The Times checks in with a detailed feature obituary, noting: "From his boyhood in Germany to the end of his life, he sought to prove that the accordion, long derided, is actually 'the hippest instrument on the planet.'"
Unfortunately, his 19-year-old shop at 19 Essex St. will close next week. As Jeremiah Moss reports, the shop would have had to close anyway — the landlord chose not to renew the lease.
There's a stoop sale at the shop next weekend. Jeremiah has more details here.
[Photo by A. Jesse Jiryu Davis for The Lo-Down]
6 comments:
When I was a kid, there were three instruments I hated, alphabetically: accordion, bag pipes, banjo.
When I got older, I came to really like the accordion and the banjo – I still hate the bag pipes though, for anything other than leading the charge into battle.
Quite sad, his lease and life ran out at the same time.
Ruhe in Frieden, liebe Herr.
NPR's tribute by Jon Kalish this morning.
What a great guy and a great player.
sorry that i didn't receive word in time to attend the memorial. he was a cultural icon in many ways - and had an almost mythological rapport in the downtown music world. everyone who played accordion knew walter. or had heard of him. he enriched our lives and was always willing to share his enthusiasm and his expertise. i bought an accordion from him long long long ago - and he offered many many many times to buy it back at four times the price!!! i am still playing the same squeeze box today. yes, he was a living and a loving treasure.......
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