Rabble Without A Cause
Wednesday May 27th, 2015 with Bernard Stepien
TD Ottawa Jazz Festival preview: French Accordionist Richard Galliano

French accordionist Richard Galliano is a sort of Indiana Jones of Jazz. For some obscure snobbish reasons, French Jazz aficionado have considered the accordion something like Beneath the Underdog as Charlie Mingus book title expressed. The reason is very simple, the accordion was the prime source of entertainment of the working classes, especially the poor Auvergnat that immigrated from within deep the Auvergne region to Paris to find work. Same story as Chicago, isn’t it? At the other end of the pipeline, the Jazz aficionados were intellectuals, hipsters and what not with plenty of contempt for the poor immigrant. Thus, Richard Galliano had to swim against currents in that localized Jazz world and quickly made himself a name. His initial association with Chet Baker set the tempo, but soon came Ron Carter and even Free Jazz icon Enrico Rava. The icing on the cake came with associations with Tango Nuevo giant Astor Piazzola. Fortunately, he has been booked again by the Ottawa Jazz Festival. Good choice. Tonight, we will sample his latest CD, La Vie en Rose, where he definitively de-dramatizes the Bal Musette by playing iconic songs from Edith Piaf and legendary accordionist Gus Viseur. Here he marvellously transforms pop music into free whirling gems. Needless to say, that is one of the most booked Jazz musician in Europe.