I watched Tony MacMahon’s youtube video of Ships are Sailing (in Fm?), and he’s on the grey Paolo Soprani. I quickly bought his self-titled album, which I love. On the album, he plays mostly in Eb, Bb and Cm, plus a Bm and an Fm (according to my Master Key pitchpipe).
So, on which box is he playing? I’m assuming it’s the same grey Soprani, but what key set is the box?
i’m thinking it’s a D/D# Paolo which IIRC was once owned by Joe Cooley.
So, if one is playing a D/D# box, is he playing primarily on the outside row when playing with others? I mean, what tunes are played in Eb in sessions?
I don’t know for sure, he probably plays a D box when playing with others. But on the cd you mentioned, he plays the D# that Cooley played – i assume as a sort of homage to the great boxplayer.
I see. The D/D# would be primarily a solo instrument.
Surely cooley played with others, and wasn’t doing so in Eb.
Good one for Irtrad-L, or Han Speek’s box list as i don’t know the answer… all i’ve heard is that Macmahon’s playing Cooley’s old D/D# on the album. If there are tunes in Bm on the album i’d say Macmahon’s playing the outside row for them. Could be Cooley played outside-in to play with others.
Isn’t the D/D# just a C#/D tuned up to a 1/2 step for playing in Eb sessions? I guess Eb sessions are common somewhere…
-brett
Two box masters:
Cooley on video
A youngTony Macmahon
Not exactly. They were made that way for playing in D on the outer row, or “outside-in” (like the original half-step boxes in C/C#, which date back to the 1880s apparently).
Once practically everyone* switched over to playing “inside-out”, these boxes found a new application, i.e. playing in Eb.
My head is spinning from these posts. I can’t tell you the box theory behind it, but I can definitely tell you that all of the “recent” (ie 1973) tracks on Cooley’s album are up a half-step, ie he’s playing the D/D# box like a C#/D – as can be clearly heard and seen on the video linked above. On the album’s older tracks which are in the usual tuning, he’s playing a different accordion – I’ve always assumed it was a C#/D…
Cooley gave another of his accordions to Jeremy Kammerer just before he left California, which Jeremy still plays. I think Jeremy may have retuned it, though, as it’s much “dryer” now than Joe’s playing sounded.
The late Jim Coogan (RIP) was another of the D/C# players on the scene; there must be very few left.
I recall him saying that after years of D/C#, he tried to make the transition to playing inside-out (C#/D), but old habits die hard so he stuck with his tried-and-true. He admitted he thought playing inside-out was “easier on the wrist” and probably given a fresh start he would have chosen that route.
Surely cooley played with others, and wasn’t doing so in Eb.
Yes, he was.
Hey ya’ll, thanks for all of the feedback. Loved the videos. It’s interesting though, how on youtube, the video and the sound is usually a hair off. It’s a little disconcerting when trying to follow.
Another fine D/C# player who is very much alive and kicking is Mike O’Hara of San Diego and Ballina, Co. Mayo. Like Jim Coogan, Mike learned D/C# box in the New York City area, and says it was not uncommon there back in the 50s and 60s.
As I recall the story, Mike had played accordion as a kid, and was working at one of the Catskill resorts north of NYC one summer when the accordion player in one of the house bands quit. Someone handed him an instrument and said, “Hey, kid, play this”. So he did. It turned out to be a Baldoni D/C#, so that’s what he learned.
Yes, Jim told me the same thing.