Review: Long ago, before the singers were stars, and before there were movies with sound, people went to see live entertainment. One such was Guido Deiro (1886-1950), an accordionist who was something of a cross between Warren Beatty (babe magnet -- in fact, he was married to Mae West, the Madonna of her day, albeit with lots more talent) and B.B. King (popular virtuoso) in his day. Virtually forgotten today, Deiro was a bona fide star -- he played and composed rags, polkas, marches and waltzes specifically for the accordion, which at one time was as popular as the guitar (and the turntable) is today. Unaccompanied, Henry Doktorski has filled two CDs full of Deiro’s compositions, and his mastery of the instrument is flawless, full of vitality and genial humor, and he retains the curious innocence and bouncy, Old-World-Meets-New-World wit in Deiro’s tunes. While not “exactly” jazz, this music is part of the American crazy-quilt that bred and influenced it.
JazzReview.com
