Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Mihály Tabányi was born on February 1, 1921 in Pilis, Hungary. He began his musical studies on the violin at the age of five , and then on the piano at the age of eight. From 1933, he studied accordion for seven years with Lajos Bobula, while attending the Academy of Music and graduating in organ and gordon due to no accordion department. He then became a church organist.

1940 saw Mihály winning first place in the first National Accordion Competition as a professional. Two years later he won the National Accordion King Competition and the Tango Accordion Olympics. He later made his first jazz recordings for the Radiola Electro Record label.

Before 1945, he mainly performed in trios and later with György Cziffra with whom he played in the Bristol Hall orchestra, before founding his own band called Pinocchio that included two guitarists, Elek Bacsik and Attila Zoller, with which he performed in many countries. After 1945, he expanded the trio to eight members.  In 1946 he received a contract in Switzerland and two years later he founded his own accordion school. From 1949 he played with his band at the Emke Café for seven years before disbanding in 1956.

In 1950 he was awarded the title of the country’s most popular jazz musician. In 1957 he made the first Hungarian West Coast recording for the Qualiton label. From 1960 he spent years in West Germany and gave concerts in many European countries and made several large formation recordings. He worked with many singers that immortalized his playing on their records. In 2017, the National Accordionist Society established the Mihály Tabányi Award.

Accordionist Mihály Tabányi, who was an Emerton-award winner and the most popular accordionist of the Forties and Fifties, died on July 2, 2019 at the age of 98.

BRONZE LENS

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The Jazz Voyager

New York is beckoning the Jazz Voyager to leave the cold of the Midwest to experience the familiar cold of the Big Apple for two new events. The first is a visit to a fresh old fashioned haunt that’s tucked away in Lefferts Garden called Bar Bayeux. Though it may be familiar, I’m desirous of warmer southern temperatures but the jazz and new adventures never stop.

The second event has me in the company of international recording pianist, organist, and accordionist Gary Versace who is one of the busiest and most versatile musicians on the international jazz scene. Leading this quartet date, he has been featured in bands of John Scofield, Maria Schneider, John Abercrombie, Anat Cohen, Al Foster, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, Madeleine Peyroux, Matt Wilson, Ingrid Jensen and many others.

Bar Bayeux is located at 1066  Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11225. For more information visit https://www.barbayeux.com. No cover, one drink minimum but tips for musicians are encouraged.



CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Karen Street was born on December 13, 1959 in the United Kingdom (UK) and started playing the accordion at the age of 7.  She went on to study at Bath University, RWMCD and in London, England with the late Ivor Beynon, a pioneer of the classical accordion. She studied music at Welsh College of Music and Drama and Guildhall School of Music. She became the British Virtuoso Champion in 1981/2 and competed in the Coupe Mondiale World Championship in Hamburg, Germany and Folkstone, UK.

Karen has created a niche for herself in the UK jazz scene and is a regular member of Mike Westbrook’s groups, works with Tim Garland as well as part of Lammas playing alongside Geoff Keezer, Joe Locke and Avishai Cohen.

As a saxophonist Street was a member of the all girl saxophone quartet The Fairer Sax and is now a member and co-leader of Saxtet with her husband Andy Tweed.

Karen’s composing is specialized by writing music for the saxophone, from solos to large ensembles. Her composition for solo accordion, In The Ballroom With The Rope, took first prize at the London Accordion Festival, Composition Competition in 2001. The same year she released her debut recording, Finally A Beginning.

Besides jazz, Karen has played across genres with the likes of Bryan Ferry, Grace Jones, Andrea Bocelli, Kate Westbrook, BBC Philharmonic, Icebreaker, and the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour band for three seasons.

Accordionist, saxophonist and flutist Karen Street is currently a freelance musician playing across a wide variety of genres.

GRIOTS GALLERY

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Gustave Joseph Viseur was born on May 17, 1915 was born in Lessines, Belgium and because his father was a bargeman, the family moved around a lot until 1920, when they settled in Paris, France. He was given basic instruction in how to play the accordion by his father from the age of eight, then received lessons from a music professor. Father and son played together in an amateur band from 1929. After his father died he began performing on the streets of Paris in fairs and markets.

In the early 1930s, Viseur played second accordion under bandleader Médard Ferrero. In 1933 he met René “Charley” Bazin and the two accordionists started improvising, inspired by hearing jazz. This led to him forming his own band in 1935. It played in a variety of styles and recorded four tunes that year.

Gus was a member of the Boris Sarbek Orchestra, then worked in France and Belgium with Philippe Brun, Joseph Reinhardt, and his own quintet. Together with guitarist Baro Ferret, he added elements of swing to traditional musettes that they played from 1938 and into World War II. He had more public attention after recording L’Accordéoniste with singer Édith Piaf in 1940.

He toured the United States in 1963, then stopped playing and opened a record shop in Le Havre. He started performing again around 1970, and recorded the album Swing Accordéon the following year.

Accordionist Gus Viseur died in Le Havre on August 25, 1974.

SUITE TABU 200

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Johnny Meijer was born Jan Cornelis Meijer on October 1, 1912 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Widely recognized as a virtuoso jazz accordionist not only did he play popular songs but also fast swing numbers. In 1974 he recorded the Dutch Swing College Band’s Johnny Goes Dixie LP, which went gold.

He will also be remembered for his proficiency with classical and folk music in his native city.  was typically seen during performances with a cigar in his mouth. He was a major influence on French accordionist Richard Galliano.

Unfortunately, due to his short temper and drinking, during the last years of his life, Meijer was rarely invited to play large performances, mainly in connection with his short temper and his drinking, the King of the Accordion saw out his final days mostly in silence, occasionally playing weddings and parties.

The subject of a film, Amsterdam erected a statue to the musician. Accordionist Johnny Meijer, who celebrated his 75th birthday at the North Sea Jazz Festival, transitioned on January 8, 1992 in Amsterdam.

BRONZE LENS

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