John Nixon

Hello again. I haven't any recordings from the recent Jazz gig , however, there are 2-C.D.'s available from BUTTON BOX----"The English Connection" and "Just a Little Jazz". There is plenty of jazz in each and the former one features the U.S. top Accordianist -FRANK MAROCCO. He also has many C.D.'s including his latest called "Turn Out The Stars" which features myself on several tracks. Please refer to his web--frankmarocco@aol.com Good luck--JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, Thanks for your interest in this post and I will hope to arrange for recordings at the next Jazz gig . I hope I can give a brief note to our worthy .net organisers when the next date is fixed. As regards the titles of the items played at the last gig, i'm afraid that I have now a VERY poor short term memory (this is apparently commonplace for folk of advanced age) . All I can say is that , in common with the general MAINSTREAM jazz gig,mostly the program consists of a mixture of Jazz favorits from the likes of Duke Ellington , Count Basie , etc, plus a basis of show tunes. Latin American Jazz in the form of Bossa Novas are also very popular. I don't think I would be popular with the other guys if I spent time scribling the titles during the session. Thanks again for your interest in the Jazz and also my health . JOHN NIXON.

Hi "Poaceae, If you are very lucky, you might come across an album/tutor by Geoge Case. His arrangements for the Baritone are very musical , particularly his transcriptions of Italian Operas. Also, there is a great deal of music published for the guitar in solo form. This includes classical and jazz and can be read straight off by the Baritone. The only notes that occasionally are missing are low "E" and "F" but that wont be enough to spoil your enjoyment. Perhaps you can report back to .net if you find some of this music. GOOD LUCK, JOHN NIXON.

I agree with much of your observations regarding the English Baritone and is also my favourite choice as well. I have a 48 key Treble Wheatstone aeola and 48 key Baritone Wheatstone. The Baritone is one octave below the Treble ,and was the favourite instrument of Guilio Regondi , being the same pitch as the Guitar ( he of course was an accomplished Guitarist). I almost always use the Treble for recording sessions with an orchestra as I have recently done in the Abbey Road Studios . The Treble blends perfectly with a large orchestra . I always use the Baritone when playing in jazz groups -ampified of course. You can hear the Baritone on many of the tracks on my C.D. "The Eng lish Connection" (from the Button Box). Happy hunting. JOHN NIXON.

ont=Times New Roman] This is my first attempt at writing a submission to .net and being less computer literate than your average member, please take that into account. I was booked to play with a group of musicians at "The Horseshoe " jazz pub on December 14th and the line up was Guitar, Multi reeds(Alto/Tenor/Baritone saxes plus Clarinet,), Bass Guitar ,Drums and myself playing Baritone Aeola(amplified) and Midi Treble Concertina.thru the same amp. The only Guy I had met before, some years ago before my Eye/Blood problems , was the Bass Guitarist. As is normal for this kind of gig, no dots were to be seen, and very soon the "sound" jelled and we were away. The small Midi quickly drew a good deal of attention (and applause) and with the easy means of changing the chosen voice , the Vibes,Clarinet & Flute sounds were added to the front line. The ease of playing the Midi Treble was aided by the complete facility as with the normal E.C. that is - the Bellows operated in exactly the same way, the volume was provided and sustained in just the same manner as the reeded Aeola. This was a tonic to me and, even better, it was good that I had invited Roy Whiteley and his wife to be present to enjoy the success of his work on the Midi. The packed house gave the band an ovation after we had finished the program and there will be further gigs in the new year. This was my return to live Jazz after a break of some years, and , apart from the Midi success, I wa pleased that I was able ( I will be 80 next month ) to sustain a satisfactory standard in that environment with some excellent musicians. My only regret is that no recordings were made . Perhaps next time. For the record, I live in Congleton Cheshre, U.K. and the Horseshoe is in a tiny village of Lawton Heath End which is only about 6-miles SW of Congeton. JOHN NIXON.

: Hi Friends, Yes I am guilty of taking part in the session with Paul cCartney and on the two sessions I attended in 1984 I played all 3-Wheatstones---Treble -Baritone and Double bass. All 3- can be heard together with The Kings Singers for the 13-bar introduction. Although the original Single disc and Music Video will probably be long out of print, there is a C.D. "PAUL McCARTNEY - ALL THE BEST" CDP 7 48507 2 . I found this C.D. in the shop in The Cavern in Liverpool. Good Luck and I Wish all .net friends a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. My location is in CHESHIRE U.K. JOHN NIXON.

