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The spring of 2005 marked my 50th year of playing the accordion. From the day a door to door salesman brought a 12-bass accordion into my life, it's been an awesome run and I thank God for giving me this talent. Music transcends all language barriers and through it, I have learned my geography. USO Tours have taken me to Greenland, Newfoundland, Labrador and Germany. Touring with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians gave me more of an appreciation for our United States. Playing in the Accordion Orchestra of the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) took me to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Musicianary friends living in Hong Kong accompanied me on performances in Meizhou, Shanghai, Beijing, and Wuhan, where I appeared on a variety show on Chinese satellite TV. Along the way, I've met wonderfully talented people who have had a great influence on my playing. I have orchestrated several of Anthony Galla-Rini's inspiring and challenging arrangements. "The Rosary" was arranged for the left hand with the right hand joining in on the second half as a counter melody. In "Begin the Beguine," I particularly love the way he uses the bolero effect. I added a solo guitar effect in "Malaguena," which is unique to this arrangement. I was inspired by the Boston Pops rendition of "An American in Paris." It was particularly demanding as there are over 48 different sound combination changes within 8 minutes! You can select any or all tracks (downloadable mp3 files) for just 99 cents each. |
| Title | Sample | Get It | |
| Album: Musically Yours (Betty Jo Simon) | |||
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Tour of Emerald Isle- Kerry Dance, Irish WasherWoman, Garry Owens, Danny Boy, Rakes of Mallow, Girl I Left Behind, Sailor's Hornpipe (5:24) | listen | |
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Begin the Beguine (3:49) | listen | |
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12th Street Rag (2:27) | listen | |
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Nuit Blanche (2:28) | listen | |
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The Rosary (2:25) | listen | |
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Take Ten (3:37) | listen | |
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The Harmonius Blacksmith (4:43) | listen | |
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French Medley- Love Is Like a Violin, C'est Si Bon, La Vie en Rose, Poor People of Paris, The Can Can (6:49) | listen | |
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The Holy City (4:57) | listen | |
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An American in Paris (8:09) | listen | |
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String of Pearls (2:39) | listen | |
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Malaguena (4:58) | listen | |
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Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (3:31) | listen |
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Best Value All 13 tracks Only $11.58 (50.9Mb download) |