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<b>"</b><b>All I can say is what a cool concept for a web page. Obviously you put a good
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<p> <a href="#Reviews">Reviews</a>
| <a href="#Genres">Genres and Artists</a> | <a href="#Q&A">Q&A</a> | <a href="#Bibliography">Bibliography</a> |
<a href="#polka_links">Links</a> <span id="zosia"><a href="http://journal.rcn.net/polkapage/">ASK
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<p> I have been reviewing and rating polka CDs since 2002. To read how I rate
CDs, click <a href="#How_do_I_rate_CDs?">here</a>. If you're new to polka music,
you might want to start with my <a href="#Genres">overview of polka artists and
genres</a>. For further reading, this site also includes my thoughts on
the history and marginalization of the polka, a bibliography of polka resources, links
to important polka articles on the Web (both popular and scholarly), and some
essential information for polka musicians. Your feedback is invited.</p>
<h2><a name="Reviews">Reviews</a></h2>
<h3 class="boxed_head" >New reviews</h3>
<p align="center" >We're trying to locate a CD by <b>Club Estudiantina</b>. If you can help us locate
a copy, please <a href="contact.htm">drop us a note</a>.</p>
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<a name = "ompakara"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Gangsterpolka</dt>
<dd>(Ompakara, Grappa Musikkforlag GRCD4282, 2008) If you like Norwegian
folk-rock, Balkan, klezmer, Arabic and ska, then Ompakara is for you.
I'd say they fall about halfway between <a href="#polkaholix2">Polkaholix</a>
and the Leningrad Cowboys. Vocals and musicianship are excellent
throughout. "Grav�l" and "Martn'svisa" are the only
polkas on this CD -- actually, they're more ska than polka, but don't
let that stop you. All the songs are original and the CD comes with a
slick booklet with all the lyrics (in Norwegian, natch). B+ [12-28-2008]
[Vendor: <a href="http://www.grappa.musiconline.no/shop/displayArtist.asp?id=7798">musiconline.no</a>.
At the site, you can also listen to samples of Ompakara's more acoustic
recordings from the early 1990s.]</dd>
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<a name = "jelani"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Clarinet Polka </dt>
<dd> (Jelani Eddington, MP3 from the album "Jelani Eddignton In Concert",
1994) Ah, Jelani! I've loved his theater organ playing since 2002, when I
bought a CD of his duets with pianist David Harris. Now you can hear him play
the "Clarinet Polka" on the Kimball-Wurlitzer at the Organ Piper
Music Palace in Greenfield, Wisconsin, and enjoy two of life's pleasures at
once -- the mighty Wurlitzer and polka music. A [8-25-2008] [Vendor: <a href="https://organmp3.ipower.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=296">OrganMP3</a>]</dd>
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<a name = "polishmuslims"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Make #2 </dt>
<dd> (The Polish Muslims, [self published], 2000) I loved their "That's
Why God Invented the Polka," which can be found on the <i>American Polka</i>
and <i>Polka Comes to Your Haus</i> compilations. On <i>Make #2</i>, the <a href="http://metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=4066">Polish
Muslims</a> cover hits by Sly Stone, Gary U.S. Bonds, Sonny and Cher, John
Fred, the Beatles, Green Day, etc. Their performances are excellent, but the
lyrics just aren't funny. Sorry. C- [8-21-1008] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.thepolishmuslims.com/cgi-bin/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=9346049.27500*bz03-8&xm=on&product=MUSIC">www.thepolishmuslims.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Z glasbo vas pozdravljamo</dt>
<dd> (Planinski Kvintet, [self-published], 2001) Self-described as "one
of North America's very few authentic Oberkrainer style ensembles,"
Planinski Kvintet is no more, having disbanded in 2005. This is the only
recording they made during their eight-year run and it's quite enjoyable. The
songs, all in Slovene, are mostly original and penned by members of the
band. Performance and production are high-caliber. B+ [8-21-2008] [Copies of
the CD are nearly impossible to locate.] </dd>
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<a name = "mroczka"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Daj Mi Buzi (Give Me a Kiss)</dt>
<dd> (Tom Mroczka & The Music Box, Chicago Polkas CD-1008, 2007) Tom Mroczka and The Music
Box are a Push polka band from Cleveland with strong Honky/ethnic
leanings. Their arrangements are wonderfully varied, Nicole Cuglewski's vocals
-- particularly on
"Daj Mi Buzi" -- are to die for, and the bellows-shaking is
pleasantly understated. Plenty of Polish vocals (I didn't mind a bit
because the aforementioned arrangements kept my interest) and thorough credits
of all the songwriters. Very nice. B [8-20-2008] [Available from <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<h3 class="boxed_head" >A</h3>
<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt>American Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Trikont US-289) My number one favorite polka album. A truly amazing
compilation, it will give you a taste of a number of polka styles including Chicago
Honky, Wisconsin Dutchman, Avant Garde, Mexican Conjunto, and Nuclear
Polka. Every track is to be savored and the liner notes are the best. This
is the compilation I would have programmed if they hadn't thought of it
first. A+ [Read <a href="polka-terrell.htm">Steve Terrell's review</a>]</dd>
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<a name = "polkafloyd"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">The Polka Floyd Show</dt>
<dd> (The Polka Floyd Show, Static Records SNR1027-2, 2007) The Polka Floyd
Show has taken Pink Floyd's pretentious tunes from a bygone era and rendered
them as polkas -- a move that was surely long overdue. The music is great
(duh!), Ken Haas' guitar work is incendiary, and the production is flawless. A
total delight. A [8-20-2008] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.staticrecords.com/main.htm">Static
Records</a>]</dd>
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<a name = "polkaholix2"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">The Great Polka Swindle</dt>
<dd> (Polkaholix, Westpark Music 87146, 2007) If you remember Buster
Poindexter's Banshees of Blue,
imagine them playing polkas in the Mos Eisley Cantina, surrounded by
Mugwumps sipping who-knows-what through their alabaster straws. Then grab your
credit card and buy this CD. Includes an excellent booklet with liner notes by
Carl Finch. A [5-25-208] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]
(Thanks to Tony Cultreri for pointing out that the title is a play on the Sex
Pistols' 1979 album <i>The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.)</i></dd>
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<a name="rotondi"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Polka Changed My Life Today</dt>
<dd>(Rotondi, Five Star Recordings 1002CD) I first heard Rotondi on the <i>Polka Comes to Your Haus</i>
compilation CD and was knocked out by their song "Blue Polka." I
did some more digging around and found this album, recorded in 1985-1986 but
not released in CD format until 2003. It's your chance to hear one of the seminal bands of New Wave Polka. Back in the day, Rotondi (named for an
eccentric vegetarian author from California) could be found playing on the
same bill with Brave Combo and Polkacide. The band members were a wickedly
talented bunch: lead singer Tony Patellis went on to a career in theater but
in Rotondi, he was a powerful and expressive vocalist. Bassist Peter Curry
has backed Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater (a name that should be
familiar to true EBV fans) and played in many bands including Los
Straitjackets and The Halibuts. Mike Rose, who lent his classic sax chops to
"She's the Lion," a Paul Lacques original with an Mbube-like
groove, has played with the Ventures and done much other session work. All the
music is original, written or co-written by Paul Lacques, the mad genius who
put this wild bunch together. Paul has started or performed with more bands
than almost any human alive today. Overall, the material ranges from manic
to sweetly charming. Good liner notes by Christopher Monger. A [Rated
"B" on10-3-05; raised to "A" on 6-23-08] [Vendor:
<a href="http://www.bestbuy.com">www.bestbuy.com</a>] [Read more about <a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/rotondi2">Rotondi</a>
at CDBaby.]</dd>
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<!-- start item -->
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<!-- start title -->
<dt class="no-sinkage">New Traditions</dt>
<!-- end title -->
<!-- start description -->
<dd>(Jerry Grcevich [Grčević], [self-published, no catalog
number], 1992) It's all tamburitza, all the time -- and it's a pleasure.
Each tune features about five tamburitzas, all played by Grcevich, who
also wrote all the music. Styles range from traditional to Baroque to
pop and beyond. Like his father before him, Jerry is a member of the
Tamburitza Association of America's Hall of Fame. No polkas, but you
should buy this anyway. A [10-21-2007] [Purchased from: Jerry Grcevich,
210 Old Jacks Road, No. Huntington PA 15642]</dd>
<!-- end description -->
<!-- end item -->
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Concertina Hall of Fame</dt>
<dd>(Ray Konkol Band, North Star Appli NSA-228, 2004) Concertina player
Ray Konkol and bass horn player Cedric Solie are clearly having a blast
as they play their way through a mostly traditional program of Dutchmen
polkas, waltzes and laendlers. Ray has been at this for about 50 years
and has been inducted into both the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame and the
World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame. Cedric was formerly with Whoopee
John. If you want to join the fun, buy
the CD. A [7-21-2007; revised 7-24-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Frankie Spetich Revisited <br>
with the Klancnik & Friends Band</dt>
<dd>(Klancnik & Friends Band, Ranch Recordings RR0051, released 2006)
Ed Klancnik has performed a bit of recording magic, isolating Frankie
Spetich's original accordion performances off of a series of
tapes made from 1972-80. Ed then recorded an entirely new band to
accompany the Spetich tracks. The result is excellent. The band --
including Frankie -- totally rocks, with a sound I would call "neo
Slovenian." If you compare these guys to a "traditional"
(Yankovic-style) Slovenian polka band like the International Main Street Street Polka
Band, the difference is quite clear: Klancnik and Friends have a harder,
ballsier sound, anchored by the robust and inventive bass playing of
Jerry Zagar. All instrumental. A [4-8-07; rev. 7-20-07] [Available from <a href="http://www.ranchrecordings.com">www.ranchrecordings.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Most Requested Hits</dt>
<dd>(Lenny Gomulka & The Chicago Push, World Renowned Sounds WRD-2803,
released 1992) I bought this for the "Oh Baby Mine Polka,"
Lenny's cover of the 1954 Four Knights hit "I Get So Lonely"
(also popular in the 1983 Statler Brothers version). But the entire CD
is a pleasure, featuring the great Gomulka voice and compositions --
from "Money Can't Buy Everything," which I thought was a
"traditional" tune when I first heard it on Brave Combo's <i>Humansville</i>
album, to the honky sound of the "Don't Get Married Polka." A
[1-21-07] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkas.org">www.polkas.org</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Party Dress</dt>
<dd>(Lynnmarie [Rink] & the Boxhounds, Squeeze Records / Rink
Entertainment RE-Q5806, released 2006) When I first heard a pre-release version of
this recording in the spring of 2006, I said, "It's a great CD and has helped convince me that LynnMarie and the Boxhounds are the best
recording artists in polka today." Not only does LynnMarie have one of
the best voices in polka today, not only is Charlie Kelley an inventive
arranger and first class producer, but the two of them are now writing
original songs every bit as good as the hits that they cover. Jimmy K says: "This is one of the most commercial-sounding
recordings we've received from Lynn Marie. Lynn's vocals are solid and pleasant, the music is very polished. Not real traditional, but
real good!" A [abt 3/2006; rev. 5-29-06, 7-27-06, 1-20-07] [Available
through <a href="http://www.lynnmarie.net/products.htm">LynnMarie's
website</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Polka f�r die Welt</dt>
<dd>(Hiss, [self-published, no catalog number] UPS 4-029758-195505,
recorded 2003, released 2004) Polka f�r die Welt ("Polka for
the World) is certainly that: you'll find polkas from Mexico, Uruguay,
Romania, Germany, and Finland -- as well as American polkas "Who
Stole The Keeshka" (Walt Solek), Zydeco Gris Gris (Michael Doucet),
and "Get Together Polka" (Pee Wee King [Frank Kuczyncki]). The
arrangements are generally characteristic of each country, with the
addition of a bit of electric guitar. Performances, production and
packaging are all major-label quality. My only complaint is that <a href="http://www.wildwilson.com/">Wild
Wilson</a> got to this before me -- darn you, Wild Man! Liner notes are
in German. A [10-29-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.abella.com">www.abella.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Out Behind the Barn</dt>
<dd>(The What Cha Callums, self-published [no number], recorded January
2006, released May 2006) I love this CD! I bought it after hearing
"Please Maria Don't You Cry" (a cover of the 1968 Bert
Kaempfert "Sweet Maria") on <a href="http://www.WRJQradio.com">www.WRJQradio.com</a>.
