Rising Is a documentary feature film about the resurgence of interest in accordion music over the last 30-40 years. Although many continue to see the accordion as the stodgy instrument of a bygone era – and accordion jokes abound – this film sets the record straight. It is the story of the variety, diversity and extraordinary virtuosity of the instrument and the music that it can make\u2026”<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n I have\u00a0purchased this DVD and quite honestly, it is a bit of a disappointment.\u00a0 If you have seen the 2009 Behind The Bellows, then you will have seen more than half of Accordions Rising.\u00a0 It has a lot of the same info, same message, same story\u00a0and even many of the same names appearing in both DVDs.\u00a0 It is a very “American-centric” story that unfortunately, is one that has\u00a0already been told better elsewhere.\u00a0 Basically, it’s a bit of a remake of “Behind the Bellows”, but sadly without any major improvements over the first movie except the few minutes of displaying and talking about the Roland “V” accordions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Yes, it’s nice to have, ok to watch, but it could have been SO MUCH better!\u00a0 Add a little international flavor, add some current real day international accordion HEROS, people that have done more for the accordion than ANYONE has in the past.\u00a0 Finally,\u00a0know what?\u00a0 There is more to the accordion world today than just what happens in ONE country.\u00a0 The accordion’s roots are in Europe, how about even a SMALL look over there?\u00a0 Show some of those factories, show some of those people that make them and show a few Canadian and European people that make the accordion what it can be!\u00a0 Someone had a chance to make a mind-blowing DVD about accordions, and sadly, it fell quite a bit short. The day someone\u00a0uses the recipe that I mentioned,\u00a0that is the day I just might<\/em><\/strong> give\u00a0some DVD a 5 star rating!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here is a link to their facebook site<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Being a tough critic, I would have to give this\u00a0DVD a\u00a02 out of\u00a05 stars.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n An accordion player that I could listen to all day\u2026 Christa Behnke, a German traditional stylist. HERE is a\u00a0YouTube\u00a0name search to her name<\/a> to show all\u00a0videos with her name in it!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n A YouTube query for videos about Free Bass accordions\u2026 HERE is a slew of videos<\/a> to enjoy!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “Accordion Know-how”<\/a> is a link to a place about how to tune and repair accordions that I found very good, however, after visiting this site I found that my IE settings were modified.\u00a0 They were changed to make this page my “home” page and any new tabs opened also opened this page.\u00a0 HIGHLY annoying and totally unnecessary!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “Accordion Revival”<\/a> is a site that discusses accordion repair that is very good.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “Talking Reeds”<\/a> is another good site that discusses accordion repair.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “Joseph Macerollo”<\/a> is the old outdated personal website from Joseph Macerollo.\u00a0 Started in 2004, it sadly ended in 2009.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n “<\/a>Joseph Macerollo’s” new site!<\/a> Very cool to see a new site associated with respected this accordionist.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The Accordionists Forum<\/a>
The best online forum made for us accordionists.\u00a0 Lots of knowledgeable friendly people!<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Amazon.com link to this DVD<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n