This ensemble calls itself an orchestra, but only one percussionist will join five accordionists at Park Slope’s Barbes on July 8, performing tunes that span the globe — just like their instrument of choice.
They may play the accordion, a mainstay of folk music from Mexico to Brazil to Poland, but the Famous Accordion Orchestra is not your traditional musical act — they can do the big band jazz of Duke Ellington, the thrilling and dramatic can-can of Offenbach, and the eletro-robotic funk of Kraftwerk, among others, along with the original compositions by their band leader and long-time accordionist, Bob Goldberg.
“If I hear a song and I like it, I try to learn it,” said Goldberg, who has performed for over 20 years, and prides himself on playing from a wide range of musical styles, from Irish blues to Johann Sebastian Bach.
“No request is too unusual,” he writes in his bio.
The musician and composer might have a natural disposition to dabble in many different kinds of music (or maybe a busker has to take all kinds of requests), but it’s clear the accordion itself inspires him to constantly find new ways to play the squeezebox.
“The accordion has a full sound, “ said Goldberg. “It is an expressive and physical instrument. Its reeds allow accordionists to play at both the highest and lowest keys. Since it can reach a large range of sounds it can lend itself to a whole number of styles such as Jazz and Dance.”
The Famous Accordion Orchestra at Barbes [376 Ninth St., at Sixth Avenue in Park Slope, (347) 422–0248. www.barbesbrooklyn.com] July 8, 7pm, strongly suggested donation $10.
