About Me
Greetings to all my friends on the Internet.
My son helped me to set up this Myspace-Site. For a long time I thought, my website would be enough, but found out, that myspace is a different thing. I was so pleased to find so many People I worked with, when I ran my Agency. It`s good to meet Rees, Simon (Both from Edward2), Ian (Pyewacket) and many more People I have not seen for more than ten years, in many cases even longer. Flaco Jimenez stayed in my house in 1990. I remember he gave me a tape of an unreleased album of his "New Band" which turned out to be the Texas Tornados. Nice to meet Frank Mankyboddle again, who lived with the australian Line-Up of the Sweets of Sin in my House for three months before they moved to Berlin.
But, obviously, this page is not only for the sake of the old days. I am now playing more and more. The Solo work is as much fun like the work with Crashandoh, Gary Miller or the Porters. This is in the broadest sense Folkmusic and in the narrowest Sense (i.e. only myself on stage) traditional music.
The way I play solo is influenced singingwise by the great Peter Bellamy. After the first tour he did for me (I was just 18) we became friends. I loved his way of singing and when it came to traditional music, we had the same taste (almost). Certainly not, when it came to non trad.-Music.
When you play music, it is important to listen to different styles from what you play, as well. Especially when you play accordeon. What sense does it make, to want to be a Phil-Cunningham-Clone and only copy his style? None, if you ask me. Listen to the other "Best accordeon players in the world" as well for example Flaco Jimenez or Dick Contino. One year for Christmas I got some videos of Tony Lovello, mainly to learn a proper bellow shake. I still havn`t managed that, but it is always a great experience to watch him play and I am still stunned. Stylewise I stole a lot of things from all the above mentioned and put it into my songs and tunes, which makes it much more fun for me to play.
My other favourite music is american polka music, something my kids, friends and most people I know hate me for or look at me as if I am mad. It is probably the quarter Polish and quarter Bohemian blood in me. I like Lenny Gomulka, Eddie Blazonczyk Jimmy Sturr and especially Mark Halata (Jeff Brosch and Mark Rubin are in his band). Just visit www.zmansquest.com, Johnjeski.com, or Mikes Texas Polka-Party. It`s fun.
Reggae is the other big thing for me. I have worked for an internet reggaepage. Reviewed a lot of Albums an did many interviews. Difficult to say who I like most. Certainly it is one of the biggest things to see David Rodigan play. He still is my favourite DJ and the interview we did together was the one of the most enjoyable ones I ever did. Unfortunately I did not see him for some time. Every time he plays near to Dorsten, I have a show myself. Big Up to Dr. Ring Ding as well, whose shows I always enjoyed and Top-Frankin Sound from Essen, still my favourite German sound. If you click on my my friend JJ Dub, you`ll find my other favourite artist: My son Jonas :-)
My Daughter Laura (DLaura) sings as well but unfortunately we don`t have a sound clip.
On my Website www.ralfweihrauch.de you can listen to clips of my solo-Album "Not the Bleeding obvious" and the album "Stand Fast Stand Steady; I recorded with Gary Miller from the Whisky Priests.
I hope to meet you all again or for the first time some day,
Ralf