Neils, DO NOT rest the bellows on anything. They are there to provide air to the reeds. If, as I do , you play whilst seated, then rest one end of your instrument on a knee. If you intend to play whilst standing, fix a small bracket to each end of your instrument and use a sling around your neck if you find the instrument too heavy . Your thumbstraps (English) should NOT be tight around your thumbs but must allow you to slide them to facilitate reaching all parts of the keyboard. Good Luck, JOHN NIXON.

The Concertina Sound Font can be downloaded here (scroll half way down the page). <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Nanette, I have just read your news and am sorry you are going to experience a TEMPORARY discomfort when playing your E nglish Concertina. I can asure you that you will find , albut slowly , that you will regain your favourite pastime . Back in 1981 I suffered 2 massive heart attacks and died twice. After I started to recover, I had no interest in music for several months, and was aprehensive to even touch any of my instruments. Then one day , my wife set up my concertina ,music & stand in a spare room. She had also invited a musician friend to visit and they soon encouraged me to play again. I soon regained confidence and within a year was performing in Jazz Clubs and for reco rding sessions etc., I told the above to Chris Timson after his Stroke & more recently to Neil Wayne, & hope that it helped a little. Good Luck & Best Wishes. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, I am very pleased that there is an overwhelming support for Colin AND Rosemary. They are both real people, a rare thing these days, and when I paid a visit to their home some years ago, they made my wife & I very welcome, played both my Aeolas, Treble & Baritone, and even quoted a price for a remake COPY of the Baritone should I ever need one. The Baritone was in need of simple work and the instrument was sent backto me , carefully packaged and at a very fair price. Best Wishes, JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, I have taken a large interest in reading this thread and the good views of so many folk, so maybe a little of my experiences will be useful. I was VERY lucky to have a father who was already a leading English Concertina player long before I was born in 1927. He taught me when I was only 4 years old and by age 6 I was a member of the 25 strong Bolton English Concertina Band. I did play at many concerts and BBC broadcasts during the 1930's and 40's and my interest (fuelled by playing ZEZ Confrey tunes) led me to learn to play the Alto Sax & Clarinet and into dance bands etc., I was eventually earning more money from music than from my day job as an Engineering Designer BUT my father gave me the very good advice to keep both jobs going , and as I had demonstrated that I was capable of earning a decent wage with either job I was able to increase my experience in both to an acceptably high standard. This meant that when the eventual offer of well paid gigs for the TV/Radio/Films came along, an ability to read the "dots" at sight gave me a reputation that provided very lucrative work over many years and in particular, the 1970's and after. To play alongside the very best guys in ,for instance, the London Symphony Orchestra ,has always been very satisfying , and repeat engagements meant that I must have been working well enough. I was also lucky enough to be able to busk with the best in jazz groups in many hundreds of Jazz gigs. Now the question arises as to whether I could be classed as a Professional Musician or not. My definition is, can I perform to the highest standard , and CONDUCT MYSELF in a disciplined manner , be punctual , not criticise fellow musicians etc. If the answer to all this is yes, then I must be professional. As a tail piece to this reply, I am happy to report that , at my age, I can still perform in the "Professional" company as I recently spent 2-days recording in the world famous Abbey Road Studios in London, with 40 hand picked musicians for a French film. Best Wishes to you All. JOHN NIXON.

Thanks Ken, Better late than never as they say. Can I suggest that to give a complete guide to the many newcomers to this prestidgious site seeking help in choosing a Concertina type, that one diagram of each of the basic types of keyboard , with the relationship to written music shown for each , really ought to be published in one place together . this would show no bias eic., Best wishes JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, And my copy also arrived yesterday (19th). JOHN NIXON.

