The American accordion movement was a significant time for the accordion. Artists such as Pietro Frosini, the Deiro brothers and Charles Magnante all made a huge contribution to the accordion through historic music recordings and sheet music publications. However, there were also many other acordionists during this time who did not achieve the same level of fame and recognition. Here we present some of the lesser-known artists who made a considerable impact on the accordion world.
Adrian Dante (1914-2005) was a highly accomplished composer, accordionist and arranger of music. From spending much of his childhood years in Italy, he came to know the accordion. Adrian is known to be the first European musician to perform "Flight of the Bumblebee" on the accordon in a public performance. Adrian Dante also broadcasted and performed the music of Pietro Frosini. He was also a close friend of the Deiro brothers. Adrian Dante also devoted much of his life to teaching the accordion, and together with Desmond A. Harte he founded the first British Accordionists Association (B.A.A). He was also a highly accomplished arranger of music. Many of his arrangements were published for the publisher "Hohner Concessionaires Ltd", including; "La Gazza Ladre (G.Rossini)"and "Poet and Peasant Overture (F.Von Suppe)". He also published other materials related to techniques including a "Prima Vista" publication which thought sight-reading.
Mindie Cere was a highly accomplished accordionist, composer and arranger. He composed several accordion solo works in a variety of styles that included polkas, waltzes and noveltys. Many of his compositions were published under the companies "Ampco" and also Pietro Deiro's music publications company "Pietro Library". Some of his original compositions include: "Jazz-in India" (c.a 1962, Pietro Library), "Accordion Jump" (c.a 1959, Pietro Library) and "Jamboree" (c.a 1957, Ampco). Mindie Cere also made a number of recordings for the Columbia record company, including a number of 10" Shellac records. Some of these included: Columbia 12252-F "Cheek to Cheek Polka ( P. Del Grosso)"/"Live, Love and Laugh Polka (M.Cere)" (1945) and Columbia 12306-F "Madness Polka (A. Libardo)"/"El Patio (M.Cere)" (1947). Mindie's wife Addie was also an accomplished accordionist and a former president of the American Accordionists Association (A.A.A).
Gene Von Hallberg was a conductor, composer and close friend of Charles Magnante. He performed in the quartet alongside Joe Biviano and Abe Goldman. Gene also made a significant contribution to accordion music with Joe Biviano and Abe Goldman, when the three musicians became the first accordionists to perform in Carnegie Hall in 1939. Gene also had a successful career as a composer and conductor. He published several original compositions, including his solo composition "Suite in C" and his arrangement of "Johnny Comes Marching Home" which he arranged for an accordion orchestra. In a similar way to Charles Magnante, Gene continued to push the accordion into the early 1950's and 1960's. In 1957 he released "Pizza Party" (Davis Records JD-106) as an LP record. It featured Joe Biviano and Al Caiola on guitar and the record featured a selection of popular Italian melodies and well-known polkas.
Andy Arcari was an accordionist, arranger and composer who came from San Biagio in Italy and made his career in America as a soloist. He appeared in many accordion magazines and brochures and also promoted Wurlizter and Excelsior brand accordions. He performed in many famous places across America and had a large repertoire of virtuoso solo works, including Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". He also published his own original composition "Concert for accordion orchestra" and also made arrangements for accordion of popular songs including the jazz piece "Caravan".
