Thursday 15 December 2011

Five Merry Squeezeboxers

A selection of squeezeboxes and squeezeboxers from the annals of You Tube. First off the celebrated Mr K, or John Kirkpatrick, whose comments on playing the melodeon I included in my post about the said instrument. Here he is showing his remarkable musicianship playing a three-row box tuned to give a fully chromatic instrument - that means it's got all the notes you need to play any tune in any key!



Another very influential but much less well-known squeezer, Tony Hall from Norfolk, playing a two-row box, a much more limited instrument but you'd never know that when Mr Hall is at the controls.




From Ireland, The amazing Finbar Dwyer...



And also from Ireland Bobby Gardiner playing the simple one row melodeon. When I say simple I mean simple to play simply, but simply impossible to play well - unless you're the legendary Bobby Gardiner....



Just to finish off Totore Chessa from Sardinia. As someone once said of his playing "I know what he's doing and it's impossible!"


Well, you either love them or hate them, I suppose. Personally I'm off to practise some more...

Take care.

7 comments:

  1. Interesting, John. Thanks for sharing. I must say I have a definite preference for the Irish lads. Maybe it's just due to greater cultural exposure.

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  2. How I wish I could be described as an "influential but less well-known squeezer".

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  3. Well that was a rollicking good time. Fun!

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  4. Thanks, John, that was fascinating. They all sound so different. Visually, the one I loved was Tony Hall, with his pipe bouncing up and down and sitting at a messy desk looking like a crazed accountant in tax season. Lucewoman, I hear you are an influential but less well-known squeezer. (HAH!)

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  5. All of them are astounding. I love them, myself. Here in the US I particularly like John Whelan. He's amazing.

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  6. Thank you for your comments. It was a lot easier to find examples of Irish players on You Tube so I was able to pick and choose much more. Tony Hall - once saw him playing wearing a tweed suit and wellington boots, a man who was never much impressed by the limelight. Granny Sue, yes, John Whelan is quite something. Lucewoman - Jack has already said it!

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  7. I've been listening to a favorite CD: Celtic Christmas. Thanks to your blog I noted an accordian sort of sound in the background of several pieces. I immediately thought that you would have known exactly what sort of 'squeezebox' was being played.
    One of the joys of reading a good blog is the opportunities for gaining snippets of knowledge which enhance the ordinary.

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Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'll try to answer any questions via a comment or e-mail within the next day or two (no hard questions, please!).