Video of “Accordion Extensions” by Joseph Natoli
Joe explains his new composition: “Many people who hear me perform more traditional compositions today, do not often realize that I had spent a good deal of my young adult life steeped in what was considered the “avant garde” or contemporary genre.
The term avant garde refers to “people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.” So I was frequently performing compositions that were at the leading edge of contemporary.
A performance and compositional icon who has dedicated her life and output to this musical space is Pauline Oliveros. We are fortunate that Pauline Oliveros is an accordionist and also a Roland FR7X player who is still performing actively today to devoted followers and crowds who love her “deep listening” approach to music. Therefore, with much admiration and respect I submit this performance for her.
My approach to this piece is to very much exploit where our instrument has come today with the advent of the FR7X and all of which it is capable. I have purposely pushed the limits of what the FR7X can do in this piece to show how versatile this instrument is in any sound setting, including the crossover between electronic and acoustic in a very contemporary idiom. Hence the title “Accordion Extensions.””
Accordionist, composer, and Roland digital accordion expert Joseph Natoli will perform at the 2013 73rd ATG Festival from July 17-20 in Lisle, Ill. and the AAA 75th Festival in New York City, August 14-18, 2013.
Joe makes his home in central Ohio with his wife JoAnn and has been a performer and advocate of the accordion since the age of seven. Joe started his studies with prominent Ohio accordion teacher, the late Mickey Bisilia of Youngstown, Ohio. Under Mickey’s tutelage, Joe won his age division in the American Accordionists’ Association national competitions each year until finally capturing its coveted Open Virtuoso national title at the age of 18 in Washington, D.C..
Later that year (1972), Joe became the AAA United States representative in the Coupe Mondiale world accordion competition held in Caracas, Venezuela, where he was chosen first runner up, missing the world title by 17 hundredths of a point. Joe also released an album for Giulietti Accordion Corporation that year under the Neofonic label entitled “Accordion Masterworks” presents Joseph Natoli and Richard Romiti, which includes many unique solo and duet arrangements and original compositions for the free bass accordion.
More recently, Joe was the winner in the first Roland US V-Accordion national competition (held in Los Angeles in September 2008). Joe subsequently represented Roland US in the Roland International V-Accordion competition held in Rome, Italy in Nov 2008. From January 2009 to June 2010, Joe became a product specialist, performing artist and clinician for Roland Corporation on the V-Accordion.
Since Joe possesses Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music composition from the University of Toronto, he tries to use his orchestrational knowledge to exploit all the best coloristic and orchestrational possibilities on the FR7X. Joe’s arrangements traverse a diverse set of musical styles (including classical, light classical, jazz, and ethnic).
Joe’s approach to the FR7X is to use the best orchestration possible to enhance the composition, often including accordion sounds, orchestral and percussion sounds, or all in combination.
Some of the recent performances given by Joe:
He performed solo and with the MAE accordion orchestra conducted by Stas Venglevski at the MAE accordion event in Feb. 2013 in Mesa, AZ. This was highlighted by his special tribute to Frank Marocco, which was a performance of his arrangement of “Amazing Grace” and “Danny Boy” dedicated to Frank at his passing in March 2012.
He also performed in Mesa at the Arizona Accordion Club with a tribute concert for his father, Frank Natoli Sr. who used to be a member of that club and performed there several times in the few years before his passing. His special dedication to his father was the jazz standard “It Never Entered My Mind.”
Joe recently returned from Indiana where he played a benefit concert with the Gene Van Accordion Orchestra 6/5/13 for the Mishawaka Education Foundation. The performance was a very well-received program with many of the selections focusing on Spring. Joe performed solos on the Roland FR7X as well.
On 6/27 & 6/28 Joe performed another benefit concert with the Gene Van Accordion Orchestra with many of the same selections plus “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” with orchestral enhancement colors from the FR7X. He also performed solos as part of that concert.
Joe’s future performances include:
7/17-7/21/13 Joe will be guest soloist and ATG Festival Orchestra member on the Roland V-Accordion.
He will also be a member of an accordion quartet that will perform his own heart felt “Waltz For Ron”, dedicated to the late Ron Lankford as well as a new arrangement called “Happy Song,” a little jazz ballad style piece based on a Carl Czerny piano exercise.
Additionally, he will be doing a workshop on arranging and orchestration for digital accordions. On 8/14-8/16/13 Joe will be guest soloist for the AAA Festival on the Roland V-Accordion and presenting a workshop on arranging and orchestration for digital accordions.
For further information: janpressmusic@yahoo.com
