Squeezin’ Cool Jazz: Cory Pesaturo

Cory PesaturoDo you dig jazz accordion? Yesterday’s Boston Globe has a glowing review of a recent performance by Cory Pesaturo, a 21-year-old jazz accordionist from Boston. Pesaturo is the only accordion player at the New England Conservatory of Music and, according to the Globe, “makes the instrument sound as natural and native to jazz as the saxophone or trumpet.”

Pesaturo switches between acoustic and digital accordions, using the latter to play solos as different “instruments” simultaneously. In an interview with the Providence Journal, he mentions how people are often surprised by the accordion’s versatility:

“It catches people’s eyes, and you can do anything with it. Most people think it’s only the polka box, but you can do totally everything.”

He’s just released a new album, Change in the Weather, with saxophonist George Garzone, who’s a teacher at the Conservatory where Pesaturo is a student. Here’s their rendition of a Cole Porter classic from that album:

5 Comments:

  1. Cory does a great job on accordion jazz,recommend him highly,,,,please send a CD of his latest recording
    to play for the Reno Accordion Club, which I am the President of…..Thank you, Ed Suterko

  2. Well done, Cory!

    We met at Charles Nunzio’s AAA luncheon a few years ago.

    It was sure worth studying with Mr. Nunzio. Give him a buzz sometime, and visit him if you can. I was just there last week.

    Zevy

  3. Ed, if you’re looking for a copy of Cory’s album, you should get in touch with him directly via his site.

  4. Well, he sure is modest. I hear of none of his feats. :] simply wonderful, Cory.

  5. I just met the guy on Thursday at an accordion fest in Leavenworth, WA. Great kid.