What makes that song so special -- along with much of the rest of the
album -- are the enchanting triple-tracked vocals by Marilyn Lange.
Thanks to excellent production and engineering she sounds a bit like the
McGuire Sisters. Back that up with a sharp 8-piece oom-pah band and they
achieve a sound unlike any other polka band I know of. A [9-17-06]
[Purchased from Arvin & Marilyn Lange, 10718 Rangeline Rd.,
Auburndale WI 54412] [1-9-07: I love Greg Laabs' tuba on "Please
Maria Don't You Cry."]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Dick Rodgers and his T.V. Recording Orchestra
CD-630</dt>
<dd>(Dick Rodgers and his T.V. Recording Orchestra, Polkaland CD-630,
original LPs released 1968 and 1970) A fine <a href="polka-rickmarch.htm"> Wisconsin Bohemian</a> album
from Dick Rodgers, who started the band in 1945, when he was still in
high school, and led it through 1975. The songs are interesting and
peppy, the 8-man band plays with skill and gusto, the arrangements are
top-notch, and the stereo separation is crisp. While a more modern recording
would have a fatter bass sound, the transfer to CD is very clean (Did they
have access to the original tapes?). I love almost every tune,
but two stand above the others: "Stop Inn Saturday Night" is a
fine tribute to the polka bands that were their contemporaries, such as
the Six Fats, Lawrence Duchow, Alvin Styczynski, and Don Schlies; and
the "Polish Falcon Polka" totally swings. Note that five other Dick Rodgers CDs have the same
title as this one -- you have to tell them apart by their album numbers!
No liner notes. A [7-24-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">A Musical Journey to Poland</dt>
<dd>(Various artists, WeltWunder Records 501-2, released 1999) Young
musicians from Poland explore, reinterpret, and deconstruct their
musical heritage. Whether you call it neo-folk, world music, or roots
music, it's breathtaking and beautiful. Grzegorz Ciechowski's great
remix of traditional Polish folk singing with dance grooves reminds me
of Deep Forest. "Dorokina" is a fiery take on Polish Roma
(gypsy) music. Jamaican and Polish singers collaborate on the poignant
"Joint Zelene," singing in both English and Polish. Kroke is a
classically trained trio from Krak�w who are part of a revival of
Jewish music from Poland. They play a sher ("scissors
dance"), which is a kind of <a href="http://www.yiddishdance.com/assorted.html">Jewish
square dance</a>. If you know Chudoba (and you should, if you've been
paying attention to my reviews), they're also represented here. Liner
notes are thorough and in English. This CD
is hot, hot, hot! A [6-3-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Puntas de Arerungu�</dt>
<dd>(Los Gauchos de Rold�n, Ocho Bajos Music, UPC 7-07541-78332-3,
released 2005) Hot polkas from Uruguay, played on button accordion by
Walter Rold�n accompanied by guitar, violin, electric bass and
percussion. Sounds
a bit like Vallenato (an afro-caribbean style from Colombia) or cumbia.
I imagine that the Buena Vista Social Club would sound like this if they
were playing polkas. A [1-28-06; revised 1-29-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">global.kryner </dt>
<dd>(Global.Kryner, BMG 82876-60632-2) Global.Kryner presents 13 familiar
tunes, ranging from "Stardust" to "Like a Virgin,"
all flawlessly performed in the oompa brass oberkrainer style. These six brilliant
musicians from Austria have been hugely popular in Germany, playing a
style that originated in Slovenia. Lyrics are in English; the lovely
booklet is in German. CD was released in 2004. It's not polka, but you
should buy it anyway. A [10-5-05. Revised 4-24-06] [Vendor: www.abella.com]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Big Band Polka Swing</dt>
<dd>(Walt Procanyn Orchestra, Eastwind 43) I didn't much like the
previous Procancyn CD I reviewed, but I love this one. This one was arranged,
orchestrated and conducted by IPA Hall-of-Famer Henry Will (Wilczynski), who also wrote
half the songs. The sound is lush and extravagant (I'd
call it "swing band on steroids") and features the smooth
vocal stylings of The Golden Voices of the Walt Procanyn Orchestra.
You'll hear polkas, straight big band, and Dixieland, all performed to
perfection by a group of nameless musicians (except the drummer, who's
credited). Walt contributes his usual excellent graphic design. A
[10-4-05] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>] </dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Champagne Galop: Polkas, Mazurkas and
Waltzes of Hans Christian Lumbye</dt>
<dd>(Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Gennady
Rozhdestvensky, Chandos Records, CHAN 9209) Danish composer Hans Christian
Lumbye patterned himself after Johann Strauss I, eventually becoming known
as "The Strauss of the North." Lumbye's work is exciting and has
an oomphy, almost Sousa-like, quality. Best classical polka CD I've
heard so far. Real liner notes. A [9-10-05]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Rock 'n' Polka</dt>
<dd>(Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra, Rounder 82161-6109-2) Polka versions
of rock 'n' roll hits from the late 50s and early 60s, like "Splish
Splash," "Personality," "The Wanderer," and
"Hello Mary Lou," featuring guest artists such as Lee
Greenwood, Duane Eddy and Willie Nelson. Alison Krauss's hauntingly
beautiful vocal
on "Dream Lover" transforms the old Bobby Darin tune into a
touching love song. Usually I find Jimmy Sturr too bland for my taste,
but I find myself dancing in my chair when this CD is playing. A
[9-11-05]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Polkas, Lullabies & Wedding Songs</dt>
<dd class="no-lead-below">(Chudoba, WeltWunder 202-2) I love the full, rich neo-traditional folk
sound of this CD. It's very listenable and often downright beautiful;
the recording is excellent, and the performances sparkle. Chudoba
(meaning "meager possessions" in Polish) was founded in the
early 90s by students at the University of Wrocław. They specialize
in folk tunes from Galicia and neighboring areas, reinterpreting them
with an array of acoustic instruments that include Jew's harp, mandolin,
guitar, violin, dulcimer and flute. Good liner notes in English. Buy
this CD! A [9-10-05] [Vendor: CD Roots <a href="http://www.cdroots.com">www.cdroots.com</a>]
[Read
the review at <a href="http://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/chudoba.html">rootsworld.com</a>.]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Denkste!</dt>
<dd>(Polkaholix, HeiDeck HD20032) They call their music
Berlin-Speed-Polka. I call it non-stop fun from an amazingly eclectic
band. Their music ranges from soca to bluegrass (in the same song!),
from . . . words fail me. I'll just say that they're totally amazing. I
had hoped that I was the first one to discover them, but <a href="http://www.wildwilson.com/"> Wild Wilson</a> and Dandy Don
Hedeker beat me to it. Liner notes in both English and German. A [9-11-05] [Vendor:
www.rootsmailmusic.com]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Brizgaaaaj!</dt>
<dd>(Atomik Harmonik, Menart Records 383102381842-9) Atomik Harmonik is a quartet from Slovenia (really) with a kind
of Eurodance/Alpenrock sound. If Frank Farian had taught ABBA to play polkas they might have sounded
like this. Check the <a href="http://www.atomikharmonik.com/">website</a>
for cool videos featuring the bodacious charms of �pela Kleinlercher and �pela Gro�elj.
The CD booklet has lavish graphics and extensive notes (in Slovenian). It ain't all polkas but it's a gas.
A [8-1-05. Thanks to Greg Brown for giving me the heads-up about this fun group.] [On RootsWorld, <a href="http://www.rootsworld.com/reviews/atomikharmonik.shtml">Eric
Iverson</a> calls them "Slovenian Turbo Folk."]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Polka Changed My Life Today</dt>
<dd>(Rotondi, Five Star Recordings 1002CD) I first heard Rotondi on the <i>Polka Comes to Your Haus</i>
compilation CD and was knocked out by their song "Blue Polka." I
did some more digging around and found this album, recorded in 1985-1986 but
not released in CD format until 2003. It's your chance to hear one of the seminal bands of New Wave Polka. Back in the day, Rotondi (named for an
eccentric vegetarian author from California) could be found playing on the
same bill with Brave Combo and Polkacide. The band members were a wickedly
talented bunch: lead singer Tony Patellis went on to a career in theater but
in Rotondi, he was a powerful and expressive vocalist. Bassist Peter Curry
has backed Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater (a name that should be
familiar to true EBV fans) and played in many bands including Los
Straitjackets and The Halibuts. Mike Rose, who lent his classic sax chops to
"She's the Lion," a Paul Lacques original with an Mbube-like
groove, has played with the Ventures and done much other session work. All the
music is original, written or co-written by Paul Lacques, the mad genius who
put this wild bunch together. Paul has started or performed with more bands
than almost any human alive today. Overall, the material ranges from manic
to sweetly charming. Good liner notes by Christopher Monger. A [Rated
"B" on10-3-05; raised to "A" on 6-23-08] [Vendor:
<a href="http://www.bestbuy.com">www.bestbuy.com</a>] [Read more about <a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/rotondi2">Rotondi</a>
at CDBaby.]</dd>
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<dt >Real Hot Polkas</dt>
<dd>
(Happy Louie & Julcia Orchestra, HA-LO Records SHL-5010) Happy Louie
defies description. His "Clarinet Polka" is straight
Eastern-style; "Where's Johnny?" and "Mountain Polka"
are Honky; and "Peanuts" (derived from Luis Guerrero's "La
Cacahuata") has a nice Mexican flavor. The CD runs only 34 minutes, but
Louie -- like L'il Wally -- has a wonderful polka voice and a warmth that
makes you feel like you've been invited to a party. [Rated " B" on
9-28-04. Raised to "A" on 5-5-05: Sure, there are no liner notes
and it sounds like the vocals were recorded in a wash tub, but the album is
so cheerful that I keep listening to it over and over.]</dd>
<dt >Wow!</dt>
<dd>
(Don Cialkoszewski "The Polish Kid," [no record company or number] Don is "Mr. Excitement" in my book. Sure there's a bit
too much synthesizer and the vocals are uneven, but this CD puts a smile on
my face every time. The songs range from bright-sounding Slovenian to sweet
Czech, with Polish and German rounding out the mix. A [1-7-05]</dd>
<dt >The Haunted House of Polka</dt>
<dd>
(The Shanes, Pinorrekk Records PRCD-3405033) Brilliant alternative polka
CD. <a href="http://www.shitenonions.com/links.html">One website</a> called
them "German folk-punk with polka and gypsy stylings." <a href="http://www.brave.com/bo/scrapbook/pump/oct99.htm">They've
also been described</a> as "polka-thrash" or "Hard
polka." In any event, you'll hear allusions to Arthur Brown, Rednex,
Those Darn Accordions, the Doors, Enigma, Love, and
much more, but the final product is pure Shanes and it's a feast for the
ears. There's a nuclear polka version of Piaf's "Padam Padam."
