http://www.nfb.ca/film/buster_keaton_rides_again/?ec=en20101027
(darn you wordpress and your disdain for embedding non-you-tube video)
No matter how long I watch this, I still find it so hard to reconcile the agile Buster Keaton of the 1920′s with the older, pack-a-day voice he possesses in his later years. Did he always talk like that? I would love so much to see some footage of him with sound from 1927. But I’m guessing that didn’t exist then… Still – a great glimpse into Mr. Keaton’s world.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my own acquisition of a new addition to my accordion world. Guenadiy Lazarov at the Accordion Gallery in Landing, NJ (about an hour west of the city) is to thank/blame. A slightly used PanItalia Quint Convertor is now in my possession and I couldn’t be happier. If you’re into that sort of thing, I can’t recommend Guenadiy highly enough. He’s a beautiful guy, has a doctorate in Physics, and is a great repairman on the complicated inner workings of these lovely instruments. Not quite as aggressive of a salesperson as Anne over there, which is a good thing, I must say. He puts an accordion in your lap, and then leaves the room. That’s him below giving the final once-over on the bass mechanism of my new baby.
In January 2008 I was in Chicago performing with Ted Hearne, and after a day in the city, someone alluded to the fact that Chicago was an accordion town (much more than Charleston, SC), and as such, I should visit an accordion shop while I was there. My accordion was in need of a couple repairs, and the state of South Carolina has exactly zero accordion shops, and so I was pretty excited about the trip. Enter Anne Romagnoli at the Italo-Accordion Company, in Oak Lawn, IL. She was one of the more incredible people I’ve ever met, and without a doubt the most aggressive salesperson in any field I’ve ever encountered. Needless to say, I left Chicago with a new accordion, and while it didn’t last me as long as I would have liked before needing some repairs of its own, it certainly was a step-up from my previous box in many ways, and ended up teaching me much about home-made accordion repairs. I recently ran across an article in the Chicago Tribune about Anne and her shop. It captures the essence of this woman pretty much spot on, and is well worth the read. Also a page of great photos of her and the shop. Here’s to you Anne.
