Luis Jaramillo - Accordionist

The strap had broken on my new accordion and I wasn't able to get in touch with Tony Tomei, the guy I bought it from. I called The Accordion Club in Albuquerque and they gave me Luis's number.

I told Luis I was only in town for three days and he said, "Bring it by."

He called the next day and asked me to come take a look (see: Accordion Repairs, 22, June). When I arrived the next day to pick it up, I had the afternoon free and we commenced to visiting.

A famous former Mariachi performer and now a gospel singer who performs at churches throughout the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area, I was honored to be able to record these two songs. 

What A Day That Will Be (lyrics & music by Jim Hill)

Yo No Soy De Aqui (I am not from here)

There was not a dry eye in the house.

Accordion Repairs

I had bought the accordion less than two weeks earlier from Tony Tomei. Throughout, he emphasized I was getting a $600.00 dollar instrument for $450.00. In addition, I got an hour and twenty minute lesson and a beginners book on how to play. 

The strap on the side with the bass buttons was frayed, but Tony said he'd sell me a new one for $30.00 and put it on for free...presumably sometime in the near future. Ten days later the strap was hanging by a couple of threads, but when I passed through Los Alamos Tony wasn't home. 

When I contacted The Accordion Club in Albuquerque they referred me to Luis Jaramillo.

I thought I'd have to leave the instrument with him, but he assured me he'd have it ready the day after next when I planned to leave. But neither of us expected to find that all the black keys were close to falling off. In addition to fixing them he crafted a new strap and repaired a "foot" of one of the white keys that fell off while he was making the other repairs.

He has the black key that fell off in his hand.