There's even a tango that's . . . indescribable. Good booklet, too. A
[9-28-04. Revised 10-4-04. Revised 10-11-04.]</dd>
<dt >Dutch Hop -- Music of the Germans from Russia </dt>
<dd>
("Performed by Adolph Lesser and his Polka Band and Paul Weingardt
and his Polka Band," produced by Kurt E. Goldenstein) Goldenstein has
given us a generous 73 minutes of music collected from old records. All the
music is "Dutch Hop," i.e., in the traditional style of the
Germans who emigrated to Russia in the 18th century and then to several
states in the American west in the late 19th century -- most notably
Colorado. The arrangements cover a pretty wide range from big band to
hoedown, but it all has an appealing lilt. Some even reminds me of
Scandinavian polkas. Because of the age of the recordings, the sound quality
is not so good, with the result that the hammered dulcimer -- characteristic
of the Dutch Hop -- can be hard to distinguish. On some songs, the accordion
player does an amazing imitation of a violin. Considering the care that the
producer lavished on this project, the liner notes are surprisingly poor.
However, the $30 price tag is more than justified by the 294 page book that
accompanies the CD (see below). A [6-29-04]</dd>
<dt >Walt Wagner and the Polka Serenaders Orchestra Present Giant Polkas
Featuring Music of the Great Bands of the Connecticut Valley</dt>
<dd>
(Walt Wagner and the Polka Serenaders Orchestra, Mojo Polka Records
WJW-04) Some say that Wagner is an anachronism, a throwback to the sound of
earlier polka bands. I say that that's his charm. Finally I can hear what
those Eastern-style bands must have sounded like their heyday. Not only is
the sound quality good, but the arrangements are rich and varied, and show
off the breadth of Wagner's band. They can sound like Witkowski or Sturr or
a straight big band. I particularly like Walt's singing on the minor key
"In the Pines Polka." The album's concept is to cover songs by the
prominent Connecticut Valley bands of the 1950's. I only wish the notes had
made clear which song is associated with which of those bands. Otherwise,
the notes are ok, crediting the musicians and songwriters. The excellent
album art is uncredited, probably produced by some nameless drudge at Disk Makers. Twenty songs, 72 minutes. Best Eastern-style polka CD I've
heard so far. A [5-19-04; revised 6-29-04] {See <a href="polka-wagner.htm">Walt
Wagner's comments</a>]</dd>
<dt >The Best of Flaco Jim�nez</dt>
<dd>
(Flaco Jim�nez, Arhoolie CD-478) A sweet and bouncy conjunto collection.
Flaco joins in duets with a variety of singers and plays button accordion
throughout. He's particularly effective when teamed with Toby Torres on
"Cuando Mas Tranquila" and "Un Viejo Amor." Ry Cooder
makes an appearance, playing slide guitar, and Hugo Gonzales' rich and
expressive voice gets a solo turn. Of sixteen tracks, one is a polka
instrumental and seven are rancheras sung to a polka beat. Compiled from
five other Arhoolie CDs of varying vintage so the sound quality is uneven
but it's a lot of fun anyway. [3-9-04 B; raised to an A on 3-21-04 -- it's
the best conjunto CD I've heard so far]</dd>
<dt >Blechschaden</dt>
<dd>
(Blech and Brass Banda, SMT Records SMT-007) BBB, an Austrian brass
contingent consisting of thirteen horns, one drummer, two singers and an
audio engineer, has produced one of the finest polka albums I've heard. They
have a brilliant yet sweet tone. Their arrangements are of symphonic
quality, employing more counterpoint than one usually expects from a polka
band, and totally devoid of schmaltz. The tunes are mostly Polish, but there
is one outstanding doo-wop number. There is plenty of variety, including two
songs with vocals. The drumming is excellent -- listen for where Reinhard
Hoffman <i>doesn't</i> play. There is a bit too much echo for my taste and
the limited liner notes are in German. A [3-2-04] </dd>
<dt >Waila GP Style (Group Papago 2001, Rock-A-Bye Records RABR-00028), Chicken
Scratch (Warrior, Rock-A-Bye Records RABR-00013), and New To
Your Ears (Warrior, Rock-A-Bye Records [no number]) </dt>
<dd>
If Lawrence Welk played
"Champagne Music," this is Kentucky moonshine. At first I hated
all three albums. They're loud and irritating like a drunken party when
you're trying to get some sleep. But I didn't want to give up on Waila
(Native American polka) without giving it a chance, so I kept playing the
CDs. I began to notice a real tunefulness under the noise. Then I noticed
that there were some songs that had a sensuous and sinuous quality like a
shot of good Stax-Volt R&B. It turns out that those are the cumbias --
not the sweet cumbias of Mexico or Columbia, but cumbias that smack you
upside the head. There are also polkas, played with all the energy and
finesse of a good garage band. The rest of the repertoire consists of chotes
(<span id="google-navclient-hilite0">schottisches) and mazurkas which I
found less compelling. <i>Chicken Scratch</i> by Warrior rates an
"A" and the other two CDs get a B. All instrumental, no liner
notes. [2-23-04, revised 2-24-04]</span></dd>
<dt >Fiolin Min -- My Violin: A Scandinavian Musical Journey</dt>
<dd>
(Jonita Aadland, Accent Productions AP02-1) Aadland is great. She plays
polkas, waltzes, reinlanders and a couple marches, all with verve and skill.
Jerry Bravo and Butch Kresovich accompany her with admirable subtlety. But
don't
be fooled by the snow-covered mountains on the CD cover -- this Norwegian
fiddler lives and works in Florida. A [11-3-03; revised 11-18-03]</dd>
<dt >Hardcore 2/4</dt>
<dd>
(Polkacide, Dog Patch Records DOG005) Combine the Dixieland sound of the
Squirrel Nut Zippers with klezmer by the Jews Brothers Band and humor from
Walt Solek. Add a pinch of raunch from the Fugs, and what would you get? I
have no idea. But that's the only way I can think of to describe the manic,
sometimes vulgar, good-time music of Polkacide. Buy this album. A [10-19-03]</dd>
<dt >Polka
Record</dt>
<dd>
(LynnMarie [Rink], Squeeze Records / Rink Entertainment RE-Q0451)
Outstanding! LynnMarie markets herself
as a mainstream artist, but this is the best "alternative" polka album
I've heard yet. Her "Cleveland, the Polka Town" is amazing. She brings
new life to the hoary old "Beer Barrel Polka." Then there's
"Never Ending Song of Love," which ranges from traditional polka to
Western to Cher-like dance -- all seamlessly woven together. And the list goes
on. LynnMarie and Charlie Kelley, her outstanding arranger, have done a dynamite
job. A [8-30-03; revised 9-25-03] </dd>
<dt >KNUJ 50th Anniversary Collection</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, KNUJ-Radio One [no number]) Forty three songs from New
Ulm's premier polka radio station. The sound quality is a bit weak in
places, but almost every song is a gem. I loved "Oh, Loretta," a
schottische by the Leon Olsen Band, Bruce Bradley's wonderfully square
"Happy Wanderer Polka," the Wendingers' "How Married Are You,
Mary Ann?," the fiddling on "Maple Sugar Polka" by the Marv
Nissel Band (not the only song here with a touch of country), the tuba solo
on Ivan Kahle's "Cradle Polka" and much, much more. No liner notes
(what a shame!), but this is still an all-you-can-eat buffet for Dutchman
fans. A [8-3-03]</dd>
<dt ><a name="TimeLife">The Time-Life Treasury of Polka</a></dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Time Life Music R142-06) Excellent compilation, if a bit
on the square side. Almost every song is a gem: Myron Floren's
"Laughing Polka," the Andrews Sisters' "Beer Barrel
Polka," Jimmy Dorsey's "Helena Polka," and the list goes on.
Little Joe Hernandez' sings part of "Just Because" in Spanish.
Even Lawrence Welk is represented, and he sounds great. Carl Finch helped
make the selections. The sound quality is good, even the stereo is mostly
good. Packaging is attractive but the liner notes don't list the musicians.
Just 80 minutes of music is spread across two CD's (ugh!). In spite of its
faults, it's a must-have. A [6-16-03]</dd>
<dt >
Ach Ja!!</dt>
<dd>
(Becky & The Ivanhoe Dutchmen, Becky-05) This is one of the most
enjoyable albums I've listened to in a long time, an attractive blend of
traditional Dutchman instrumentation with a delightfully varied repertoire.
Becky Livermore has a great voice and there is some terrific harmony singing
here -- even a bit of yodeling! The arrangements are understated but
excellent. The packaging is nice and the liner notes
list the band members. Too bad that the songwriters are uncredited (e.g.,
the beautiful "When the Snow
Is on the Roses." is by German composer Hans "James" Last,
a former jazz bassist and one of the most successful "easy
listening" bandleaders of all time). Quite a few slow songs, but I love
it anyway. A [Revised 6-29-03, 11-18-03]</dd>
<dt >
Call It What You Want</dt>
<dd>
(die Schlauberger, Wise Guy RP-103-100) It's hip, it's German and it rocks
-- think Brave Combo in lederhosen. Die Schlauberger plays some polka, some
Alpine, some bubblegum and some reggae, and they do it all well. They even invited Didier
Rachou to add his guitar to "Gitarrenm�ckl" (just as Steely Dan
brought in Elliot Randall to play on "Reeling In The Years"). This
CD is so good that I barely noticed that the lyrics are nearly all in
German. You might think, "These guys should be opening for the Rolling Stones in Meadowlands
Stadium." But I don't think the Stones would want to follow die Schlauberger
on stage. Buy
it, it's an "A." [revised 3-31-03, 6-29-03, 2-22-04] {Read the <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/call-it-what-you-want-2001-album-by-die-schlauberger?cat=entertainment">All
Music Guide review</a>.]</dd>
<dt > Texas Polish
Roots</dt>
<dd>
(Brian Marshall & His Tex-Slavic Playboys, Arhoolie CD-464) Ten tons
of fun! Twenty-two mostly Polish polkas and waltzes, though one of my
favorite tunes is the Czech-style "Moravia Polka" by Mark Halata.
