When I was a child I preferred the electric guitar to the accordion.  The kids that played accordion, well in a word, were considered geeks.  Little did I know then.  Today, accordion is one of my favorite instruments, from tango to French cafe and everything in between, accordions are hip these days and a necessary instrument in almost all forms of traditional music from around the world.  The street accordionist that comprise the Polish group, Motion Trio take the accordion into the wilds.  They create vibrato, percussion; the shaking and scraping of bellows on their recording, Pictures from the Street.  One listen to this CD and no kid would mistake an accordionist for a geek.  After one listen, no doubt there will be several youngsters begging for accordion lessons and adults too.

According to the press notes, "Other instruments like the violin, guitar and piano have already been exhausted in their own ways, and at this point not much new can really be done with them.  It's entirely different with the accordion, which is only just now being gradually discovered and played experimentally."  You will find plenty of experimentation on this recording, often taking the accordion where it hasn't gone before except perhaps in the expert hands of Astor Piazzolla who actually played the bandoneon, a smaller cousin of the accordion.  Speaking of Piazzolla, Motion Trio's Asphalt Tango echoes the deeply sensual work of Piazzolla.  But that's just one track on this diverse CD.  The track, Aide Jano explores the atmospheric sound, Scotsman resembles Celtic bagpipes, It's Okay would find itself at home on a Les Youx Noirs recording and you'll also find more tangos, Parisian cafe and Balkan music.  All of this inspired by the accordion with its buttons, keys and bellows.

If you're thinking that this trio includes older gentlemen that make their living performing on the street, think again.  The musicians in this group, Marcin Galazyn, Janusz Wojtarowicz and Pawel Baranek were all born in the 1970's--dressed in black, they resemble rock stars.  But they do have plenty of experience busking the streets of Europe and plenty of stories to tell.  They have found that the biggest danger they face is from mothers and small children.  "They come to you and ask questions like, 'What are you doing?' It's funny, but they disturb you in your work."  Other stories told by these musicians are equally amusing.  However, most impressive is the wide repertoire these three musicians create out of their accordions.  They claim that their 3 accordions with myriad of sounds can replicate an entire orchestra.  They might be right and with their unstoppable enthusiasm, these accordionists are going to take the world by storm and everyone will enjoy themselves, or else. Asphalt Tango

PLH