Arvid Franzen

Arvid Franzen

Arvid Franzen was a Swedish-born accordionist and bandleader, whose live performances and numerous recordings made him a household name in Scandinavian communities throughout the United States. A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, Franzen settled in the New York City area and fronted a large ensemble that performed on stage and at dances and social events for over four decades until his death in 1961.

Accordion pioneer Pietro Frosini played many concerts with Franzen and as a token of his esteem gave him an autographed photo with the following inscription: “To my ‘old pal’ Franzen with my greatest admiration for his efforts to place the accordion before the public in an artistic manner.”

Franzen’s first recordings were made in 1919, and over the years his music was released on the Colonial, Columbia, Scandinavian, Standard and Victor labels. Many of the records featured two accordions, and his long list of duet partners included Eric Berg, Walter Eriksson, Harold Freeman, Ture Gadde, Einar Holt, Eddie Jahrl, John Lager and Ragnar Sundquist. Franzen also toured with accordionists Eric Olson and Ragnar Sundquist and with the comedian Olle i Skratthult (Hjalmar Peterson).

Between 1927 and 1929 the Hjalmar Peterson Orchestra released eighteen instrumental tracks on Victor Records. Peterson's own band did not appear on the records, which were made by studio musicians in New York and Chicago. Among the session players were country music singer Carson Robison on guitar and Arvid Franzen on accordion.

In 1929 Franzen played on six Hjalmar Peterson recordings and on six Hjalmar Peterson Orchestra recordings. The same year he was a guest artist with Peterson’s traveling company of singers, dancers and musicians while making his first appearance west of the Mississippi. The newspaper in Bagley, Minnesota wrote of an upcoming visit by “Arvid Franzen, the celebrated accordion artist, whose Victor and Columbia records are found in tens of thousands of Scandinavian homes.”

Fifty years after his death Franzen’s recordings are still in demand, and his important contribution to Scandinavian-American music is appreciated by those who are keeping that heritage alive.

External links

• Walter Eriksson web site

Book excerpt

• A Passion for Polka at the University of California Press.
• Eddie Jahrl in a A Passion for Polka

Image files

• Olle on Tour 1929
• Photo inscribed by Pietro Frosini to Arvid Franzen
• Arvid Franzen and Walter Eriksson

Photos at Ransäters Dragspelsexpo

• Arvid Franzen
• Arvid Franzen, Eddie Jahrl and Walter Eriksson

Arvid Franzen plays Scandinavian dances

• 1959 Arvid Franzen advertisemment in Billboard magazine
• Arvid Franzen LP cover

Discographies

• Arvid Franzen on Victor Records.
• Franzen-Holt Instrumental Quartet on Victor Records.
• Eric Berg on Victor Records.
• Einar Holt on Victor Records.
• Eddie Jahrl on Victor Records.
• Eric Olson on Victor Records.

Swedish music and film

• Arvid Franzen
• Arvid Franzen on Standard Records
• Eric Berg
• Eddie Jahrl
• John Lager
• Eric Olson (Olzen)

Streaming audio at the Library of Congress

• Arvid Franzen
• Eric Berg
• John Lager

Streaming audio at the Internet Archive

• Arvid Franzen
• Eddie Jahrl

Video

• En böljesång played by Arvid Franzen and Walter Eriksson.