New Marcel Loeffler CD on the way!

brandoneon

A new Marcel Loeffler album has been in the works for a while (with a release date set for this past spring...). Although there's still no info on its release date, there is now a webpage up for 'Around Gus', his hommage to Gus Viseur, including tunes written/played by Viseur, and originals.

http://www.disquesdreyfus.com/catalogue ... d-gus.html

As a side note, he designed the accordion on the album cover. Instead of bass buttons that play major, minor, and dominant 7 chords, he opted for major 7th, minor 7th, and alternating dominant 9th and 13th chords! :shock:
There are samples of him demonstrating it on his webpage with some nice solo work.
http://marcel-loeffler.com/gadji/index.html

denk8

Marcel is a genious prodigy. His previous albums are super and this one will be special!
Stephanie Simon built his accordion in her shop in Orval.
Talented accordeur.

brandoneon

The album is now available (at least here in France) in both CD and MP3 formats. It features Hono Winterstein, Cedric Loeffler and Mandino Reinhardt on guitars, Claudius Dupont on bass, Raymond Halbeisen on clarinet, and Andre Minvielle scatting on 'Flambee Montalbanaise' (as he did on the Paris Musette collection). There are some gems, but personally when I listen to the whole album, I don't find it as consistantly great as 'Source Manouche' or 'Hommage' (or even 'Note Manouche'). One minor point: there is barely any info in the CD booklet, which may make the MP3 album version a more economically prudent choice.

accent_mus

Does anyone know when the new Loeffler CD will be out in the US? I can't find it on itunes or anywhere else. Thanks.
-Dallas

BIll Brown

Hey

Sounds like a really cool accordion.........I have to think about it for a while...

Bill Brown

BIll Brown

Brandon

How is this accordion with M7, m7 ,D9 and 13ths as bass notes set up ??? It sounds quite facinating to me....

Bill

brandoneon

BIll Brown wrote:

How is this accordion with M7, m7 ,D9 and 13ths as bass notes set up ??? It sounds quite facinating to me....

There's a PDF that shows it visually here: http://nouvelaccord.com/images/ClavierGadji.pdf

Basically there are 3 rows of bass and 3 rows of chords, as is typical on French accordions. This typical French accordion has no diminished row, so there are only major, minor, and 7th chords.

However, on the Gadji accordion that Marcel Loeffler plays, the major and minor rows are inverted (and shifted slightly). For example, adjacent to F bass is now A minor (instead of F major), and this gives F + A minor = FM7. Adjacent to A minor is Ab major (where F minor would normally be). When played with the F bass button, this gives F + Ab major = Fm7.

I initially thought this new system was a cool idea, but I'm not so convinced now. At least for me, I have no problem making M7 and m7 chords on the standard Stradella bass system. And even though with a little ingenuity on the Gadji accordion you can still play un-ornamented major and minor chords with their root bass note, it doesn't look comfortable to me. I also think the 7th and diminished rows on a Stradella bass system can be useful for creating other chords. But here with the Gadji I'm still baffled why there is a row of 9 AND 13 chords! OK, so maybe you want to play a F 9 chord on the bass ... but what happens when you want to play a F 13?

Despite my critique (or misunderstandings) of how the Gadji accordion can be effectively played, one thing is for sure: Marcel Loeffler isn't half-bad on that thing! :shock: :shock: :shock:

BIll Brown

Brandon

Thanks for the post.....sort of makes me appreciate my stradella bass box....Still the French accordion still holds some mystical force over me.....They sound so Sweet...

Im still looking for that Guilietti Super but nothing in sight...The Super is still on ebay but way overpriced and sold with no return policy....

Stay well Bill