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 In
December 2003, when I reviewed volume 1 of Rob Howard's A-Z of the Accordion,
I said, "What is remarkable is the style of writing, which always
remains easy to read and yet interesting. Although the articles have been
written by various writers they maintain a high standard of clarity and
accuracy throughout, which is a tribute to Rob's editing and the proof reading
of his wife Marj and daughter Jane." I then finished my review
with, "The book can be used as a reference book, simply dipped
into by reading certain articles or read in its entirety. All entries are
very readable and of interest to the accordionist. This is a book that has
filled a void in the accordion scene in Britain where, although there have
been a number of magazines published over the years, there has been no one
reference publication that one can learn about the instrument and its place
in British society. Fortunately this has been filled by an excellent book,
which I cannot praise too highly." To my amazement Rob then
came up with a second volume in November 2005. I was pleased to be able
to say of this, "I have now received my copy of Volume 2 and
am happy to learn that it is as good in every way as Volume 1 and, of course,
a completely new book with entirely new material.Those who have a copy of Volume 1 and/or Volume 2 need only be assured that volume 3 admirably lives up to the high standard of previous volumes and they will surely be eager to get a copy of Rob's latest work. I am amazed that after learning so much about the accordion movement in "the British Isles" in volume 1 and then even more about the movement in "Great Britain and Ireland.. and a look beyond these shores" in Volume 2 that there was enough material to write a third volume. Happily, I was wrong, because Rob is one of those devotees who, with a "degree of zeal that verges on the fanatical" (I quote from page 239 of Volume 3), has a detective-like ability and perseverance to uncover material of great interest. He asked me whether I had any suggestions for inclusion in the new volume and as a result was delighted to find interesting articles on Arthur Bell and Eric Winstone, complete with photographs. There are also many other such nostalgic articles that remind me of personalities from the accordion world in which I grew up and some of which I had never known, but nonetheless find fascinating to read. As with previous volumes, it is not only a reference book containing many biographies, but it also contains useful articles for those wishing to improve their knowledge and playing abilities. Some of those aimed at performance include Memorising and Aural Training (Gerald Crossman), Practising - three separate articles, (Pearl Fawcett-Adriano, Toralf Tollefsen and Kenneth Hacking), Technique (Charles Camilleri), Vocal Accompaniment (Jack Emblow), Writing and Arranging (Gerald Crossman), How To Adjust Your Accordion Straps Correctly (Roger Nightingale) and Medley Mania (John Kirkpatrick). Those providing information about the instrument include Accordions Tunings (Graham Romani), Couplers (Rob Howard) and Roland Virtual Accordion (Mike O'Regan). There are also many interesting articles about accordion activities, such as Accordion Clubs, Accordion Festivals, The Auvergne, Bal Musette, Busking, Cajun & Zydeco, The 'Fiddler on the Roof' Experience, Going Out Gigging, Morris Dancing, Recordings, Record Reviews, Russian Accordionists in the UK, Accordions in the Theatre, Irish Accordion Association, Ireland's Ceili Bands, Northern Ireland's Accordion Heritage, Orkney & Shetland and Scottish Dance Bands. I especially enjoyed reading the historic visits by English accordionists to other countries, such as Adrian Dante's American Journey in 1949, Gerald Crossman's diary account of his 11-day Trip to Paris in 1950 (when his return rail fare cost £12 and he returned with £20 unspent, out of a total £50 currency allowance), his subsequent Visit to America in 1950 when he met many luminaries of the American accordion scene (but to his great disappointment missed visiting the broadcast studio at 7.30am to see Pietro Frosini perform because "owing to too many late nights, I just couldn't get out of bed in time!") and Pearl Fawcett-Adriano's Historic Tour of 1976 to the USSR. In format and size this volume is identical to volume 2 with 240 pages printed on high quality glossy paper. (Volume 1 has 256 pages.) Whereas volumes 1 and 2 were printed in black and white, with just the covers printed in colour, in volume 3 there are seven pages containing coloured 32 photographs. Volume 1 contains about 100 photographs and nearly 300 articles, Volume 2 has 250 photographs 200+ articles and Volume 3 has 250 photographs and pictures and 200 articles. These statistics give no indication of the readability of the latest publication, which is of the highest order. Although the book can be used as a reference book or simply dipped into by reading certain articles it can easily be read in its entirety. This is what I did and it sustained my interest throughout, no doubt due to its excellent editing and the varied articles submitted by numerous contributors. As the final article states, "Despite its low public profile, the accordion doggedly retains an intensely loyal following amongst it devotees that usually surprises those new to the instrument." It is comforting to discover in the wealth of articles in this book that there are, and have been, so many other devotees to the instrument apart from those that one already knows. Once again I can enthusiastically recommend this latest volume as essential reading for all those who play or enjoy the sound of the accordion. Peter Ayers, MD Norvic Concordia - August 2007 |
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 Just
when you thought it was safe to resume your social life Rob's done it
again. A third 240-page masterpiece packed with facts and (over 200) photographs
which, together with Volumes 1 and 2 creates a lasting record of everything
that's been happening in our accordion world for the last 70 years. Although
it may be just over a year since Volume 2 appeared, again it's Rob's tireless
enthusiasm and dedication over a lifetime that is encapsulated in these
books. Basically we have a very readable reference book with probably
everything you would ever want to know about "accordion-lore"
in the UK (and in many cases beyond).Once again Scotland is well represented with articles on Billy Anderson, Bill Black, Sandy Brechin, John Carmichael, John Crawford, Ian Cruickshanks, Colin Dewar, Graham Geddes, Gregor Lowrie, Ian Lowthian, Roya MacLean, Iain MacPhail, Fergie, McDonald, Ian Muir's (both of them), Tom Orr, Morag Robertson, Donald Shaw, Emily Smith, and many others. From a Scottish perspective it's good to have so many current names appearing since there tends to be an assumption beyond our borders that accordion music started and finished with Sir Jimmy. This together with the English and International accordion stars, plus the historical articles by accordion greats such as Adrian Dante's American Journey, Gerald Crossman's Visit to America, and a wealth of other accordion (and occasionally harmonica) related odds and ends make this book a superb read. But if you have Volumes 1 and 2 you'll know already that Rob has a winning formula. And as if all that wasn't enough Rob has held the price steady. An A to Z of Accordions and Related Instruments Volume 3 is available in hardback from Rob Howard at Robaccord Publications, 42 Avondale Road, Edgeley, Stockport, Cheshire, SK3 9NY at a cost of £15 + £4 p&p (Cheques payable to Rob Howard). Tel 0161 480 8858, or email robaccord5@hotmail.com for further information. Copies of the reprinted Volumes 1 and 2 are still available. No-one who has Volumes 1 and 2 will hesitate to add this to their collection and for those of you who haven't started yet, now's the time. Full marks to Rob for the endless hours he must have ploughed into this project - going where no man dared to go before - and giving us all a fascinating record of how the accordion has developed to the point we find ourselves at today. Charlie Todd, Box & Fiddle, Scotland
This popular series of reference books now becomes a trilogy - one more celebration of the accordion & its close relatives in Great Britain, Ireland…and a look elsewhere. Over 200 articles and biographies, with 250 photographs and pictures, some in colour, including:
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