Artist	Song
Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti	Big Bud
HujGroup	Vasovienne
Oberwalliser Spillit	Dr Schlitzöiger
HujGroup	Schottisch
Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti	Cherokee Tango
Oberwalliser Spillit	Kabelbrand im Würschtlistand
Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti	Blaui Ross
Oberwalliser Spillit	En Popige
HujGroup	Dreher
Oberwalliser Spillit	A la veglia
HujGroup	Allemande 1837
HujGroup	Jetzt tanzt alles
Oberwalliser Spillit	Alte Oberwalliser Tänze
Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti	El Gaucho
Oberwalliser Spillit	Em bare purpur
HujGroup	Ländler
Oberwalliser Spillit	Päuli und Marci im Schuss
Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti	Rico Royal
HujGroup	Knicker Schottisch
Oberwalliser Spillit	De verliabt Guschti
HujGroup	Pas redoublé
Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti	Schlosspark Swing
HujGroup	Mazurka

Comment:

A recent accordion mix on AotM got me to think about Swiss folk music, where accordions play an important role. The accordion was invented in Austria some 175 years ago, and it quickly became an integral part of Swiss folk music. It eventually came to replace the violin, the most popular dance instrument of the 19th century. The most common accordion played in Swiss folk music is the diatonic "Schwyzerörgeli." It is used both to play melodies and accompaniment. A band often includes two or even three "Schwyzerörgeli," supported by a bass player.

This CD mixes music from three different sources (all songs are instrumentals, with either the accordion, clarinet or violin playing the melody):

The HujGroup
Between 1940 and 1960, folklorist Hanny Christen collected 12,000 dance melodies (Scottish, waltz, ländler, mazurka, and more) from every corner of Switzerland. The industrious, passionate collector was able to live from an inheritance, and could thus devote her time and energies completely to her chosen field of interest, the collecting of old dance repertoires. Christen's music collection was published in 2002, and marked a new era in Swiss Folk Music:, as one of the greatest folk music treasures of the Alpine region became accessible to the public. Several new groups were founded with the aim to revive these old melodies and infuse them with a fresh and jaunty air. The HujGroup is one of these ensembles. The basic instruments played by the HujGroup are the clarinet, the Schwyzerörgeli, the standup bass, but other instruments join in sometimes.

Res Schmid-Gebrüder Marti
This ensemble plays Swiss ländler music, but loves to experiment and incorporate elements from other styles in their music. They've been playing together for more than 20 years and are well-respected in Switzerland. The band consists of three Schwyzerörgeli player (one of which also plays the clarinet) and a bass player (who sometimes plays electric, and sometimes acoustic bass)

Oberwalliser Spilit
This band from the canton of Valais (home of the Matterhorn) plays traditional dances and original compositions in beautiful arrangements. Oberwalliser Spilit was founded in 1977 and was active for over 20 years. The band's instrumentation: 2 clarinettes, 1 violin, 2 Schwyzerörgeli, 2 hackbrett (hammered dulcimer), 1 contrabass (standup bass).

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