HOW TO PLAY FROM LEAD SHEETS (video) July, 2020
USING THE ROLAND BK-7 BACKUP BAND INTERFACE (video) Aug, 2020
A DESCRIPTION OF MY AMAZING NEW ACCORDION: THE ROLAND V FR-8X (pdf)
A PICTURE OF THE ROLAND GRILL (in midi lingo, the interface)
Annotated PICTURE OF THE ROLAND GRILL
Technical Annotations:
Stereo on FX-8X. The term stereo on this electronic accordion means the speakers on the right side by the keyboard are separately programmable from the speakers on the left or base button side. However, this accordion is expertly programmed by Dale Mathis and some presets actually exploit the stereo splitting effect. For example, the twin sax setting uses stereo even on the piano keys utilizing both left and right speakers with one sax sound on one side and another sound on the other. Even done on some ensemble settings. Thus, if recorded acoustically from a mono microphone on an IOS device some of the effect is lost from a live session. So I have rigged up DDR stereo recording as explained below. This indicated on the more recent recordings. I may re-record some of the older mono numbers at some point.
DDR - indicates the recording is direct from the stereo headphone jack on the Roland FR-8X to an iRig stereo digital streamer connected by the FireWire port in the iphone, or any IOS device. [iRig is a stereo digital streaming to IOS product offering from a company called iRig which offers a range of analog to digital streaming devices for various instruments to various recording platforms.]to
DDR/BK- indicates that the number includes an added rhythm from the Roland BK-7m midi interfaced back band which is patched into the stream going to the iRig device with a two channel mixer. All in stereo. The backup band is less necessary as the 8X has rhythm percussion effects. However the BK has some very entertaining Latin Rhythms.
BLUE BAYOU Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
CHERRY PINK AND APPLE BLOSSOM WHITE - RHUMBA Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
GLORY OF LOVE Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
HEAT WAVE (TROPICAL HEAT WAVE) Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
LA CUMPARSITA - TANGO Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
L-O-V-E Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER Aug, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V accordion, Roland BK-7)
POLKA MEDLEY (BEER BARRELL AND A BIT OF PENNSYLVANIA) Sept, 2020 (Instruments: Roland FR7-V-accordion only)
songs to be added soon (check back every few months) in no particular order: YELLOW BIRD, AMOR-AMOR-AMOR, PERFIDIA, SWINGIN' SAFARI, UNDER THE BOARDWALK, UP ON THE ROOF, LONELY GOATHERD, MOONGLOW, IN THE MOOD, BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY, SUKIYAKI, SLEEPWALK, TARANTELLA NEPOLITANA, THE OLD RUGGED CROSS, ON THE JERICO ROAD, WE'LL TALK IT OVER, LECHTENSTEINER POLKA, EIDELWEIS
SEND REQUESTS TO ken@neves.us [warning encouraging accordion players is dangerous]
Sidebar: In Europe accordions draw huge crowds, (my favorite, see Twinnies), but in America, accordions have become great social distancing tools, so I'm told! Second only to bagpipes. Let's buck the trend.