The album has a strong
Texas Country-and-Western flavor (maybe that's true Tatra mountain fiddling
in there, but it sure sounds like a square dance to me). I like it all, even the booklet. Thanks go to my brother-in-law, without whom I would have missed
this band entirely, since they're usually booked as a "folk" act
rather than as a polka band. A [2/27/03] </dd>
<dt > Grandpa's List:
The Best of the Dujka Brothers, Vol. 2</dt>
<dd>
(Dujka Brothers, self-published 2001) They certainly give you your money's
worth: 22 songs ranging from Czech polkas to "All� en el Rancho
Grande," from "Roll Out the Barrel" to the cowboy sound of "Strawberries, Raspberries
Polka." The liner notes are adequate and make it clear that John and
Mark Dujka played all the instruments (not everyone else is so candid). While
the Dujka Brothers are considered a Texas-Czech act, much of the album
sounds Slovenian to me, with two accordions in front and bass guitar
carrying the bottom. Nevertheless, the infectious
cheerfulness and quality of the arrangements, as well as the album's length and variety earn it an
"A."</dd>
<dd>
>On a later listening: These guys
really know how to put together a set, varying songs between different
styles, tempi and languages.<br>
>8-9-05: It still holds up. The vocals are perfect and the arrangements
sparkle. </dd>
<dt >Frank Yankovic and His Yanks</dt>
<dd>
(Frank Yankovic and His Yanks, Soundies SCD 4106) These forty-one tracks
from 1950 have a more informal feel than the other Yankovic album listed
here, which makes it much more appealing. The songs range from typical
polkas to a tarantella ("Butcher Boy"), from a bit of cocktail jazz to "Come Back to
Sorrento." There's even a touch of kazoo. The sound is a bit weak in the
treble, most likely because of the need for noise reduction in transcribing
from the early recordings. The slim booklet is unusually good, listing
sidemen (with pictures!), songs, composers, track length and a brief history
of the band. A</dd>
<dt >(International) Golden Hits</dt>
<dd>
(Li'l Wally Jagiello, Jay Jay 5019) No liner notes, too many waltzes, and
only 12 songs altogether. The album could have benefited from a competent
producer, but the producer would probably have made Wally sound like Frankie
Yankovic so what's the point? I say: kick back, enjoy Wally's incomparable
sincerity and the occasional snatches of inspired improvisation by the
uncredited sidemen. <br>
>I was somewhat disappointed when I first heard this album. I don't know
what I was hoping for -- Polkacide? But I keep coming back for more Li'l
Wally. It's like Mickey Katz meets Preservation Hall Jazz Band with a dash
of Ferko String Band thrown in. I'm raising my rating to an A.</dd>
<dt >Irresistible You</dt>
<dd>
(Lenny Golmulka and Chicago Push, Push Records CPE-9502) I keep coming
back to this charming CD. While it has some of the studio sound that plagues
Miskulin's <i>Country Polkatime</i> album, it fares better due to
Gomulka's songwriting ability and great voice, as well as the interesting
arrangements. Also, listen for some hints of rock and roll in the drumming.
A [rev. 3/20/03]</dd>
<dt >Squeeze This!</dt>
<dd>
(Those Darn Accordions!, Flying Fish FF-70627) They're not a polka band
but this album is outstanding anyway and contains a couple polkas. A</dd>
<dt >Deeper Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Smithsonian Folkways CD-40140) Like "Deep
Polka," a compilation of Midwestern polka from a variety of ethnic
backgrounds -- but this CD is more diverse. I found the "Logger's
Schottische" by Al Reko and Oren Tikkanen particularly charming.
Extensive notes and the packaging is very good, too. A<br>
>Later listening note: The more I hear Reko and Tikkanen, the more I like
them, and the more I think they're crypto-klezmorim.</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<a name = "lado"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Iz Kajkavskih Krajeva, Vol. 2 [Folk Dances and Songs from
Northwestern Croatia]</dt>
<dd>(Lado, BeSTMUSIC CD-6011, 1998) <a href="http://www.lado.hr/en/naslovna.asp">Lado</a>
is the official state folklore ensemble of Croatia. I love their
conservatory-quality performance of folk music -- every note perfect,
yet never too studied or academic. There are outstanding arrangements
(track 8, "Drmeš," a dance from Posavina, is quite the <i>tour
de force</i>), beautiful tamburitza playing, and a fine orchestra.
But what stands out is the amazing choral singing, presumably from the
Croatian "klapa" tradition. Liner notes don't explain anything
about the songs or say what instruments were used. A- [2-8-2008]
[Vendor: <a href="http://stores.croatiagifts.com/StoreFront.bok">Heart
of Croatia Gifts</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Live 'n' Kickin'</dt>
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<dd>(die Schlauberger, Wise Guy Records CD-105-100, 2007) The Alpenrock
boys from Middle Village have come out with another sharp CD, this one
recorded live during their 2006 tour. It features the group's fine
four-part harmonies, as well as Tom Staab's hot fiddle and guitar
playing. The sound quality is excellent, the arrangements sparkle, and
everyone sounds like they're having fun. But are they really this good
live? The answer is mostly yes. We got to hear them in July, 2007, in <a href="images/polka/dsb-concert.jpg">Juniper
Valley Park</a> (Queens, NY). While they didn't bring their much-vaunted
Marshall stacks, they did bring all of their enthusiasm, charm and
musicianship. A- [11-9-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">One Step Over the Line</dt>
<dd>(The Polkadellics, Reverb Records RVBCD0101, released 2002) In 2001,
Richard Janik reincarnated his father's polka band, the Polkadellics, a
Canadian outfit that had originally flourished from the mid-1970s to
mid-80s. They have a solid "goodtime" -- almost honky -- sound
that reminds me of Touch of Chicago or Pat Zoromski. "The Night Has
a Thousand Eyes," "Ludzie Sa Dziwne (People Are
Strange)," and the "Theme from the Little Rascals" are
among their captivating polkafied covers. Their version of Focus's 1971
hit "Hocus Pocus" is quite sharp, as is "Hand Me Down
World," a hit for fellow Canadians the Guess Who. "Quit Your
Bitchin'" is a fine original by Richard, as is "Doctor
Polka," which, if there is justice in this world, will become a
standard for polka bands everywhere. I could have done without "Swingin'
the Alphabet," and the "Prelude to Celebration" doesn't
actually lead into "Celebration," but those are quibbles. The
CD is a lot of fun, the production is professional, and the liner notes
are informative. A- [12-29-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dt> </dt>
</dl>
<h3 class="boxed_head" >B</h3>
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<a name = "pasb"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Polish American String Band</dt>
<dd> (Polish American String Band, [self-published] PASB9510, 2003) The Philadelphia
mummer tradition goes back to Swedish immigrants, who brought their Christmas
noise-making to the Philadelphia area in the 17th century. Other immigrant
groups added their own customs and, by 1901, a formal New Year's Day parade up
Broad Street had evolved. Shortly after, "string bands" joined the
parade; the name comes from the guitar, mandolin, banjo and violin that made up
some of the early bands. Today's instruments might include saxophones, banjos,
accordions, violins, bass violins, and glockenspiel (no brass instruments are
allowed). By 1933, the Polish immigrants wanted in on the fun, and the Polish
American String Band was formed. This CD, issued on their 70th anniversary,
contains eight polkas played in the distinctive string band style, as well as
a medley of mummers' standards, including "Alabama Jubilee." No
polka collection could possibly be complete without this. B+ [5-13-2008]
[Vendor: <a href="http://www.polishamericanstringband.com/">Polish American
String Band</a>] (Thanks to Michelle Genrich for pointing me to this
band.) </dd>
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<a name = "SPEV"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Klic Ru�evca</dt>
<dd>(Ansambel SPEV, Zlati Zvoki ZZCD-206, 2004) This four man group from
Slovenia (actually, they've added a fifth since this recording) has a
bright pop sound, a bit like Oberkrainer without the horns. The vocal
harmonies are impeccable, the instrumental musicianship sharp and clean.
Very enjoyable. B+ (I discovered Ansambel SPEV through the <a href="http://www.primetimepolkas.com/recordings.htm">Prime
Time Polkas</a> site) [12-22-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.clevelandstyle.com/">National
Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Pikt�irnis [Piktzirnis]</dt>
<dd>(Vydraga, Lietuvos radijas LRCD0036, 2004) Vydraga ("<a href="http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0003-0279%281922%2942%3C186%3ATLE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-V&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage">stormy
woman</a>") is a versatile Lithuanian folklore group founded in
1988. On this CD, they lovingly revive the work of forgotten
folk musicians of the early 20th century. The best part is that the
recording and engineering are just modern enough to be pleasing, the
singing is sweet, and the fiddling is easy on the ears. Even the dūdmai�is
(bagpipe) is pretty listenable. I love the <i>a cappella </i>singing of
the dainas (Latvian and Lithuanian folksongs, some dating to
pre-Christian times) such as "Par �alių Sodų" and
"Parjoj Bernelis." Nine polkas out of 24 tunes altogether.
Part of the liner notes are in both English and Lithuanian, but the
notes to the songs are just in Lithuanian. Way more fun than
the other two Baltic CDs I've reviewed (<a href="#Estonie">Estonie: Airs anciens</a>
and <a href="#Maskackas">Pāri jumtam</a>). B+ [8-17-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.balticshop.com">www.balticshop.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Polish Tunes</dt>
<dd>(Jimmy Kilian and Honky Chicago, Chicago Polkas CD-1201, 2006) It's
hard to find Honky CDs that don't sound like <i>drek</i> but, thanks to
Dave Mitera of Freeze Dried, I found this one. Jimmy Kilian and guest
vocalist Chet Kowalkowski are in fine singing form, Eddie Blazonczyk
Jr.'s engineering adds a welcome professionalism, and Kilian's
arrangements are just right, too. All vocals are in Polish but it didn't
bother me one bit. No liner notes. B+ [7-8-07] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
</dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Cousin Fuzzy and His Cousins</dt>
<dd>(Cousin Fuzzy and His Cousins, Polkaland CD-615, originally recorded
1950-63) Anyone who says that polka bands shouldn't be covering Country
& Western songs hasn't listened to the old timers of the genre. For
example, in 1954, cowboy gospel singer Stuart Hamblen released "Old
Pappy Time." Among the performers who covered it was Earl J.
McNellis, better known as polka bandleader Cousin Fuzzy. Earl and his
band were quite popular in the Wisconsin area for about a decade. They recorded for
Polkaland Records, had a TV show on Green Bay's WBAY, and regularly packed
the dancehalls whenever they toured. In 1985, Cousin Fuzzy was inducted into the IPA Polka Hall of Fame and,
in 2005, into the Wisconsin Polka Hall of Fame. The music on this CD,
mostly performed in the Dutchman style, covers an immense range: polka
standards ("Beer Barrel Polka" and "Just Because" --
itself an early country song), typical Dutchman fare ("Tanta
Anna"), novelty ("Why Do Gals Wear Britches?" and
"Leap Year Song"), yodeling ("Hillbilly Leprechaun"),
music hall (T.W. Connor's "I Can't Change It") and even a series of rock 'n' roll instrumentals that would be right at home on
the Ace <a href="http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=488">Tean
Beat</a> series. While the sound quality is crummy (no bass at all), the
musicianship is excellent and the variety of material is remarkable. B+
[3-24-07] [Purchased from the defunct www.polkaland.com site; try <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>
instead]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Old Lager Polkas & Sunday Afternoon Polka Party</dt>
<dd>(Gary Kuchenbecker and His Old Lager Orchestra, Polkaland Records
CD-636, transferred from LPs and 45s recorded in 1977, 1980, and 1984)
The Old Lager Orchestra, formed by Gary Kuchenbecker back in 1974,
combines some of the smoothness of a swing band with the solid tuba bass
lines you expect from a German polka outfit. Notable tunes include Harry Von
Tilzer's old time "I Want a Girl" and Nacio Herb Brown's
goodtime "Sunday Afternoon." All 31 tracks are upbeat and will
bring a smile to your lips. The stereo separation is good and the notes
fully credit all musicians. B+ [11-5-06, revised 11-10-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Tuba Dan Family Band</dt>
<dd>(Tuba Dan Family Band, Reel to Reel Records [the one in Oshkosh WI]
01537, released 2005) Thanks to Aaron <span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" class="text">Schuelke's <a href="http://www.wrjqradio.com/">WRJQ radio</a>, I've been listening
to lots of cool Dutchmen (German) and Bohemian (Czech) polkas these days. One of my happy
discoveries has been this CD from the Tuba Dan Family Band, a Czech
outfit from south-central Wisconsin. Dan's previous band, the
Polkalanders, recorded from at least 1985 to 1990 and was probably
active longer than that. He's now recording with sons David and Dan Jr.
