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JoeMc on 05/13/2009 at 11:52AM
John J. Kimmel: Ten Buttons, Will Dazzle
Although its reputation has been on the upswing in recent years, for most of the "rock era" the accordion was scorned as a relic of the days of schmaltzy showbiz. At best, it was viewed as a novelty instrument; at worst, it was an instrument of torture. Cartoonist Gary Larson of "The Far Side" fame once drew a cartoon that showed the devil handing out accordions to new entrants to hell.
But it was not always so, and today's post focuses on one of the best arguments for an accordion revival that I can think of: John J. Kimmel.
John Kimmel was born in 1866 in Brooklyn. Although his parents were German, he grew up in an Irish neighborhood. Musically inclined, he picked up the accordion and adapted what he heard around him, a style of button accordion playing imported directly from Ireland. He became so proficient at playing Irish music that he was referred to for a long time as "The Irish Dutchman." But whether it was rugged American individualism, or perhaps proximity to New York City's vaudeville houses and show palaces, Kimmel soon began to add a pizzazz to traditional styles that took it up a notch.
Technically speaking, the instrument John J. Kimmel played could only be generally called an accordion. It was really a melodeon, which at that time was a one-row button accordion with only ten buttons on it. The type of accordion that became most popular in America was the piano accordion, the type with a keyboard instead of buttons, owing to its versatility. But after listening to "Medley of Straight Jigs," you'd be justified in wondering what anyone needs all those keys for. Kimmel's amazingly fleet fingers and dynamic playing really rock his little button box.
Along with the Deiro Brothers, John J. Kimmel was the among the very first to play the accordion on record, as early as 1904. "Medley of Straight Jigs" is from 1907, and Kimmel would go on to make tons of records for Edison, Victor, and other companies well into the 1920s. He recorded Irish music, Scottish music, marches, and even popular tunes, in the manner of the day. They're all good, so check back for more Kimmel on the FMA in the future.
John J. Kimmel danced his last jig in 1942 at the ripe old age of 76, his bar "The Accordion" shuttered by Prohibition and his recording career long at an ebb. But one thing's for sure: No devil would hand John Kimmel an accordion on the way into hell. Hell would instantly become heaven.
