Duke Ellington’s Accordion

[I’ve added polish to this since I posted it a few hours ago.]

Our friend Alan from the Vancouver Squeezebox Circle  sent me this:

From the book ‘Stomping the Blues’ by Albert Murray

I want to know more of the story of this picture – the date?  That’s a 1930’s style accordion I’d say.

Cornell Smelser played accordion and recorded with Ellington in 1930, I wonder if that could possibly be his? (Like Lennon picked up the session guy’s when they were recording, “All You Need is Love.”) That would be a treat; Cornell died soon after of TB and [Correction, I just heard from Cornell’s family that he lived a long life after his jazz career. I look forward to more such happy errors!] not many jazz accordionists stepped in to take his place.

My fave Cornell track:  “Double Check Stomp” from 1930.  One copy I have lists it as by, “The Jungle Band,” that’s Ellington’s orchestra.

Dig the kazoo solo.

Then there’s Ellington jammin out “Accordion Joe” with Cornell.

Here’s a later version of Cornell’s (he wrote it) “Accordion Joe,” with the Dorsey brothers along for the ride.

Oh, hey!  There’s a bunch of Cornell Smelser tracks on YouTube.  Nobody has ever collected his stuff at all.  I’m gonna grab them while I can.

Here’s “Cotton Club Stomp” from that same “Jungle Band” in 1930.

Thanks to Squeezebox Alan for starting this off!