(of Copper Box fame), and daughter Lila. They play a nice
boppy version of the "Our Mike Polka," a tune that goes back at least to 1934 when it was recorded by the Viking Accordion Band;
there's a sweet
cover of the old McGuire Sisters hit "Sugartime"; "Blue
Moon Turns to Gold Again" is solid Wisconsin Dixieland; and thanks
to careful overdubbing, the band achieves a nice mass brass sound on the
"Go To Sleep My Children Waltz." Liner notes are
thin and songwriters are not credited. Altogether, a
lot of fun. B+ [5-13-06] [Purchased from Tuba Dan Jerabek, W 12539 Olden
Rd., Ripon WI 54971]</span></dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Polkas and More, Volume 1</dt>
<dd>(The Don Lipovac Orchestra, [self published, no number], [no date]) I
heard Don Lipovac's version of "Perle de Cristal" (a French
musette tune from 1936) on the <a href="http://www.polkajammer.com/">Polka
Jammer Network</a> and then tracked down this CD. It was worth the
effort. The music covers the kind of range rarely attempted by today's
bands: Slovenian, Polish, Latin, Greek, Austrian, French, and Dalmatian
(Dalmatia is mostly in modern Croatia). For simplicity's sake, you could
call the band's sound Slovenian -- both because of Don's heritage and
because Don's award-winning accordion playing is featured on most of the
songs. Standout tracks include "Suze Liju Plave Oci"
("Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain") and "Topkapi
Waltz." Twenty-three tunes in all, taken from two albums probably
recorded in the late 1970s or early 80s, <i>Polka Feast</i> and <i>Playing
Your Requests</i>. The sound quality and stereo are good, but there is
no booklet -- not even a cover -- just a tray liner listing the tracks.
Square but yummy. B+ [1-15-06] [Vendor: www.polkas.org]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Family Tree</dt>
<dd>("Pan" Franek [Piotrowski] & Zosia [Piotrowski] &
The Polka Towners, [self-published]) It's not "Honky," it's
not "Push," it's not your usual Polish band. This family
outfit from Michigan features prominent violins, which gives them a
sound more like folk-rock than anything else. The vocals (English and
Polish) are good, the packaging is beautiful and the booklet is
informative. Their "Polka Hoedown in II" (based on Cotton-Eyed
Joe) is a killer. B+ [12-29-05] [2-17-2008: They also cover "sad
Movies," a 1961 hit for Sue Thompson.] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Good Times Never End</dt>
<dd>(Pat Zoromski and the Boys from Polonia, Redbird RBR-0403054 135503.04) By
the late 1950s, the Poles of the upper Midwest had embraced the German
and Czech styles of artists such as "Whoopee John" Wilfahrt and
Romy Gosz. Then Honky evangelist L'il Wally Jagiello began touring
the area and caused a revival of interest in Polish polka music. Today, Pat
and the Boys keep Midwestern Honky alive, playing mostly familiar tunes with
delightful gusto, though the highlight of this CD is their polka version of
Albert Von Tilzer's 1910 "Put Your Arms Around Me Honey."
Top-notch
fun. B+ [5-25-05]</dd>
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<dl>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Feiern
ist ein Hammer</dt>
<dd>(AlpenRebellen, Koch 324-636) Peppy poppy Austrian rock, perfectly
performed and produced; Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz would be proud. I
first heard "A bisserl Woodstock," a takeoff on "Hey
Joe," on 247polkaheaven but it took a few months to track it to this
CD. Elaborate liner notes. Few polkas but plenty of happy listening here. B+
[Rated "B" on 5-25-05. Raised to "B+" on 8-1-05.] [See what <a href="polka-kevin.htm">Kevin</a>, drummer for dSb
(die Schlauberger) has to say.]</dd>
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<dt >Dancing in the Dust: The Waila Festival Live!</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Blue Bhikku Records BB-00014) In the <a href="#keil">Keil
book</a>, David Paul Winkler is quoted as saying, "I can't get enough if
that 'old style,' old village styles like <i>gorale</i> fiddling, the minor
keys, something barbaric about it. That's why I go for Chicago-style polkas;
they still have some of that mountain music sound." I think old D.P.
would love this CD. No prettified Jimmy Sturr orchestra here, just the
rugged sounds of five Waila bands of the kind that play at all-night dances
on the Tohono O'odham reservation. Mostly recorded live at the 1997 Waila
Festival in Tucson, Arizona. Good sound quality and real liner notes. B+ [10-8-04. Revised
10-10-04. Rated on 11-6-04] </dd>
<dt >Versalicious</dt>
<dd>
(Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, Bel-Aire Recordings BACD-4637) On this CD,
the Versatones -- probably the most influential polka band working today --
perform songs from an amazing range of sources. I particularly liked "Jessico"
(from the Kentucky Headhunters), "She's Going Up" (from Canadian
Celtic-rock band Great Big Sea), and "Take My Hand" (from
Louisiana's Deuce of Hearts). Other songs come from Irish songwriter Pete
St. John, Barenaked Ladies, Larry Trojak, Frank Wojnarowski -- and the list
goes on. Most of the singing is quite nice, though the notes don't say who
sang lead on which song. Overall, I'd say that the band's sound and choice
of repertoire is similar to the Polka Country Musicians. B+ [Rated B on
8-19-04; raised to B+ on 8-25-04]</dd>
<dt >Jammin' Polkas</dt>
<dd>
(Steve Meisner Band, [self-published] HG-5045) Steve's got that bright
Slovenian sound, like the hot glint of the sun bouncing off a chrome bumper
in the middle of August. He's got a great polka voice and the lyrics are
even in English. "Blue Island," written with Bob Kreiser, is an
impressive original -- I think it's a polka-bolero. And the last cut,
Steve's version of the Buck Owens "Where Did the Good Times Go?"
is a real showstopper. I like the fact that the vocal harmonies are real, not
synthesized. I like the use of sax and flute. I even like Steve's bass
playing. The production and engineering are good, as was the CD conversion
(the album was originally recorded in 1988). Liner notes credit the
songwriters and musicians. Only 35 minutes. B+ [5-3-04; revised 7-4-04]</dd>
<dt >
Highways are Happy Ways</dt>
<dd>
(Peter & Paul Wendinger Band, P&P-97) Dutchman music with a
sweeter sound than you find in the Brueggen bands. For rhythm, they use a
piano plus high-hat in place of a banjo; there's sweet three-part harmony
singing, and you'll also hear clarinet and sax. Doug Young's tuba playing is
outstanding -- perhaps I noticed because it is so prominent in the mix.
Since the band's two leaders both play concertina, I expected some scorching
interplay between them, but it wasn't evident. "Highways are Happy
Ways" is absolutely wonderful. "Sweet Nearness of You" is not
up to the quality of the rest of the album. The liner notes are ok, but it
would have been nice if they had mentioned that Abe Lyman composed the
melody on which the "Mary Lou Polka" is based. B+ [Rated B on
4-10-03. 4-29-03: On a later listen, I think the album's great. I'm upping it to a B+.]</dd>
<dt >
Here Come the Polka Heroes - Vol. 1</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Our Heritage . . . Pass It On [Cleveland International]
HER-2001) Super Slovenian-style sampler. Also includes a smattering of other
styles, such as a few "Push" tunes, a cut by Brave Combo,
and Johnny Krizancic's tamburitza version of "Long Live our Brothers,
Long Live our Sisters." Twenty nine songs in all, running a generous 73
minutes. I
like Jerry Suhar's Jimmy Durante imitation on "Good Old Fashioned Wife"
as well as the singing of Christine Hibbs and Lynn Marie Rink. The liner notes are
passable. B+ [3-20-03]</dd>
<dt > Shades of the
Jodie Mikula Orchestra</dt>
<dd>
(Jodie Mikula Orchestra, self-published 2001) Good, solid Texas Czech
music. Mostly polkas, a few waltzes, a bit of country, even "El Rancho
Grande." Mostly instrumentals, with a pair of very expressive trumpets
carrying the lead. Where most self-produced albums are amateurish, this one is well
engineered, mixed and mastered. The liner notes (including a band list!) are
offset printed not output on a home computer. My only complaint is the
limited dynamic range of the album -- everything is pretty much bouncy
mid-tempo fare. I would have found it more satisfying if they had included,
say, a quiet lullaby and a rave-up. That being said, it's a tasty album. B <br>
>Even the design of the CD imprinting was done with care. I'm raising my
rating to a B+<br>
>3-8-03: The "Schneider" polka picks up a tiny bit of
Honky-type swing towards the end -- very nice.</dd>
<dt >Early Years</dt>
<dd>
([Leroy Larson and] The Minnesota Scandinavian Ensemble, Banjar Records
BR-2530CD) The first Scandinavian fiddle I heard was on a cassette my wife
brought back from Minnesota called <i>Scandinavian Fiddle Vol. 1</i> by the
late Craig Ruble. I loved his sweet tone and the tunefulness of his
repertoire. Later, when I got into polkas, I enjoyed Al Reko and Oren
Tikkanen as well as the Goose Island Ramblers from Rick March's excellent <i>Deeper
Polka</i> compilation. This summer, my wife brought brought back another
recording from Minnesota: this time it was the Minnesota Scandinavian
Ensemble's <i>Early Years</i> CD. It has the same melodious lilt that I hear
in other music of the genre. Only later did I learn that Craig Ruble had
played with the Ensemble (though not on this recording). Fifty-three minutes
of pleasure. B [10-12-03. Raised to a B+ on 2-17-05.]</dd>
</dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<a name = "hubn"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Wir sind wieder da !</dt>
<dd> (Hub'n Bub'n, Music House Records MHA-0104, 2001) The Hub'n Bub'n is a
Dutch <a href="#Oberkrainer">Oberkrainer</a> band, formed in Maastricht in
1987. Their 8-man lineup, including guitar and electric bass, enables them to
perform typical Oberkrainer fare as well as Alpen Rock and the occasional surf
tune. They're a lot of fun -- be sure to check out their videos on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=hubn+bubn&search_type=">youtube.com</a>.
CD has no liner notes. B [5-24-2008] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.hubnbubn.nl/hubbub.htm">hubnbubn.nl</a>
(it helps if you read Dutch)]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<a name = "bulletproof"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Bulletproof Polkas</dt>
<dd>(John G�ra & G�rale, Sunshine SNCD-130, 2007) <i>Bulletproof
Polkas </i>is the latest CD from John G�ra &
G�rale, who have been playing their Push-style polkas since about 1996.
