Joss Baselli, also known as Jo Basile for his international career, was a French accordionist, composer and publisher. Born Giuseppe Basile in Somain on September 19, 1926, and died in Mâcon on September 5, 1982, he is regarded as one of the great accordion virtuosos of the post-war period, and was equally at home in musette, jazz, variety and film scores. After getting his start in the popular balls of northern France, he moved to Paris in the early 1950s and became Patachou's accompanist, with whom he performed in France and the USA. Under the name Jo Basile, he recorded numerous albums for the American market, selling several million records. A particularly eclectic musician, Joss Baselli has also accompanied Barbara, Jacques Brel, Léo Ferré, Serge Reggiani, Yves Montand and many other artists. He has also composed for film, television and song, writing music for Barbra Streisand, Mireille Mathieu and Nana Mouskouri. In the 1970s, he helped to modernize the accordion's image by taking an interest in electronic instruments and hosting the TV program Le Monde de l'accordéon. Co-founder of the Académie de l'accordéon with Marcel Azzola, Joë Rossi and André Astier, he played an important role in training young musicians. Awarded the Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles-Cros in 1957, Joss Baselli remains one of the major figures of twentieth-century French accordion, admired for his elegant playing and his ability to combine popular tradition and modernity.
