Accordionists 'coming out'

Contrary to stereotype, the accordion is capable of much more than "Beer Barrel Polka" and "Lady of Spain."

"I can't think of any instrument that you can show as much expression (on) as the accordion," said enthusiastic amateur Chans Iverson. "Any time I see an Italian kid or French or Russian come over and play, they play the most amazing stuff. It's great."

At 23 years old, Iverson is that rarest of commodities in the music world: a young accordion player. A former guitar player, he picked up the unwieldy instrument with keyboard on one side and buttons on the other and bellows in the middle because he found it fascinating — and, perhaps more importantly, of wider range than is generally portrayed.

Iverson has found more than 100 kindred spirits in the burgeoning Salt Lake Area Accordion Club. The club, formed 18 months ago by the husband of a nationally recognized accordion player living in Holladay, has succeeded in bringing closet players out into the open.

"There's a little bit of snobbery in the musical world: 'An accordion? What's that?' " club president Jay Todd said. "It's a maverick instrument. But really, it's a well-known folk instrument, one of the most widespread instruments on Earth."

With opportunities for performing locally being limited, many accordion players who picked up the instrument in its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s wound up putting it in mothballs when rock 'n' roll took over. It wasn't until they heard about the local club's formation that they blew the dust off and joined their compadres for one evening a month of socialization, fun and good music.

The response has been greater than anyone expected.

"This has been a crazy year," said Janet Todd, Jay Todd's wife.

In fact, the club has outgrown its current digs at a local Unitarian Church, moving its operations this month to the sparkling new Utah Cultural Celebration Center in West Valley City.

So what does center executive director Ross Olsen think of more than 100 bellows-shaking, chord-smashing, high-note-whining instrumentalists descending on his facility every month?

"I think it's fantastic," Olsen said. "It's a great partnership for us. Our mission is to preserve, perpetuate, perform and promote various cultural activities, and the accordion was at one time an instrument that was very popular . . . It's a great service to the community."