Ignacchitti
Active member
I find the topic of the extended keyboard on jazz accordion interesting.
Among musicians who play jazz accordion, of varying levels of fame, here is a breakdown of who I have seen with an extended keyboard or not. Emphasis on "I have seen", because photos/videos are limited and I am not their biographer so I may have an incomplete picture of their history.
This is not necessarily *the* correct or definitive info, in fact correct me if I am wrong!
Only saw these with extended keyboard, up to high B or high C:
Art Van Damme,
Ernie Felice (?? Hard to find images or videos of his, but the only images in which he appears with a normal range keyboard are ads for Sonola, not when playing)
Frederic Schlick (?? Also hard to find images or videos, but so far I have only seen him with an extended range keyboard)
Sometimes with extended keyboard but also sometimes with normal range accordions:
Frank Marocco (though famous for his last years with a normal range Victoria, he also played for many years with an extended keyboard and several other brands - Giulietti, Petosa, Excelsior, Zero Sette, etc. some of which had an extended keyboard, though not all. Even played an extended range Victoria too),
Dick Contino,
Tommy Gumina
Tony Dannon,
Kenny Kotwitz,
Jack Emblow,
Renzo Ruggieri (though I see him with a normal range keyboard a bit more often)
Note: several of these guys can be seen playing an extended keyboard when young but normal range later on.
Only saw these with normal range accordions:
Joe Mooney,
Pete Jolly (these two were also pianists),
Simone Zanchini,
Dominic Frontiere,
Paul Betken,
Frank Petrilli,
Joe Cerrito,
David Magliozzi,
David Lange,
Gabe Hall-Rodrigues,
Tony Lovello (if you can call that jazz),
Chico Chagas (jazz mixed with bossa nova)
Among musicians who play jazz accordion, of varying levels of fame, here is a breakdown of who I have seen with an extended keyboard or not. Emphasis on "I have seen", because photos/videos are limited and I am not their biographer so I may have an incomplete picture of their history.
This is not necessarily *the* correct or definitive info, in fact correct me if I am wrong!
Only saw these with extended keyboard, up to high B or high C:
Art Van Damme,
Ernie Felice (?? Hard to find images or videos of his, but the only images in which he appears with a normal range keyboard are ads for Sonola, not when playing)
Frederic Schlick (?? Also hard to find images or videos, but so far I have only seen him with an extended range keyboard)
Sometimes with extended keyboard but also sometimes with normal range accordions:
Frank Marocco (though famous for his last years with a normal range Victoria, he also played for many years with an extended keyboard and several other brands - Giulietti, Petosa, Excelsior, Zero Sette, etc. some of which had an extended keyboard, though not all. Even played an extended range Victoria too),
Dick Contino,
Tommy Gumina
Tony Dannon,
Kenny Kotwitz,
Jack Emblow,
Renzo Ruggieri (though I see him with a normal range keyboard a bit more often)
Note: several of these guys can be seen playing an extended keyboard when young but normal range later on.
Only saw these with normal range accordions:
Joe Mooney,
Pete Jolly (these two were also pianists),
Simone Zanchini,
Dominic Frontiere,
Paul Betken,
Frank Petrilli,
Joe Cerrito,
David Magliozzi,
David Lange,
Gabe Hall-Rodrigues,
Tony Lovello (if you can call that jazz),
Chico Chagas (jazz mixed with bossa nova)