The album is about evenly divided between Polish songs and covers of
English-language hits. "Beata z Albatrosa" is a contemporary
Polish ballad, considerably punched up by John's arrangement and the hot
Jeff Beck–style guitar work of Kyle C. Pacey. Familiar songs which
are given the G�rale polka treatment include "Buona Sera"
(Louis Prima, 1949), "Kiss of Fire" (Louis Armstrong, 1955;
the 1903 original was composed by Angel Villoldo), "The
Letter" (The Box Tops, 1967), and even "Karma Chameleon"
(a 1983 hit for Culture Club). But the best track is "I Surrender
All -- Wszystko Tobie," which John has transformed from a nice 18th
century American hymn (I don't know who wrote the Polish lyrics) into a
polka that is also a powerful expression of faith. John provides
quality vocals and fine sax work throughout. My quibbles? "I
Surrender All" is needlessly repeated at the end of the album and "Run Run" is
boring. On the other hand, the CD booklet contains complete lyrics. B
[1-20-2008] [Available from <a href="http://www.johngora.com/store.html">John's
website</a>.]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<a name = "16mostrequested"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">16 Most Requested Polkas</dt>
<dd>(Various artists, Columbia/CBS Records CK-45107, 1989) Sadly, the
excellent <a href="#TimeLife">The Time-Life Treasury of Polka</a>
compilation is long out of print. Sometimes you can find a copy through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QJGDWE?ie=UTF8&tag=thenospolpag-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B000QJGDWE">Amazon</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thenospolpag-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000QJGDWE" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />,
otherwise consider this collection of polkas from the big band era. It
has several of the same songs as Time-Life, including Bob Crosby's
"Hop Scotch Polka" and Jimmy Dorsey's "Helena
Polka." Frankie Yankovic, Babe Wagner, and Walt Solek are also
represented. Notes are surprisingly informative. Sound quality is so-so, but
it's budget-priced. B [11-25-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com">www.barnesandnoble.com</a>]
[Full disclosure: If you purchase the Time-Life CD using the Amazon link
above, I make about 40 cents.]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">About Time Two</dt>
<dd>(Two Time Polka, [self published] TTP0003CD, 2003) Jack Hurst in <i><a href="http://www.nodepression.net/">No
Depression</a></i> said, "Possibly nobody knows more about making a
Saturday night worth a Sunday morning than Cajuns and Irishmen."
Two Time Polka is an Irish band, solidly grounded in traditional Irish
roots music, that fell in love with American Cajun, Zydeco, and
Bluegrass. The result is a unique kind of good-time music. You haven't
lived until you've heard their version of "Hound Dog," done
with fiddles, accordion and washboard. They also cover Bill Monroe, Bob
Dylan, Chuck Berry and traditional Cajun tunes. You could plausibly
dance the polka to about half the album. Everything is major-label
quality including the liner notes. B [8-7-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.thelivingtradition.com">www.thelivingtradition.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Let's Get Casual</dt>
<dd>(The Casuals, Casual Time Records [no number], 2002) A
high-energy combination of Polish- and Slovenian-style polkas, with a
big nod to rock 'n' roll. The Polish tunes are fronted by strong trumpet
work (uncredited . . . perhaps synthesized?) and the Slovenian tunes are
led by various combinations of the band's three accordion players. About
half the music is original, either written by band members or Cleveland
musician "Rockin" Ray Miller. Standout songs include the
doo-wop instrumental "Too Much" featuring Tom Grahek's hot sax
work, the polka-rock "Falling in Love," and "Every Day is
Mother's Day" (sappy, but it's <i>good</i> sappy). Also check out
Jim Slatinsky's skillful drumming. B [7-18-07; revised 8-26-2007]
[Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Jaktens Tid</dt>
<dd>(Finntroll, Century Media Records 8077-2, released 2001) Don't tell
the kiddies that there are polkas here -- just let them enjoy the
screaming vocals and the slashing guitar chords loud enough to make your
ears bleed and eyeballs explode. Finntroll is a folk metal band founded
in Finland in 1997. They combine the sound of Scandinavian "black
metal" from the 80s with humppa, the typically Finnish polka. What
makes them so interesting is that, underneath all that aggressive din,
their songs are quite melodic. B [12-30-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.amazon.com">www.amazon.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Golden Horns on Green Fields: <br>
Czech Polka Music from the Midwest</dt>
<dd>(Various artists, Polkaland CD-638, released 2003) Agricultural
Heritage & Resources, a Wisconsin cultural group, produced this compilation
to celebrate the brassy Wisconsin Bohemian style of polka music, a style
which I find generally "sweeter" than its Dutchman cousin. The
20 tracks, selected by noted ethnomusicologist <a href="polka-rickmarch.htm">Rick
March</a>, include Clete Bellin, Malek's Fishermen, Fritz Wilfahrt,
Jerry Schneider, and Becky & the Ivanhoe Dutchmen, among others.
Most of the bands are currently working in northeastern Wisconsin,
though two come from as far away as Iowa. The late Romy Gosz (d. 1966)
is also represented, since he's one of the historical greats in this
genre. The music is outstanding, the liner notes are weak. B [11-11-06;
7-6-07: Romy Gosz's 1938 hit, "Picnic in the Woods," starts
off the CD. In spite of the sound quality (probably transferred from an
old 78), it really swings.]
[Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Under the Influence</dt>
<dd>(Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, Bel-Aire Records BACD-6170, released
2005) Excellent musicianship, vocals, arrangements, and recording make
this a very enjoyable CD. The tunes are a mix of country, traditional
and originals, all performed in the cheerful, country-tinged manner of
their earlier <i>Versalicious</i> album, reviewed elsewhere on this
page. Too bad that you only get 29 minutes of music for your money. B
[9-19-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Town & Country Polkas</dt>
<dd>(The International Main Street Polka Band, self-published [no
catalog number], released 2005) Slovenian polkas in the Yankovic style
(including Solovox and dialect songs). No surprises here, but a totally
solid and professional CD. The band consists of Denny Anderson, Eric
Noltkamper, David Austin, and Craig Ebel. Excellent vocals by band
members and guests Joey Miskulin and Christine Hibbs. Liner notes credit
all performers, recording personnel, songwriters, etc. B [9-17-06]
[Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Minnesota All Stars: Great Accordion Performances
from the Northstar State</dt>
<dd>(Various artists, Rounder Records 82161-6110-2, released 2006) This is
a compilation of recordings from the Rounder archives; most are pretty
recent so the sound quality is good. There are polkas, waltzes, a
schottis, an oberek, and a couple of reels. Hot accordion playing
throughout. I love Dee Langley's "Malague�a" but who needs an
accordion version of Philip Glass's "Modern Love Waltz"? The <a href="http://www.rounderarchives.com/media/liner_notes/8216161102.pdf">liner
notes</a> are thorough, but you have to print them yourself, so save
$6.00 and buy the download instead of the CD. B [6-9-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.rounderarchives.com">www.rounderarchives.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Art of the Belorussian Dulcimer</dt>
<dd>(Olga Mischula and Kermash, Arc Music EUCD-1477, released 1998) You'd
think that a whole album of Belorussian hammered dulcimer (<i>ts�mbal�</i>)
would be boring but you'd be wrong. Olga Mischula plays dulcimer like
Ted Nugent plays guitar. She's backed by Kermash, a 4-piece folk group
which includes bayan (Russian accordion) and jaleika (a reed instrument
that sounds a bit like an oboe). They play a variety of folk dances
(including five polkas),
original compositions and even some Paganini! Quite sprightly. B
[3-12-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cduniverse.com">www.cduniverse.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Total Kaos</dt>
<dd>(Die Schlauberger, Wise Guy Records RP 102-100, released 1999) Not
much polkaing here, but plenty of high-test alpine rock. I hear an <i>homage</i>
to Crosby Stills and Nash in "F�rstenfeld," a touch of the
Moody Blues in "Schifferlied," and some more prog rock (I love
that pretentious stuff) in "Sierra Madre." I also like the
salsa piano licks in "Total Kaos." Very enjoyable. The graphics
need to be reconsidered, however. B [2-17-06, 3-5-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Shake, Rattle and Polka!</dt>
<dd>(Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra, Rounder 11-661-6111-2, released 2005)
Following up on the success of his <i>Rock 'n' Polka</i> CD, Jimmy Sturr
returns with another album of rock 'n' roll oldies reworked as polkas.
The concept is not as as fresh and novel the second time around, but it's still
fun and highly listenable. Guest vocalists include Willie Nelson,
Frankie Ford, and Delbert McClinton. Particularly noteworthy is Ray
DeBrown's beautiful waltz arrangement of "You Belong To Me" (a
doo-wop hit for The Duprees in 1962). As expected, the musicianship,
production and packaging are excellent. I just hope that, next time
around, Jimmy finds a Black singer (I nominate Buckwheat Zydeco or Keith
Frank) to add to his roster of guest vocalists. B [1-23-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">FPB On Tap</dt>
<dd>(Fritz's Polka Band, [self-published] UPC 8-25346-98732-3, released
2005) Nobody promotes like Fritz Scherz promotes: If someone in his band
passes wind, Fritz mails out a press release (other band leaders, please
note). As a result, Fritz's Polka Band has had <a href="http://www.oneidadispatch.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10841215">excellent
coverage</a> in their local media. But they don't just do PR, the band
delivers a snappy, high-energy neo-Slovenian sound that's a
pleasure to listen to (imagine Verne Meisner backed by Die
Schlauberger's rhythm section). The CD even includes a music video so
you can watch the band perform live. Inclusion of "The Wutch," a song
condoning DWI, hurt the CD's rating. B [12-2-05] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]
[12-27-05: Read Fritz Scherz's reply about <a href="polka-fritz.htm">"The
Wutch."</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">The Legacy Continues</dt>
<dd>(Marty Swiatek & RBO, [self published] UPC 8-25346-44052-1,
released 2004) Mostly Eastern-style, at times sounding like the Dick
Pillar or Ray Henry bands (who, like Marty, were also based in
Connecticut). But -- wait! -- there's more. June Ingram's fiery violin
playing is featured on several country-tinged polkas including the
"Hoe-Down Hankette" which has an almost Dutch Hop lilt. And
"Who Stole the Kishka?" features vocals by the late Walt Solek
in probably his last recording. Overall, a solid and enjoyable CD. Now I
wish someone would explain why the New Brass's "Honky Style
Polka" sounds like a "push" arrangement. B [12-2-05]
[Vendor: www.cdbaby.com]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">This Ain't Your Daddy's Polka</dt>
<dd>(New Generation Band, Elite Music Entertainment DSF-0037) A terrific vocal
quartet with a peppy sound and good variety of material. I love "A Duel
with the Devil," their homage to "Devil Went Down to Georgia"
as well as their cover of Louis Prima's "Che La Luna." Other songs
sometimes suffer from a cheesy synthesizer and the lack of a bass player.
