April 27th, 2025: Bobby Dietsch! Live and via ZOOM!
Bobby Dietsch started playing the accordion when he was seven years old, never stopping and playing professionally at the age of fifteen to help put himself through college.
He describes his accordion style as rather unique, liking to emphasize passion and his own expression when performing, rather than just technique. Being classically trained, he uses most of the switches on both sides of the bellows, and prefers to use the left hand as another instrument to compliment the right hand, as was taught by Anthony Galla-Rini.
Bobby learned to repair and restore accordions, purchasing his own accordion business from a local master repairman. There is nothing quite like bringing vintage accordions back to their glory days.
Throughout the years, Bobby has entertained as a soloist and with groups such as The Reunion Ensemble and the Alpine Quartet and at numerous venues including in Las Vegas, church events, Oktoberfests, accordion clubs, restaurants, and private parties. After all these years, Bobby finds it hard to describe the joy it gives him to still be playing, and to see the people’s reaction to his music.
May 18th, 2025: Accordion Circle - at the Chetcuti Community Center!
Round up your accordion and join in the fun at the Accordion Circle meeting at the Chetcuti Community Center. Accordionists of all skill levels are welcome – from beginners to seasoned experts, and anyone in-between.
Sheet music will be provided that we can all play and enjoy as a group, but we also invite and encourage any person or group who has prepared a piece or two that they would like to perform in front of an audience to do so. If you would like to perform at the upcoming meeting or if you aren't quite ready yet, but would like to perform at a future meeting, please contact Ken Schwartz at info@sfaccordionclub.com and a spot will be held open for you.
June 22nd: Robert Kennedy and the No-Mads!
Robert Kennedy is a San-Francisco-based jazz organist, accordionist, pianist and composer, born and raised in the American South and a resident in the Bay Area since 1988.
He has released two albums as a leader of organ-centered jazz combos, and appears as a sideman on commercial recordings of straight-ahead and acoustic / hot-club jazz, rock, fusion and pop.
He played accordion in the pit orchestra for Broadway Sacramento's 2024 production of Fiddler on the Roof, and through memberships in The Vivants, Bistro Moustache, Mission Hot Club and numerous freelance projects he has become one of the Bay Area’s busiest jazz accordionists.
The No-Mads are guitarist Ned Boynton, accordionist (today) Robert Kennedy, and often their musical guests. In 2015, Robert got the call to play organ on one of Ned’s gigs, and the two quickly discovered a shared taste for TV themes, rock anthems, hot-club tunes, Italian folk music, popular music of Europe and the Americas, novelty songs and jazz standards.
For several years Ned and Robert freelanced on guitar and jazz organ in each other’s groups, also crossing paths as hired guns in other bands. An accordion / guitar partnership was natural for Ned thanks to his long history with accordionists in Los Pinkys, Surfer Roma and The Caffè Trieste Family Band, so the composite sound of accordion and guitar naturally became the foundation of The No-Mads.
July ??, 2025: Club Picnic!
Date, time and place to be announced!
See you at The Cotati Accordion Festival, August 16-17, 2025
Check the Cotati Accordion Festival Facebook Page for up-to-the-minute details!