Musette

Musette is the French accordion dance-hall style that soundtracked the bals musette of Paris from the early twentieth century. A lead accordion, usually backed by guitar, double bass and banjo or a small dance orchestra, plays waltzes (above all the valse musette), javas, tangos, paso dobles and polkas for close dancing. Created in the Auvergnat cafés of the Bastille quarter, where the cabrette bagpipe gave way to the Italian accordion, the style was codified by *Émile Vacher* and *Charles Péguri* and raised to virtuoso swing by *Gus Viseur*, *Tony Murena* and *Jo Privat*, resident for decades at the #Balajo#.