Seventeen songs in all. B [7-8-05]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Concertina Marathon</dt>
<dd>(Jersey Polka Richie, Star Note CD-1637) Jersey Polka Richie (Florida's
Richard Drongoski), backed by Jimmy Noga on drums and a bass player too embarrassed
to let his name be used have recorded 29 songs inside what sounds like a
cement mixer. But I like it anyway because Richie really rocks. B [7-8-05] </dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Lets Kiss -- 25th Anniversary Album</dt>
<dd>(Brave Combo, Dentone [no number) If Devo came back as a polka band,
they'd sound like this. Ten polkas, 2 schottisches, a waltz, an oberek,
and a czardas, plus real notes, credits and stories -- yum! B [6-3-05]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Every Day's a Polka Holiday</dt>
<dd>(A Touch of Chicago, Hunter Records/The Gray Room [no number]) An Arizona
polka band that plays fine honky music. Their cover of Barefoot Man's "Cayman
Holiday" is amazing, and "I Walk the Line" is excellent, but
the liner notes are appalling. B [6-3-05]</dd>
</dl>
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</table>
<dl>
<dt >Room for Change</dt>
<dd>(Change of Pace, Change 2655) A solid "Push" band working a vein
similar to Crusade's. Standout tracks are Michael Tylinski's "Higher
Power" and the "Changed Drinking Song" from <i>The Sound of
Music. </i>Good vocals, too. B [3-11-05]</dd>
<dt >Music from Sliabh Luachra</dt>
<dd>
(Jackie Daly, Green Linnet GLCD-3065) When I asked <a href="http://www.mally.com/">Dave
Mallinson</a> to recommend some Irish polkas, he warned me that they would
be "quite different" from the type listed on this site. He was
right, of course, but I'm glad I went ahead anyway. Jackie Daly, a
well-known folk musician, plays solo accordion on <a href="http://www.irishtune.info/album/JDa+1/">a
range of tunes</a> including several polkas which are typical of the Sliabh
Luachra region. It ain't "Kick Ass" but I like it. B [1-7-05]</dd>
<dt >Polkas United</dt>
<dd>
(Walter Ostanek and Gaylord Klancnik, Ranch Recordings DSF0034) You'd
think that presenting two polka bands on alternating cuts of a CD, recorded
in seven studios by an army of musicians would be a recipe for disaster, but
Ed Klancnik and the redoubtable Gary Rhamy have pulled it off. I
particularly liked Christine Hibbs' vocals (no surprise, there) and Norm
Kobal's baritone sax. A solid Slovenian-style CD. B [11-12-04. See the <a href="polka-klancnik.htm">supplementary
notes</a> provided by Ed Klancnik.]</dd>
<dt >Dogs Playing Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Big Lou's Polka Casserole, Accordion Princess Records, UPC
8-07207-02862-8) With cover art that pokes fun at the classic Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
painting, what's not to love? There's a sparkling version of Flaco
Jim�nez's "El Guero Polkas," I enjoyed the "Cry of the Wild
Goose" (though I can't get Mickey Katz's parody out of my head), and "Indifference"
is a real charmer in the <i>bal musette</i> style of 1930s
Paris. There's plenty of other excellent stuff. All in all, this CD
strikes me as having more variety and fun than the <i>Polka Casserole </i>CD
I review elsewhere; I just wish it had better liner notes. B [9-28-04. 10-4-04: Listen for several
smokin' solos by
pedal steel virtuoso David Phillips. Yowza! 10-10-04: revised. 11-12-04:
revised.]</dd>
<dt >In Response to Exile</dt>
<dd>
(Crusade, Runner Records EBC-9906) Eddie Biegaj and Crusade are
traditionalists who are pushing the polka boundaries into pop and rock. On
"Dream," the sound ranges from zydeco to rock 'n' roll. "Doo
Wop" combines rock 'n' roll with Push-style horn work. Also notable is
Randy Krajewski's charming original, "Alyno," and Eddie's powerful
and moving singing on "In the Grove." I even enjoyed the
uberschmaltz of "The Last Waltz." Comes with a luxurious
booklet. B [9-28-04. Revised 10-10-04.] [4-27-05: I frequently hear Crusade
on the Polka Jammer Network and almost always enjoy what I hear.]</dd>
<dt >The Best of Steljo: Volume One</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Steljo Records 738) A compilation of older Chicago- and
Eastern-style polkas, mostly from the 1970s. I particularly enjoyed "We
Share Polka Music" by Dick Pillar, "Ballroom Polka" by Ray
Henry, and Lenny Gomulka's "Polka Rockin' Weekend" (Lenny was in
great voice as usual), but those aren't the only gems on the album. The
liner notes are surprisingly thin -- producer Dick Pillar must know a
million stories about the bands he included here, but he neglects to share
them with us. At least the songwriters and timings are listed. The sound is
mediocre in spite of Pillar's access to the original masters, but
there's enough good music to merit a "B." [8-26-04]</dd>
<dt >3rd Generation</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, produced by Ed Klancnik and Eric Noltkamper DFS-0017,
UPC 6-3965500172-0) Fifteen instrumentalists, 7 vocalists, 5 recording
studios in 3 different states -- the producers have attempted to assemble an
all-star band composed of younger-generation musicians. Names I recognized
included Eric Noltkamper, Mike Grkman and Tom Brusky. The effort is mostly
successful. I particularly enjoyed "Little Eddie's Dutch Hop,"
featuring John Stehle Jr's sparkling hammered dulcimer. I also think they
did a great job on the "Wind Song," a beautiful waltz by Slovenian
greats Slavko and Vilko Avsenik. The liner notes are surprisingly poor: they
don't say who played on which cut or who engineered. Even the Avseniks' name
is misspelled. In spite of a couple weak songs, I'd say it's a solid
Slovenian album. B [7-4-04] </dd>
<dt >Polka Comes to Your Haus</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Restless Records 7-72352-2) An audio snapshot of
alternative polka, circa 1990. Rotondi's "Blue Polka" is
outstanding and Brave Combo's "Do Something Different" is
first-rate. Many other fine selections from artists such as The
Wallets, The Romaniacs, Das F�rlines (fronted by the late lamented Wendy
Wild) and others. The three Polkacide cuts, recorded live in 1986, are not
up to the quality of the rest of the album. B [3-30-04] <br>
> I
really like this CD, except for the last three tracks, which bum me out.
[5-3-04]</dd>
<dd>
> Check out the smokin' bass playing of Jim
Clifford on the Wallets' "Big City Polka."</dd>
<dt >The Ridgeland Dutchmen & Wisconsin's Concertina Kid Present . . .
"Cashton Our Polka Town"</dt>
<dd>
(Gary W. Brueggen and the Ridgeland Dutchmen, [self-published, no number])
Gary is descended from a long line of Wisconsin musicians that stretches
back well over a hundred years (see his <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Nashville/Rodeo/2361/">website</a>
devoted to the Dutchmen-style bands of western Wisconsin). This CD has over an hour of solid Dutchman
music, played by a four-piece combo. Gary's concertina playing is fluid and
his voice is quite pleasant, though with a limited range. I like the fact
that several foxtrots have been added to the usual mix of waltzes and polkas;
there's even Gary's version of "Everybody's Somebody's Fool."
Richie Yurkovich has done an outstanding engineering job in creating the
illusion that each song was recorded in a single take -- if you could
get perfect miking and mixing in one take. B [11-14-03; revised 11-18-03]</dd>
<dt >The Boxhounds</dt>
<dd>
(Lynnmarie [Rink], Squeeze Records / Rink Entertainment RE-Q0462) Mostly,
I shop around looking for different polka artists to sample, but after
hearing Lynnmarie's <i>Polka Record</i> I had to buy another album of hers.
Like <i>Polka Record</i> this CD features the amazing arrangements of
Charlie Kelley (think Vanilla Fudge but more interesting). Particularly
noteworthy are the new interpretations of "Just Because" and
"That's Amore." Lynnmarie's "Norman" is nice but I think
the Sue Thompson version still holds up well. B [10-19-03] [3-5-06: If you
can find it, get the pressing (RE-Q0461) with "Pulled Chicken."
It's like the "Chicken Dance" but with funked-up guitar and horns.
Scrumptious!]</dd>
<dt >Back With a Heart </dt>
<dd>
(Polka Country Musicians, self-published PCM-8413) I bought this from <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com"> CD
Baby</a> (cdbaby.com), one of the great online music retailers. Wally
Dombrowski's band has a bright upbeat sound, anchored by John Pilch Jr.'s
energetic drumming. Effortlessly combines country-rock with push-style
polkas. B [10-11-03]</dd>
<dt >Polka Casserole</dt>
<dd>
(Big Lou [The Accordion Princess], Our Heritage . . . pass it on HER-2009)
There's no denying the importance of Big Lou the Accordion Princess in the
Nuevo-Polka movement but <i>Polka Casserole</i> is just not as good as <i>Squeeze
This!, </i>her album with Those Darn Accordions. "They Call the Wind
Mariah" as a polka is nice and I was glad to see Big Lou revive John D.
Loudermilk's "Norman" (a hit for Sue Thompson in 1961). This CD
might have gotten a better rating if it had not arrived in the same mail as
LynnMarie's <i>Polka Record</i> but that's life. [8-30-03] B</dd>
<dt >
<a name="worlds_greatest">
World's Greatest</a> Polka Band</dt>
<dd>
(Bernie Witkowski, Stan-Dot Records [no number]) From what I've read, the
first American polkas that didn't sound like they were imported from the old
country were played by Eastern-style bands like Witkowski's. Little of that
genre is presently available on CD. Witkowski, one of the first six
inductees into the IPA Polka Hall of Fame, has only this one CD in print.
Its 17 songs, 12 of which are polkas, feature virtuoso performances (such as
Witkowski's own clarinet playing), often at breakneck speed. Particularly
interesting are the minor-key "Big Shot Oberek," the "Shave
and a Haircut Polka," which sounds like early Push to me, and the
"Good Luck Polka," which is actually the klezmer standard "Choson
Kale Mazel Tov." The bad news is that the sound quality is poor and
there are no liner notes. B [3-18-03, revised 8-9-2007]<br>
>Great tunes, interesting arrangements, bad sound. With decent notes and
good sound, this would have been an "A." [3-22-03]<br>
>Read what <a href="polka-mikrut.htm">Gene Mikrut and Ken Doyle have to say about Bernie
Witkowski</a>. <a href="polka-gavlak.htm">Ray Gavlak weighs in</a> and
Bernie's granddaughter <a href="polka-wyte.htm">Lauren Wyte</a>.</dd>
<dt >South Texas Polka Party: 16 Polka Instrumentals</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Arhoolie CD-9005) An outstanding conjunto compilation
taken from old Ideal and Fama records. The sound quality is unexpectedly
good and the sixteen songs present a broad array of
conjunto artists. The bad news: the liner notes say nothing about the
artists who have been included. In other words, to learn about the
conjunto genre, you'll want to buy this CD and then Google up your own
research or read <a href="http://www.mustrad.org.uk/reviews/st_polka.htm">Keith
Chandler's review</a>. That said, the variety seems better than that of the
Rounder conjunto compilation I review elsewhere. B [rev. 5-27-03]</dd>
<dt > Daddy . . .
