Musician aims to update accordion’s image
What comes to mind when you hear accordion music? If you think Myron Floren and “Roll Out the Barrel,” then Joe Jenkins is out to change your mind.
Accordion Joe, as he prefers to be called, wants you to think of Elvis and “Don’t Be Cruel.” For 56 years this talented musician has been on a mission: to change the image of accordion music from polkas and schottisches to rock ‘n’ roll.
“I love ‘50s and ‘60s rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. “I grew up on that stuff.” Still, he didn’t start out playing that style. At the behest of his German grandfather, Jenkins took accordion lessons as a child. He appeared on the “Starlit Stairway” television show and played with the North Idaho Accordion Band.
He mastered all the traditional accordion standards, but the music of his generation is what captivated him and kept him playing even in the face of ridicule. “I got so razzed in high school,” he said. “The accordion was not cool to play.”
After graduating from Colfax High School in 1962, he joined the Navy. When his enlistment was up he traveled to Nashville to work as a songwriter. Eventually he ended up working for the postal service in Pullman. And wherever he went, he took his accordion. Photos show Accordion Joe serenading customers in the lobby of the Pullman post office.
His passion for the accordion took him to new heights. “I got this wild idea about hanging upside down from a crane 120 feet in the air,” he said. “I wanted to get into the ‘Guinness Book of World Records.’ “
Indeed, newspaper clippings show Accordion Joe playing his instrument while suspended upside down and blindfolded. Why the blindfold? “I didn’t want to see the ground as I was going up and coming down,” he said with a laugh.
Alas, he didn’t make the record book, but that stunt did earn him an appearance on the “Mike Douglas Show” in October 1979. Accordion Joe has also played while waterskiing and snow skiing, all in an effort to expose new generations to classic rock ‘n’ roll played on an unusual and versatile instrument.
He moved to the West Side of the state and appeared for several years on the “Spud Goodman Show” out of Seattle. He continued to work for the postal service in Kent, Wash., where he was dubbed the “Rhinestone Mailman.”
The nickname comes from the sequined Elvis costume Accordion Joe wears for performances. Made by a woman who sewed for Liberace, Porter Wagoner and Elvis, the two-piece ensemble features 1,000 sequins.
Since returning to Spokane after retiring from the postal service in 1995, Accordion Joe performs full time in a variety of venues, including the popular sunset dinner cruises on Lake Coeur d’Alene. In addition, he’s looking forward to his fourth Bloomsday performance. “Last year I played for 2 1/2 hours without stopping,” he said.
On a snowy April afternoon Accordion Joe appeared before a sizeable crowd at the Harvard Park Retirement Community. Activities Director Ann Corwine said he’s one of their most popular performers.
Clad in full Elvis regalia, complete with black wig, aviator glasses and white buck shoes, Accordion Joe warmed up the crowd with “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Viva Las Vegas.” If the seniors who gathered had hoped to hear songs like “The Pennsylvania Polka,” they didn’t seem disappointed.
“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t have to be fast or loud,” he told the crowd, and then launched into a sweet rendition of Bobby Vinton’s “I Love How You Love Me.”
As he played, the room continued to fill, and several couples began to dance. After Accordion Joe played “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” a woman in the front row called out, “You are very good!” To which he replied in his best Elvis drawl, “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
Though the average age of Harvard Park residents is mid-80s, they quickly responded to the unexpected tunes pouring from Accordion Joe’s 34-pound stomach Steinway. “I’ve been told by other professional musicians that you can’t play Beatles music on an accordion,” he said. As he swung into “When I’m 64,” he quickly proved them wrong.
Ninety-year-old Kelly Campbell and his bride of three years, Joanie, danced a quick-step while Accordion Joe played, “That’ll Be the Day.”
“We love that fast music,” said 85-year-old Joanie.
For his grand finale, Accordion Joe asked for his blindfold and gloves. He donned them both and then fastened a cloth over the accordion keyboard. He proceeded to play an amazing version of “Lady of Spain.”” He said he does this to show his mastery of the instrument. The assembled group loved it and gave him a rousing ovation.
After a solid hour of entertainment, Accordion Joe thanked the crowd and carefully lowered his instrument into its velvet-lined case. He said, “I’m a very, very lucky man, because I love what I do.”