The San Francisco Accordion Club World’s First Accordion Club 1912-2009 ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ The official instrument of San Newsletter for October 2009 Francisco! SFAC Officers President’s Message Lore Warren and Mary- Reminder: anne Romanowski for SFAC Newsletter to be Frank Montoro, President Thanks to all of you their service this (650) 574-4757 who sent in your mem- made available online. [email protected] past year. We all look bership dues. If you forward to another suc- Last month we invited Lynn Ewing, Vice President have not yet re- cessful year ahead as you to take a test drive. (650) 365-1700 sponded, please mail If you haven’t yet, here [email protected] we strive to fulfill our your checks to Val Kie- are abbreviated instruc- mission "--to enhance, Valerie Kieser, Secretary ser, 3437 Crane Way, tions on how to do so. promote and stimulate (510) 531-4836 Oakland, CA. 94602 at an appreciation of the Type the following web [email protected] your earliest conven- accordion within the address into the address Marian Kelly, Treasurer ience. We are working membership and to the box of your internet (650) 954-1896 on our budget for the general public.” browser and press the [email protected] 2009-2010 year and it enter key: is important that we SFAC Directors You are welcome to know what income we www.sfaccordionclub.com/ attend our Board meet- Aldo Argenti can expect. Our "big members ings which are held (650) 368-8791 ticket" items are rent, [email protected] at my home, 1448 Tarry- You will be asked for a food, the newsletter User Name (type in ran- Skyler Fell town St., San Mateo at 7 and insurance. These dallh) and a password (415) 596-5952 p.m. on the Thursday expenses total about accordionapoca- following our general (type in valerie). Press 70% of our budget. We [email protected] Sunday meeting. Novem- OK. are confident that we Randall Hicks ber and December dates On the new page that dis- won't have to do a (510) 583-1581 will need to be changed plays, click on the link "Schwarzenegger" and [email protected] to avoid a conflict with SFCA-June 2009 NL.pdf. start making cuts, if we Sharon Walters-Greyhosky the holidays. We can maintain or in- In several seconds, the (415) 621-8284 will let you know the crease our present newsletter should display [email protected] dates in the next news- membership. on your monitor. If you letter. receive a message that Newsletter On Thursday, Sep- you have to install the Valerie Kieser, Copy Editor We enjoy an excel- tember 24th, we had a Adobe PDF reader, go Randall Hicks, Production lent location at the Oys- meeting of the old and ahead and follow the in- Editor ter Point Yacht Club, new Executive Board structions provided to do So. San Francisco, and members, at which time so. we meet every third we welcomed Skyler Sunday at 2:00 p.m. So For questions or to Fell, Marian Kelly and we'll see you there. enroll to receive your Randall Hicks. We also newsletter online, contact thanked outgoing mem- Randy Hicks at: Frank Montoro bers Gus Greyhosky, [email protected]. September’s Musical Meeting This month our musical meeting started with some contemporary selections, that included Bella Ciao, a very important club business – the election of the new Klezmer piece – Komidants Tish Ningun, Weary Bones, Executive Board. After acknowledging our guests in St. James Infirmary, Le Chocolatier, and Siren Song, attendance, President Frank Montoro read the nomi- featured on the companion CD to the 2009 Accordion nees for the new Executive Board and opened up the Babes Calendar. floor for additional nominations. Gus Greyhosky mo- tioned that the nominations be closed and the present list of nominees be accepted. The motion was sec- onded by Aldo Argenti and the motion was carried unanimously. By a show of hands, the nominees were unanimously voted in. Our new Executive Board is as follows: Frank Montoro, President; Lynn Ewing, Vice- President; Val Kieser, Secretary; Marian Kelly, Treas- urer and Directors–at-large: Aldo Argenti, Skyler Fell, Randall Hicks and Sharon Walters-Greyhosky. Congratulations to the new Board and we extend a big THANK YOU to those members retiring from the Three of Thee Hobo Gobbelins board: Gus Greyhosky, Maryanne Romanowski and Lore Melody Guzman, Bar-b Rader and Skyler Fell Warren. We also want to thank this year’s nominating committee: Evelyn Baulch, Jim Firpo, Val Kieser, In addition to performing, Skyler is also the pro- Dominic Palmisano, and Maryanne Romanowski. prietress of the Accordion Apocalypse Repair Shop, Our M.C. for the afternoon, was standup comedian 2626 Jennings, San Francisco, where she offers accor- Aldo Argenti. dion repair and servicing, sale of instruments and ac- We had several cessories, lessons