Hello Friend, Whilst there is no doubt that you can obtain the best comparison between the various types of Concertina by handling them all ( on the same day ?) this is most impractical. So the next best facility is a sight of good clear charts to show each type. There have been some indications of Anglo & Duet key(button) layouts but I cannot remember seeing (on this Forum) a clear layout of the standard English Keyboard showing the relationship between the layout and the written music. Perhaps this would be a good time to provide clear layouts of each type for all newcomers to view . This would answer the frequent questions from newcomers to concertina.net. Over to you Ken. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, I was very pleased to see the wonderful photos and took me back to the 1930's when my father and I were members of the Bolton English Concertina Band. Father took me to see the Four Fair Quartet several times. They were very good performers. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, I felt compelled to add to this thread and hope that KEN will be able to publish the 2-charts that I sent him some time ago. Although the charts are nothing new, they show very clearly not only the layout of L & R keyboards for the English STANDARD 48 key Treble & Baritone Concertinas ,but also the relationship with the written music. Good luck, JOHN NIXON.

Hi friends, I suggest that the use of Surgical Spirit for your fingers would help to reduce the slipping off the keys. It would also tend to prevent soreness just in case (as a maybe learner player) you are still finding your best set-up etc., I had to use Surgical Spirit to help when I first started to learn to play the String Bass many years ago. Good Luck. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, This is a very interesting thread and JIM has, as usual, given you a good and very detailed answer . I would add this. When my father was teaching me to play ( in the 1930's), he insisted that I spend a lot of time practising a Regondi excercise playing scales WITH A CHANGE OF BELLOWS DIRECTION FOR EACH NOTE. I can assure you that this proved to be very useful during the years when good separation was needed and although this doesn't exactly replicate the action that Anglo players MUST perform most of the time, it will help to perform according to JIM'S parable. Another item that might be worth considering, is the opening of the reed "gap" slightly. I don't recomend this unless you really want the extra volume that an Anglo generally produces. Low level volumes would be dificult with this modification. Good Luck. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, I would like to add my appreciation and thanks to Paul and Ken for their dedication and even handed way that they have created and maintained this very excellent tribute to our favourite musical instrument. They have set an example that most other organisations could do well to follow , particularly those that tend to put individual ambitions ahead of the majority. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, I have never owned a concertina which had an air release button and most of the players in the bands of the 1920's & 1930's preferred not to have one. They could be a scource of leakage and you will find that if you press 3 or 4 buttons on each side (the lower notes) and open or close slowly, you wont make a sound. Good Luck. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, If you go to page 19 of these threads (oct.25th 03) you will find a number of practical suggestions regarding Miking a concertina. Good luck. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Friends, There was a hit recording by PAUL McCARTNEY/GEORGE MARTIN in 1984 called "WeAll Stand Together(Rupert Bear & The Frog Song). A good exposure of English Treble & Baritone & Contrabass Concertinas can be heard. Good Luck . JOHN NIXON.

Hi Perry, You will eventually find that the spacing of the keys on your "Aeola" is perfect for all situations and I can assure you that I have seen many men (in the 1930's)whose fingers were stubby and others whose fingers were very long & slim. They were all able to perform well with a variety of music styles. The ONLY route to becoming accustammed to the keyboard is patient practice. All musical instruments have good and bad operating situations . Good luck. JOHN NIXON.

Hi Bruce, If you have an issue of the I.C.A. News Mag, you will find a reference to Wes Williams on the front cover. Send him an "E" mail and I'm sure that he will help. Best Rgards---JOHN.

Hi Bruce, This is a very good question you have started and Jim has given you a good answer with several examples of the usefulness of playing 2 or more keys with one finger . During the 1960's , I formed a sextet to play for dancing & in Jazz Clubs. As I had become a follower of the George Shearing sextet, I wrote many arrangements using the Shearing voicing, and this led me to perfect /develop the use of the "Block Chord" playing on my Baritone . Of course, Shearing had borowed this chordal device from the Glen Miller Orch. Bruce, you have previously said that you particularly enjoyed my arrangement of Estrelita on my "English Connection" C.D. . Wes Williams has included this written arrangement on an achive C.D.Rom which is available to I.C.A. mambers. If you get a chance to view this , you will realise that it would be very dificult to play without recourse to playing some chords using the system of multiple keys to a finger. .The more one develops the playing of music with the Wheatstone key layout, the more you realise just what a brilliantly simple device it is. Good Luck. JOHN NIXON.