Richard Galliano & Michel Portal

Award-winning French accordionist Richard Galliano has done for European folk -- specifically, the early 20th century French ballroom dance form known as musette -- what his mentor Astor Piazzolla did for the Argentinian tango. Galliano has reimagined and revitalized that musical tradition as a jazzman would, expanding its emotional and harmonic ranges to reflect modern sensibilities and opening it up to improvisation. In addition to his many recordings of musette, Galliano has collaborated with an international cast of musicians including Piazzolla, Biréli Lagrène, Jan Garbar...