Category Archives: News

Tango Siempre Septet in Concert on Sunday September 6th 2015 at the Purcell Room

Tango Siempre at the Purcell Room

ango Siempre Septet are joined by Ann Liebeck, David and Kim Benitez and Nuno Silva in Concert on Sunday September 6th 2015 at the Purcell Room. Julian Rowlands plays bandoneon with this amazing tango ensemble. Angelic or demonic? Discover the passionate tango masterworks of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla.

Accordionist Karen Street’s Ensemble Streetworks launch new album – Unfurled

Unfurled-CD-Karen Street

Karen Street is a musician who always commands the greatest of respect. She is an immensely able and talented accordionist, always tasteful and imaginative and whose music is always relevant to life. She is one of the few accordionists who predominately use free bass in jazz.

Encuentro – The Deco Ensemble launch their new tango album

Deco Ensemble CD Encuentro

Following their South Bank CD launch last month ZZ Music are pleased to make ENCUENTRO this superb CD available to ZZ Music customers. Featuring Bartosz Glowacki on Accordion with a top notch group of musicians that make up the Deco Ensemble you will hear Tango interpreted at its very best in this their debut album.

Toralf Tollefsen -World Artist

‘Toralf Tollefsen World Artist’ is a fascinating and very readable book about the life, career and achievements of Toralf Tollefsen (1914-94), a much loved and internationally renowned accordionist from Norway, a man who truly became a legend in his lifetime. First published (in Norwegian) in 1994 to celebrate Tollefsen’s 80th birthday, this book is not actually a biography as such, but an anthology edited by Jon Faukstad containing a lengthy in-depth biographical interview with the great man by Faukstad, four informative articles about Tollefsen and his very significant contribution to the accordion (written by Mogens Ellegaard, Ola Kai Ledang, Jon Faukstad, and Birger Ostby), plus a complete and detailed discography, compiled by Tom Valle. Toralf Tollefsen has long been a legendary figure in the accordion world, especially in Britain where he lived between 1936/39 and 1946/61. There have been other accordionists equally skilled, but few could match Tollefsen’s charisma, stage presence or reputation, or the deep impression he made on a generation of accordionists in this country whose progress was often measured by how well they could play compositions and arrangements bearing Tollefsen’s name. This newly published English-language version tells a great deal about Tollefsen’s lifelong dedication to the accordion, and the reader will learn much about his ambitions, thoughts on repertoire, performance, his instruments, playing experiences in Britain and the USA, and his philosophy about life. The life of Tollefsen is, in a sense, the story of the modern accordion in Britain and Europe as this was the man whose long-held and eventually realised dream it was to pioneer the accordion’s transition from variety theatres to the classical concert stage, introducing the free bass instrument in the process. In the interview section Tollefsen discusses how he went from variety to classical music in the post-war years, and the problems he had to overcome with this transition. Originally published in Norwegian, ‘Toralf Tollefsen World Artist’ has been painstakingly translated and updated by Owen Murray, with assistance from Olga Jorgensen for the translation of the article by Professor Ola Kai Ledang. Special mention should be made of the initiative of Roland Williams, whose enthusiasm brought this project to fruition.

Toral Tollefsen, World Artist is a new publication we now have in stock featuring one of the first truly global accordionists of the concert platform. The book tracks the life of this pioneer of the concert accordion through interviews and articles contributed by the editor Jon Faukstad, Mogens Ellegaard, Ola Kai Ledang and others.

A busy summer for accordionist Karen Tweed

Karen Tweed

Karen Tweed must be one of the busiest accordionists in the UK. She is ever-popular with her music drawing inspiration from World Music particularly from Scandinavia and Ireland. Her CDs always feature collaborations with fabulous musicians. You will find many of them in our CD section on this site. She’s also always busy teaching at workshops all over the UK. Catch her at a venue near you this summer:

Deco Ensemble concert, 9th July, 8pm at the Purcell Room,London with accordionist Bartosz Glowacki

Deco Ensemble concert, 9th July, 8pm at the Purcell Room,London with accordionist Bartosz Glowacki

Accordion-lovers should not miss the Deco Ensemble’s concert on the 9th of July at 8pm at the Purcell Room (Southbank Centre) in London with accordionist Bartosz Glowacki. Glowacki, who is studying at The Royal Academy of Music has just finished his undergraduate course and has been very busy working both with the Deco Ensemble and as a soloist.

Professor Owen Murray and student Iosif Purits play Piazzolla and Gordon Jacob Accordion Concertos – 5th June 2015

Owen Murray

Professor Owen Murray and one of his students at the Royal Academy of Music, Iosif Purits, along with Guitarist Chris Waddington present an evening of classical music for Accordion, Guitar and String Orchestra in the stunning surroundings of Giggleswick School Chapel. Performances will include the Gordon Jacob Accordion Concerto, the Concerto for Bandoneon and Guitar (Hommage à Liége) by Astor Piazzolla and other works by Scarlatti, Mussorgsky and Vivaldi.

Edward Hession – Guest accordionist at Guildford Accordion Club – 19th June 2015

Edward Hession

19th June will be a very special club night at Guildford Accordion Club at Ripley Village Hall featuring guest accordionist Eddie Hession and Friends. Eddie is one of the UK’s finest musicians – a world tour with the Three Tenors – accompanist of choice to Pavarotti – member of ZUM – currently about to start a three week tour of Scotland with the Budapest Café Orchestra.

Toralf Tollefsen -World Artist

‘Toralf Tollefsen World Artist’ is a fascinating and very readable book about the life, career and achievements of Toralf Tollefsen (1914-94), a much loved and internationally renowned accordionist from Norway, a man who truly became a legend in his lifetime. First published (in Norwegian) in 1994 to celebrate Tollefsen’s 80th birthday, this book is not actually a biography as such, but an anthology edited by Jon Faukstad containing a lengthy in-depth biographical interview with the great man by Faukstad, four informative articles about Tollefsen and his very significant contribution to the accordion (written by Mogens Ellegaard, Ola Kai Ledang, Jon Faukstad, and Birger Ostby), plus a complete and detailed discography, compiled by Tom Valle. Toralf Tollefsen has long been a legendary figure in the accordion world, especially in Britain where he lived between 1936/39 and 1946/61. There have been other accordionists equally skilled, but few could match Tollefsen’s charisma, stage presence or reputation, or the deep impression he made on a generation of accordionists in this country whose progress was often measured by how well they could play compositions and arrangements bearing Tollefsen’s name. This newly published English-language version tells a great deal about Tollefsen’s lifelong dedication to the accordion, and the reader will learn much about his ambitions, thoughts on repertoire, performance, his instruments, playing experiences in Britain and the USA, and his philosophy about life. The life of Tollefsen is, in a sense, the story of the modern accordion in Britain and Europe as this was the man whose long-held and eventually realised dream it was to pioneer the accordion’s transition from variety theatres to the classical concert stage, introducing the free bass instrument in the process. In the interview section Tollefsen discusses how he went from variety to classical music in the post-war years, and the problems he had to overcome with this transition. Originally published in Norwegian, ‘Toralf Tollefsen World Artist’ has been painstakingly translated and updated by Owen Murray, with assistance from Olga Jorgensen for the translation of the article by Professor Ola Kai Ledang. Special mention should be made of the initiative of Roland Williams, whose enthusiasm brought this project to fruition.

Toral Tollefsen, World Artist is a new publication we now have in stock featuring one of the first truly global accordionists of the concert platform. The book tracks the life of this pioneer of the concert accordion through interviews and articles contributed by the editor Jon Faukstad, Mogens Ellegaard, Ola Kai Ledang and others.