Why not accordion ?

Another album that illustrates how far you can get from the accordion stereotype is Anouar Brahem's "Le Pas du Chat Noir." The music itself is hard to describe, maybe Tunisian/Parisian jazz chamber music.

The accordion playing of Jean-Louis Matinier is astonishing, not because of any flashy technique but because of how beautifully it integrates with the oud and piano. Most people I've played it for have run out and bought it, most not realizing they'd been listening to an accordion.

Just caught at the good will super cool record of Art Van Damme quintet self-title on Columbia 6-eye in near-new condition. Enjoyed a lot...

Goodwill is a good place to look for well recorded accordion. One can find many older records there in good quality on the cheap to buy just because. Instrumentation in many older records from teh 50s and 60s was purely acoustic and analog and many talented acts of all sizes playing many different instruments that are fun to listen to in hifi were recorded. Accordions, harmonicas, organs and all the rest. Hifi was new and marketable back then so record companies paid a lot of attention to sound quality. None all that popular though so most people just give them away eventually if they have them but most recordings from this era are acoustic treats for a modern day audiophile armed with a decent turntable and hifi.

For a real treat listen to the Ry Cooder medly of "Viva Seguin" and "Do-Re-Mi" on his live album. Flaco Jimenez is perfect and the whole band cooks.

Flaco is mexican harmonica folk player. I like more sophisticated and skilled performances of jazz improvisation or classical music played by accordionist.

My picks for jazz players:

Ludovic Beier -- France (Gypsy Manuche jazz)
Richard Galliano -- France (Jazz)
Pietro Adragna -- Italy(Young jazz musician super fast and artistic and classically trained)
Art Van Damme -- USA (Space Jazz)

Classical:

Yuri Shishkin -- Russia (One of the greatest professors and instructor of classical accordion)
Alexander Hrustevich -- Ukraine (Young and talented with combined jazz and classical repertoire)

Rock:

Kimmo Pohjonen -- KTU band leader -- progressive experimental rock.

I value clean and artistic performance on this instrument. Classically trained accordionists do get my preference. The ones I listed are classically trained.