Art Van Damme, A Jazz Accordian Player!

Steve Alonzo Walker · Post by **Steve Alonzo Walker** » 21 Jul 2014 3:50 am

I recently heard an Accordian player named Art Van Damme playing Jazz on my XM radio, so I went to You-Tube and downloaded everything there was on him and he is one swinging cat! And his band is just as swinging as he is! I wish I could play Steel like he plays!!! Check him out...you won't be disappointed.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 21 Jul 2014 6:24 am

http://www.artvandamme.com

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 21 Jul 2014 11:20 am

I totally agree...i have been a huge fan of his since the mid 70s...joe pass at one time was his guitar player as well as fred lindquist...i was lucky enough to see art twice in person, once in dallas and once in milwaukee...just amazing...i collected every recording he ever made on vinyl...he inspired me to try to earn to play accordion...hopeless task to play like him...and i dont normally like um-pa accordion, but you will never hear that from him....his combo with the vibes, drums, accordion and guitar was copied by george shearing on piano...art said the two of them used to joke about who came up with that combo sound first...regardless,,,,great stuff!!!

There is another accordion player who approached art, but his name fails this old mans brain....george something...if i find i will post it,,,you might enjoy him as well

Glad to hear his music is not lost !

Leslie Ehrlich · Post by **Leslie Ehrlich** » 21 Jul 2014 2:37 pm

Unfortunately, the 120 bass piano accordion has carried the stereotype of being a 'polka' instrument for many decades. But in the hands of players such as Van Damme and others who plays in different genres, it can be a wonderful sounding instrument.

Jan Viljoen · Post by **Jan Viljoen** » 21 Jul 2014 9:44 pm

Nice thread.
Please check out our own accordionist, Serge Zampolli.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By-zP8jlXkw

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 22 Jul 2014 5:27 am

I'm not that into jazz but my favorite accordion player of all time would have to be Myron Floren of the Lawrence Welk band. That guy could play anything he wanted. Remember the Chet Atkins recording of "Dizzy Fingers"?... Myron did that on the show one night and really nailed it. I'd never seen fingers move that fast before...

A couple more who come to mind were Pedro DePaul who played for Spade Cooley's band and later in Tex Williams' Western Caravan... A great current player to hear is Jeff Taylor with the Time Jumpers, he doesn't have to take a back seat to anyone....JH in Va.

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 22 Jul 2014 2:37 pm

Art has been a killer under-the-radar jazz and pop player since the 1950s. I saw him live on the "Accordions that shook the World" tour circa 1992.

The late Frank Morrocco was another fabulous jazz accordion player.

http://blip.tv/jon-hammond/frank-marocc ... ee-6277221

Frank did duet gigs for many years with Ray Pizzi on reeds, another great swinger.

http://www.raypizzi.com/03%20Ecaroh.mp3

Larry Lenhart · Post by **Larry Lenhart** » 22 Jul 2014 3:27 pm

Ahhh thanks Andy, Frank Morroco was the name I was trying to think of, not george...great player as well

Ulrich Sinn · Post by **Ulrich Sinn** » 24 Jul 2014 11:44 am

If you like that kind of accordion playing, then Richard Galliano comes to mind.