For those who don’t know, in most music videos, what you hear is not actually being produced by what you’re seeing. The audio is usually from the actual studio recording, created separately and well in advance. When the video is shot, the musicians are simply playing along (or maybe even miming and not producing any sound at all) as the recording blasts from speakers somewhere as a timing reference. The different takes and camera angles are then edited together, the original recording is dropped in as a soundtrack, and voila! There’s your video.

Well, I was recently called up to play in a music video for the Nashville Celts, a local band that I’ve played accordion with a few times before. In this case, the main song we were to shoot already had accordion on the recording, played by the very talented session ace Jeff Taylor. (A surprising number of Nashville accordionists are named “Jeff” for some reason.) I like to think that I was picked for the video because I’m so photogenic, but I suspect it was really because I will work for much cheaper than any of the other Jeffs.*

Anyway, after we finished all the takes for the first tune, we still had time for another quick video. On this other song there was no accordion at all. But hey, I was there, so why not fill in some space? I brought a concertina with me, which seemed to fit the vibe of the song.

The end result is a video with me playing a concertina you can’t hear**, on a song that doesn’t even have concertina on it, from an album another accordionist played on in the first place.

But it’s a good tune and worth a look if only for that:

* Or is the correct plural “Jeves”?

** Except in the very beginning, where I’m trying to figure out how the thing goes…

Looking for a unique way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend? Why not come and spend a Saturday afternoon 333 feet below ground in a cave?

Yup, a freakin’ cave! How cool is that?

My friends the Nashville Celts will be putting on their trademark rousing show of Irish music and dance in the “volcano room” at Cumberland Caverns, as part of the Bluegrass Underground concert series.

They’ve once again invited me to join them on accordion. It should be a blast!

Tickets are apparently going fast, so grab ’em while you can.

Last weekend I was invited to bring my accordion and join The Celts for their marvelous Celtic Roots of Great American Music show at the Missouri Theater in St. Joseph, MO. It was a great opportunity to play all sorts of fun Irish, Scottish, bluegrass, country, and pop music.

I managed to take a few pics along the way…

Wedding season rolls on! This past weekend I had the pleasure of playing accordion during an Italian-themed reception dinner.

Never mind the fact that my accordions are all German and that I myself am about as Italian as a haggis… When you’re strolling among tables of pasta and red wine while playing classic Italian songs like “That’s Amore“, “Volare“, “O Sole Mio“, and “Funiculì, Funiculà“, you can’t help but get caught up in the spirit of it all!

“Black Beauty” (a full-sized accordion that I usually play sitting down) and “Red Baron” (a smaller and lighter one I use for strolling) await their turn to be played.

Look closely (on the right) and you’ll find yours truly warming up in the shade.

May marks the beginning of wedding season, even for accordion players! I was able to kick things off in style with a beautiful wedding at the Old Natchez Country Club.

Even better, I was joined by this violinist I just so happen to know–my wife Anne Landis Jetton.

We were asked to play the prelude music, the ceremony itself, plus the cocktail hour afterward.

These sorts of job are always a lot of fun, because it gave us the opportunity to play everything from Beethoven to Dean Martin, with some French waltzes and Argentine tangos thrown in for good measure.

Another successful gig for “The AV Department”. (A for accordion, V for violin!)