Speaking strictly as an accordion ignoramus, let me say that perhaps the reason so many people denigrate this instrument is that they've only ever heard "Lady of Spain" and other such songs played on it; they've never heard any real authentic folk stuff.

Singer-songwriter Al Stewart uses a lot of accordion on his albums/CDs, and I've begun to appreciate the multikeyed squeezebox far more than I ever would have, had he not done so.

Hold your chin up, Carol C. There are some who think that if it's not in Child, it's not folk. But these people usually die of constipation so they're hardly the people you want to mold your life after.

Alex