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There aren’t many recordings that refer to Mahler, Dvořák, “Salt Peanuts,” polkas, spirituals, tangos, South African union songs, waltzes, sambas, and zydeco. This album touches upon all of these traditions with a solo instrument that abounds with tradition – the accordion.

Invented in the 1820s, the accordion is best known as a folk instrument. Accordionist Guy Klucevsek’s earliest musical experiences were part of the Slovenian folk tradition. As a child in a Slavic community in western Pennsylvania, he played in many polka bands.

But Klucevsek has evolved beyond an oom-pah mentality and has created a new accordion tradition. Since the mid 1980s, he has commissioned a body of works for accordion which, as the works on this disc display, draw upon multiculturalism and a variety of postmodern trends and experimental techniques.

In addition to Klucevsek’s active role as a performer and commissioner of new works, he is also an accomplished composer, and this disc contains two of his works. In his Samba D Hiccup (1986), the accordion is inspired by the Brazilian forró style. There is a balance here between a lyrical quality and the rhythmic energy driving the piece. In an Air of Gathering Pipers (1988) one is transported to the British Isles with visions of bagpipe players in the hills. The tune is soulful and poignant.

The other eight pieces on this disc were written specifically for Klucevsek from 1985–1990 by young American composers. Four of these compositions were written as part of “Polka From the Fringe,” a collection of over thirty new polkas commissioned by Klucevsek.