The accordion caught on early in Dalarna. The first newspaper advertisement is from 1856, and told that the instrument was for sale from a shop in Falun. From the 1870s onwards, the accordion seems to have become very common. When Carl Jularbo, Swedens greatest popular artist of all times, picked out his first notes on his fathers accordion in the kitchen at the age of five, there was already an accordion tradition of several decades.

Carl Jularbo used much of the repertoire that was played by the local musicians of the older generations when he had become an established recording artist. The popularity of the old hambo polskas, polkas, waltzes and hambo polkas was remarkably enduring, and lasted long into the era of gramophone records.

Gramophone records became increasingly popular in Sweden from the early 20th century onwards. The first accordion artist to make a gramophone recording was the renowned Oscar Sundquist (1882-1958), who lived in Stockholm. His debut was in 1906, and four years later it was followed by a large number of gramophone recordings with his younger brother Ragnar Sundquist (1892-1951), who later became even more famous.

A number of accordion players from Dalarna were recorded early, but Carl Jularbo was not the first. Instead it was Arvid Granström from Korsnäs near Falun, who in 1909, at the age of 22, got to make two records for the company Grammophone Concert Record in Stockholm. Many players from Dalarna followed him: Jularbo made his debut in 1913, Hugo Johansson from Korsnäs in 1916, the brothers Erik (1916) and Carl (1919) Gylling from Grängesberg, Carl Gustaf Johansson, The King of Säter and Edvin Andersson from Avesta (around 1920) and Andrew Russel (end of the 1920s).

This record contains some of the recordings made by these artists. The booklet contains 16 pages of detailed notes in both English and Swedish, as well as a rich treasure-chest of archive photos. (cdroots.com)

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VA - Dragspelare från Dalarna - kommersiella inspelningar 1909-48
(Hurv Hurv 2005)

 1. Balettmästaren - Carl Jularbo
 2. Norska valsen - Carl Jularbo
 3. Gammaldags polkett från Dalarna - Carl Jularbo
 4. Min första komposition - Carl Jularbo
 5. Gonäs-hambo, af Bellman - Erik & Carl Gylling
 6. En bondsväng - Erik & Carl Gylling
 7. Knuts lifstycke - Hugo Johansson & Evald Eriksson Glad
 8. Korsnäs polska - Hugo Johansson & Evald Eriksson Glad
 9. Genom luften, twostep - Hugo Johansson & Evald Eriksson Glad
10. Kicki, onestep - Hugo Johansson & Evald Eriksson Glad
11. Dalpolska - Arvid Granström
12. Pas de quatro - Arvid Granström
13. Bil bol, vals - Carl Jularbo
14. Men Isabella, tänk på va' du gör! - Hugo Johansson & Axel Sjöholm
15. Piraten - Hugo Johansson & Axel Sjöholm
16. Dala-mazurka - Carl Gustav Johansson & Ture Andersson
17. Bärgslagshambo - Carl Gustav Johansson & Ture Andersson
18. Julgranshambo - Edvin Andersson & O. Thelin
19. Bjurforsen, vals - Edvin Andersson & O. Thelin
20. Enskede-valsen - Andrew Russel & Richard Dahlgren