and provides a gathering space for cancellations concerts and workshops for all musicians – but espe- by the origi- cially accordionists. Skyler would like everyone to know nally scheduled that Accordion Apocalypse hosts Music Night - a free performers, jam session on the third Friday of every month. All but Skyler Fell instruments are welcome to participate, but accordions along with sev- are especially encouraged. On the third Saturday of eral members each month, Duckmandu (Aaron Seeman) teaches an of Thee Hobo accordion workshop at Accordion Apocalypse from 4:00 Gobbelins gra- to 7:00 p.m. The song attendees will learn alternates ciously stepped each week between Klezmer and Punk Rock. At the Oc- in to start off tober 17th workshop, students will learn Smells Like the afternoon’s Team Spirit by Nirvana. Beginning through advanced entertainment. Aldo Argenti—Here seen tickling level players are welcome and the cost is $20.00. Along with everyone’s funny bone! Check out the Accordion Apocalypse website for more Skyler, on ac- information. www.accordionapocalypse.com. cordion, were Melody Guzman, on the gut bucket (playing the very instrument crafted by founding mem- Next on the program was Grigoriy Krumik playing ber Walter Traverso “a few years back,”) and Bar-b his beautiful Excelsior Bayan. I am told that a Bayan is Rader on washboard. The trio gave a contagiously en- not just a piano accordion with buttons instead of keys. thusiastic performance of traditional, folk, blues and The treble side encompasses a wider range of notes 2 The Musical Meeting Continued! than the piano accordion. The bass side often fea- After a hearty lunch prepared by Tuti, with “mood tures a converter system to play in both Stradella and music” provided by Dennis Stoscher, our program con- Free bass modes. The reeds are broader and rectan- tinued with none other than our illustrious president, gular, and are often attached in large groups to a com- Frank Montoro. Those who have heard Frank play know mon plate, rather than in pairs, and the plates are of his casual and comfortable style that makes sitting screwed to the reed block, rather than being held in with wax. These significant structural differences back and listening pure enjoyment. Frank has a knack contribute to the unique sound of the Bayan - espe- for embellishing a song with lush sonorities. cially the full, deep bass. Frank entertained us with a variety of popular se- lections and medleys. At times I became mesmerized and so carried away with the music, that I forgot to write eve- rything down, so I’ll mention a few of the selections so you’ll get the idea. Frank started with a med- ley of Grigoriy Krumik Cuando Cali- with his Excelsior Bayan enta el Sol and Guan- Grigoriy began his program with a Russion romance tanamera, I Have Met You, followed by a medley of Dark Eyes followed by Frank Montoro—SFAC President and Two Guitars. Next performed were a lovely ar- the lovely rangement of Joseph Kosma’s Falling Leaves and a vir- Style Musette of André Verchuren. Frank kept us fur- tuosic arrangement of the Russian folk song Minka, ther entertained with pieces like the Theme from Love with each variation on the melody even more dazzling Story, Cry Me a River, Autumn Leaves, and Chitarra than the one before. The Bayan is said to be well Romana. Then on to a more intimate set – I’m in the suited for playing classical music, and Grigoriy demon- Mood for Love, When I Fall in Love, Y Volveré, Sola- strated this very well with Mozart’s Rondo alla Turca mente Una Vez and two Julio Iglesias hits, Hey and To (Turkish Rondo) and Monti’s Czardas. Grigoriy con- all the Girls I’ve Ever Loved. Before you knew it, the cluded his set with a moving performance of Piazolla’s afternoon was over. Libertango. For those who missed the meeting, and Our performers offered a wide variety of music even if you did attend, listen to Grigoriy performing at with something for everyone and we extend them a the 2008 Russian Festival on YouTube: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPbTvz2g-uU. Beautiful great big THANK YOU for a very entertaining after- music – beautifully played! noon. Randy Hicks 3 What’s been happening-Far ... This month were are fortunate to be able to present ac- There was also an accordion with counts of several more musical, accordion-related events both piano and button keyboards on that have recently taken place around the country. We the same side (right side.) thank Bernard Métais for the following article about his ® experience at the American Accordionists’ Association SqueezinArt showed their lovely Festival this past July. Not only was Bernard an atten- and practical accordion inspired dee, but an invited speaker whose workshop, I have on wares.