Earlier that morning, Tito had introduced me to Julio Giulietti, President of Giulietti Accordion Corporation, who was attending the festival all the way from New York. I had been the proud owner of my Giulietti Super for about a year, but didn’t really know anything about the company or about Julio Giulietti. I just knew that when I had listened to the Giulietti in the hands of fellow students like George Mandala the previous year, I knew it had to be my weapon of choice!
I vaguely remember Tito telling Julio, “You’ve got to hear this kid”, and therefore was not surprised when Julio appeared for the judging of the jazz category. There was something about Julio that made you feel comfortable – made you relaxed – made you play your best. Most of the manufacturing representatives at the festival’s exhibit area seemed to cater to the teachers or parents (the person with the money), but Julio paid more attention to the players, regardless of the age.
Later in the day he returned to watch me compete in the Top Open category.
It was a successful day, winning top honors in both categories. But the trophies weren’t the real story. The real success was the start of a professional partnership and a personal friendship that continued even after I stopped playing in 1979. Late in the evening – after the awards concert and other festivities, Julio introduced Tito and me to his new free bassetti. Several months later I had one of the first bassettis in the U.S. Sparked by the creative genius of Tito, supportive parents, and one of the accordion’s greatest craftsmen, I had become a ‘muse’ in this country’s golden age of accordions. It was a perfect storm.
At 15 years old, I was a Giulietti artist. Most Giulietti artists remained exceptionally loyal to the product. The players had high expectations for their accordions; and Giulietti delivered – both in performance and in durability.
Julio was successful as a businessman, but to the players Giulietti wasn’t about money. It was about making the best instrument possible. But what was so special about Julio and his accordions? In my opinion it started with several critical factors. The first was to build quality instruments by using the best craftsmen he could find and remaining loyal to a factory capable of maintaining the quality he demanded. Second, Julio listened to his players. He listened when they played, and he listened when they talked about what was important about their instruments.
Julio had another unique characteristic that contributed to his success. He was a craftsman of the highest level. The testament to his instruments was in playing them, not what he said about them. He would hand me an instrument inviting me to play it; then he waited for my reaction. It was communication without spoken words; something only a true craftsman can comfortably do. It aligns with his quote, “You should try an accordion with your eyes closed.”
Julio also had a passion for life and for living it to the fullest. He had unfailing belief in the accordion and the magic it could create. He had complete confidence in his ability to produce a quality instrument. He was comfortable listening to what his players had to say. I did many NAMM shows with him – traveled with him when I played concerts – visited the factory in Castel Fidardo – traveled the back streets of Rome, going to his favorite restaurants – visited his home nearly every weekend in Brooklyn when I moved to New York – played for his family and neighbors into the late hours – went to Coney Island with Norma, his daughter – took him to rock concerts. And regardless of what it was – it was an adventure. Looking back in retrospect, his enjoyment in the variety of what life offered was matched only by the accordion’s versatility in making music.
When I came back to playing after a 30 year absence, I quickly realized how much things had changed. But I was not surprised to learn that people would search far and wide to find a Giulietti. There was even a book about the search to learn about the Giulietti Sound. People would literally travel to other parts of the world to find one.
As I started playing again, I was blessed to locate two Super Continentals – dual system instruments. But a disappointment was not finding a true Giulietti stradella. So as I started my journey, I had returned to my love for Giulietti accordions, but it wasn’t something I could easily share with other accordionists. Giulietti stradellas are nearly impossible to find.
So I must say that I was delighted when I heard that Petosa was going to import several models of the Giulietti, built to the original specifications. Galla-Rini, one of my mentors and a close friend, played Gian Scala which was imported by Petosa and later played Petosa and continued to do so for the remainder of his years. Through both Galla-Rini and Julio I had gained and always maintained a high level of respect for Petosa’s integrity and unwillingness to compromise the quality of their instruments for any reason.
Petosa had some differences from Giulietti, but ultimately there were more similarities. The biggest difference was the emphasis that Julio had placed on the free bassetti after its introduction. However the similarities included the ongoing improvements to the instrument, a life-long commitment to consistency in craftsmanship and quality control, and listening to the players. And something I consider equally critical, Petosa’s attention has continued to focus on the US accordion player. To me, Petosa / Giulietti is not only the ‘perfect’ combination, it is the only collaboration that will allow accordionists once again the opportunity to live the Giulietti experience in the true sense of what a “tradition of fine accordions” stood for.
When you have the opportunity, I would suggest that you follow Julio’s words, “try it with your eyes closed.”
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Giulietti Reloaded
A Giulietti Artist talks about the new Giulietti.
It was the summer of 1961, the Western States Accordion Festival, Long Beach, California. It was Saturday morning on what was going to ultimately be a very long day, and one that literally changed my life. I had been studying with Tito for about a year, and the first category of the day was Open Jazz.
