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SAN DIEGO ACCORDIONIST DOESN’T NEED TWO TO TANGO JUST HIS SQUEEZE BOX
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9/28/2009 : Costa Mesa, CA ---Every accordionist appearing at The Big Squeeze- 1st Annual Orange County Accordion Festival is passionate about his or her instrument. After all, it takes a great deal of dedication and concentration to learn what most musicians consider the second hardest instrument to master after the violin.
But few accordionists are as proficient in what San Diego-based musician and teacher Lou Fanucchi considers one of the most passionate of all musical styles: tango nuevo (new tango) a style of music that combines traditional Argentine tango with elements of Latin jazz and classical music.
At The Big Squeeze, Sunday, October 11 at the Orange County Market Place in Costa Mesa, the weekend swap meet at the fairgrounds, Fanucchi, along with more than 40 other accordionists and musicians, ranging in ages 8 to 91 will showcase a variety of music styles to demonstrate the squeeze box’s versatility and cross cultural appeal including Cajun, zydeco, folk, jazz, gypsy, French, German, tango, Russian, Tex-Mex, Latin, blues, rock and much more
Fanucchi will give a Tango Nuevo workshop from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. demonstrating the unique sound of tango nuevo. “I’ll give a little history, play some of it and just basically show my appreciation for this very passionate style of playing,” he said.
The acclaimed 20th Century Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla developed tango nuevo by introducing instruments such as the saxophone and electric guitar into traditional tango. But the instrument that Piazzolla composed upon, the bandoneon is in the accordion family, and Fanucchi had made it a mission of sorts to expose people to how the instrument can be used in performing tango nuevo.
“It’s really juicy music that elevated the accordion, since Piazzolla brought out the passion of the instrument, which is something a lot of people don’t think of when it comes to the accordion,” he says. “That’s sad, because it can be a richly passionate, deeply romantic instrument and tango nuevo really shows that off.”
Raised in San Diego's Italian-American neighborhood, Fanucchi began accordion lessons at age 7 1/2 with Charles Bertolino. Fanucchi studied classical and free bass accordion, growing a virtuosic technical command and understanding of the instrument and developing a powerhouse left hand ability rarely displayed by accordionists. Simultaneously he studied at San Diego State University receiving a B.M. degree in accordion performance in 1985.
A member of the San Diego Symphony, Fanucchi has won international awards for his accordion performances including the International Accordion Grand Prix Competition in Los Angeles and the National Accordion Virtuoso Competition in Colorado Springs. He is currently one of five finalists in the Second Annual Roland U.S. V Accordion National Finals, which will be held September 25 in Commerce, CA. The winner of that competition is awarded the opportunity to perform at the International Accordion Festival in Rome, Italy on November 21.
Fanucchi, 47, has performed with a number of internationally recognized artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Yankovic, Frankie Lane as well as the American Ballet Company and the St. Louis Symphony, to name a few. At the Orange County Accordion Festival he will also play with Raving Polka, a Moscow troupe that plays Russian folk with a twist of jazz, blues, dance and comedy. Their concert is from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Fanucchi has mastered many other music styles including classical, pop, jazz, klezmer, Latin, gypsy jazz, Tex-Mex, Cajun, zydeco and Italian.
“But I’d put tango nuevo in the top three, for sure, it’s just super-cool music and I’ve really delved into it and learned how to play it, and what it’s all about, and I like sharing that with people in my workshop. Its phenomenal music, and a lot of people, players and non-players, haven’t been exposed to it, at least in Southern California.”
Along with Fanucchi, the public will be exposed to four stages of accordion music and accordion based bands and orchestras performing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition there will be free dance lessons and a section for specialty vendors in the Main Squeeze Stage area. Along with the Festival is the regular base of Market Place vendors which includes nearly 1,000 merchants offering a variety of products and services. fresh produce, gourmet foods to go, artisans and crafters, manufactured homes, kid’s play area, inflatable attractions, hair salon, food concessions and more.
Though the talent is rich, the Accordion Festival will not put a squeeze on your wallet. All activities including entrance to the swap meet are included in the price of Market Place admission, which is $2 or FREE with a canned food item to help the Orange County Food Bank. Children 12 and under are free. A complete schedule for “The Big Squeeze” is available at the website www.ocmarketplace.com.
All attendees will have the opportunity to win a FREE Hohner Bravo 48 II accordion donated by Hohner USA. Free sign up to win the accordion, which is ideal for beginners, will be available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Big Squeeze information booth. The winner, who must be present to win, will be announced at 2:30 p.m.
In its 40th year the Orange County Market Place is held every weekend (except during the Orange County Fair) at the O.C. Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa. Hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. More information on these events may be obtained by visiting www.ocmarketplace.com or calling 949-723-6660.
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