Play Tina</dt>
<dd>
(Brian and the Mississippi Valley Dutchmen, self published 105698.5) More
of that yummy Dutchman music from the Brueggen clan. This CD is somewhat
better than the Karl and the
Country Dutchmen CD I review elsewhere (hey, Karl's was recorded almost a
quarter century ago, when he was just 18). Here, the sound is a bit
brighter, perhaps because the horns are more prominent, and the
arrangements are more interesting. The variety of songs (Dixieland, music
hall, "Dutch" dialect, traditional, original, etc.) keeps the
interest high. B [rev. 4/2/2003, 2/22/04]</dd>
<dt > Karl and the
Country Dutchmen</dt>
<dd>
(Karl and the Country Dutchmen, self-published 1979) This just arrived from
the nice folks at KNUJ Radio. KNUJ sells cassettes and CDs from what seems
like every Midwest Dutchman band that ever recorded. Their website is
broken, so call 1-800-444-5685 to order.<br>
This album is a bit unpolished -- not surprising when you
realize that Karl recorded it in 1979 when he was only 18! That said, it is
quite well done. Particularly appealing is his choice of songs, most of
which I haven't heard elsewhere. B</dd>
<dt >Play Me a Polka -- Tex-Czech Polkas</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Rounder CD-6029) The title track, by the Czech
Harvesters, features electric guitar, hammered dulcimer, tuba and saxophone
-- what's not to love? It's a great tune, not available elsewhere. The rest
of the album sounds a lot like Li'l Wally, except for the tuba carrying the
bass line on some of the songs. Bubba Hernandez of Brave Combo did a fine
job of selecting the songs for this compilation. On the other hand, the
liner
notes are barely passable. While the booklet contains pictures of the bands,
it doesn't provide
names of the band members, the instruments they played nor the dates of the recordings.
As a result, you can't tell whether the Joe Patek number is from an ancient
78 or just a bad recording. [See what <a href="http://markrubin.com/published/polka.html">Mark
Rubin</a> has to say about this album.] B<br>
>On a later listen, I think the selection of songs is outstanding.</dd>
<dt > Polka Passion</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, GPN 203.092) Live album produced by the Nebraska
educational television network. Five songs by Eddie Blazonczyk & the
Versatones, four by Karl & the Country Dutchmen, and four by the Polka
Family. Maybe I'm just falling in love with Dutchman style music, but I think the
songs by Karl & the Country Dutchmen are the best on this album. The
band can also be heard on the <i> Deep Polka</i> album and similar bands can be
heard on the <i> Deeper Polka</i> and <i> Play Me a Polka</i> CDs. The Polka Family's
"Fiddle Faddle Polka" is a nice country-tinged number and the
Versatones get to rock out on "Ukrania," a standard that I hadn't
heard before. Finally, the liner notes list the names of the band members,
unusual for a polka CD. B</dd>
<dt >Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks' Greatest Hits</dt>
<dd>
(Frankie Yankovic, Columbia CK-9287) Lots of hits, well played (of
course). No liner notes. B</dd>
<dt >Deep Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Smithsonian Folkways SFCD-40088) Contemporary midwest
polka including Karl and the Country Dutchmen plus Norwegian, Czech and
Finnish styles. Extensive liner notes and beautiful packaging. B<br>
>"Bijeli slapovi" by Vatra is a delight. Sounds Greek to me.
[3/9/03] </dd>
<dt >The Best of Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Polka City Records 1072-2) Two CD set, plenty of hits by
most of the names in the American polka <i>veldt.</i> Check out Peter &
Paul Wendinger's Dutchman-style "Johnny's Knocking Polka." No liner notes. Shop
around for the best price. B [rev. 3-31-03]</dd>
<dt >Conjunto! -- Polkas de Oro -- Texas-Mexican Border Music Vol. 5</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Rounder CD-6051) Very nice collection of Tex Mex
instrumental polkas, though I can't yet tell one from another. Good liner
notes. B</dd>
<dt >Once Upon A Polka . . . </dt>
<dd>
(Praha Bros., [self-published]) The Praha Bros. is a Texas-Czech band from the Temple area in Central
Texas. Their new CD, <i>Once Upon A Polka,</i> features excellent horn and
clarinet work and I liked their uptempo numbers. But the waltzes are all played
in dirge tempo and the arrangements are uninspiring. I liked the packaging,
though the liner notes do not credit the songwriters. [On 8-30-03 I gave this a
" C." On 9-25-03, I said "They really ought to listen to how the Wendinger Brothers make their
waltzes sound light and airy. Other than that, I enjoy the album and keep
coming back to it." On 11-2-03, I'm raising this to a "B"
because I find myself enjoying the album more. 1-4-04: And their Mexican
stuff is great! 2-2-04: Ok, so I don't like Texas waltzes, but I really like
the rest of this CD!]</dd>
<dt >KCHK & KRDS Present Music From Czech Country</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Radio Southern Minnesota [no number]) Czech and
Dutchman-style songs
by some lesser known bands from southern Minnesota. Uneven but pleasant.
[Rated C on 10-11-03. Raised to C+ on 1-4-04 because of a couple terrific
songs such as the Ben Barta Band's "North South East West." Raised
to B- on 2-2-04. On 2-17-06 it made it up to B.]
</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<a name = "acc"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Accordion Conjunto Champs</dt>
<dd>(Various artists, Arhoolie CD-342, 2004) Here's another compilation
drawn from the vast Arhoolie catalog. The artists, mostly from Texas,
represent the Second Wave (1930s; e.g., Narciso Mart�nez) and Third Wave
(post-War; e.g., Tony de la Rosa) periods of <a href="http://gale.cengage.com/free_resources/chh/music/musnorte.htm">conjunto</a>
music. In addition to the big names, there are a
few lesser known gems such as Fred Zimmerle's "Virgencita de
Mi Vida." Flaco Jim�nez's danz�n "Juarez" is
delightfully sensuous. Of the 21 songs, 7 are instrumental polkas and 3
are rancheras with a polka beat. Liner notes are pretty good, sound
quality varies. B- [12-25-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.arhoolie.com">www.arhoolie.com</a>]</dd>
</dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Fear of Rubber Cushions</dt>
<dd>(FreezeDried, Chrome Pierogi Recordings CP-003, 2006) I saw some
recent videos of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nE87nOs38L8">FreezeDried
backed by the Icicles</a> and I was intrigued by their rollicking
R&B-infused sound. But this CD just doesn't capture the excitement I
was hoping for. The Icicles don't appear on the most interesting songs
like "Iko Iko," "Baby's in Black," and "Call Me
the Breeze" and I could do without the goopy Loggins and Messina
"Danny's Song." Still, the musicianship is at a high level
(particularly the horn section), there are several fine original
compositions and the liner notes credit all the songwriters. The CD also
includes "extras" such as a cool video showing how a CD is
actually burned -- but you can only view it if your computer's CD drive
can play blue book multi-session discs. B- [9-3-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Charmed and Dangerous</dt>
<dd>(Charm City Sound, Westwood Music Group WECD-1160, released
2006) I came back to this CD after listening to <a href="http://www.wrjqradio.com/">Dutchmen
and Bohemian polkas</a> for a month, and was struck by how close to rock
'n' roll it sounds. Led by Mike Matousek since 1998, Charm City Sound is
a very professional Push band out of Baltimore. I like their "Dance
With Me," based on the Gipsy Kings' hit "Baila Me," here
performed as a calypso (!); the heavy sound of "Got to Go"
reminds me of Crusade; Mike Matousek's rich baritone beautifully
complements "Someone Special," a rock 'n' roll ballad that you
can polka to; "I Think I'm Going To Like Loving You," recorded
by Buck Owens in the 70s, has a a nice peppy feel to it. On the other
hand, I don't particularly like their slow numbers: "In Her
Room" is 'way too serious for me and "My Coloring Book,"
recorded by the likes of Barbara Streisand, Dusty Springfield, Sarah Vaughn,
and Aretha Franklin, was not a good selection for Charm City Sound.
Stephen Kaminski has done a fine job of producing, as well as
contributing the hot sax licks on "Dance Like a Musician." B-
[7-27-06] [Available from <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Playing Around with the Sound of Chad Przybylski
and the Polka Rhythms</dt>
<dd>(Chad Przybylski and the Polka Rhythms, North Star Appli. NSA-231, [no
date]) In spite of the awful recording, uneven singing and lack of liner
notes, after a couple of listens I found myself humming along to this
CD. Chad did a great job of picking fifteen familiar songs for him and
the Polka Rhythms to give their honky-style treatment. The standout
number is their instrumental cover of the 1962 Chris Montez hit
"Let's Dance." B- [2-4-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Fiddlin' Around Again</dt>
<dd>(The Marv Nissel Band, [self-published] MN1996CD, recorded 1996) This
is a family band from New Ulm, the German/Czech stronghold in Minnesota.
Like many Czech bands, they have a sweet sound that I like. In
addition to the usual polkas and waltzes, they effortlessly integrate a
number of country tunes (their version of "Orange Blossom
Special" is great), aided by daughters Lori and Jodi's fiddle
playing. Marv Nissel, who formed the band in 1978, has been inducted
into the World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame. Charming. B- [11-23-05]
[Vendor: www.polkamart.com]</dd>
</dl>
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<dt >Deliberate Confusion</dt>
<dd>
(Freeze Dried, Chrome Pierogi Studios CP-002) Another push band trying to
push (sorry) the polka envelope. Good horn section and smokin' organ by John
Krawisz. Unusually strong Caribbean influence -- they cover songs by
calypsonians Lord Burgess and King Radio, as well as doing a ska version of
the Rolling Stones' hit "Last Time." "Floating Rock" is
a standout track, up to Brave Combo standards, but their regular push tunes
are uninspiring. B- [1-7-05]</dd>
<dt >Soused at the Border</dt>
<dd>
(The Sauerkrauts, Apfel Records CDS-8181) This six-person San Antonio band
plays mostly Mexican and German music. I like their Spanish songs. I like
their novelty numbers such as Bert Kaempfert's "Spanish Eyes" sung
in German. But they're not just joking around: the musicianship is sharp and
the vocals are consistently top-drawer (other bands please take note).
Finally, engineer Gary Trumet gives the band a quiet, understated sound
that's a welcome change from the echo-heavy blast of the usual polka CD. B-
[B on 1-4-04; lowered to B- on 9-20-04 because other CDs that I rated
"B" were better.]</dd>
<dt >On St. John Road</dt>
<dd>
(Dujka Brothers, self-published JMD-1007) As usual, the warm and rich
voices of brothers John and Mark Dujka are a pleasure to listen to. This
time, they've added a bit of cocktail piano in a couple places and a touch
of synth elsewhere. The standout track is "Grandpa Drank Too Much at
the St. John Picnic," written by Texan songwriter Daniel Klapuch. A
fine CD, but I found their earlier <i> Grandpa's List:
The Best of the Dujka Brothers, Vol. 2 </i>more exciting. B- [3-9-04]
[5-3-04: I'd say the same today.]</dd>
<dt >Whoopee John CD #7</dt>
<dd>
(Whoopee John, Whoopee John Music CD-#7) Dutchman music with great
arrangements. John Wilfahrt's band of ten or eleven pieces was large by
today's polka band standards and that size enabled him to use more complex
arrangements than you hear today -- particularly in Dutchman-style bands.
"I Wish I Was Single Again" is, by comparison to L'il Wally's
version, cold and lifeless. The 28 tracks are mostly polkas, along with some
waltzes and laendlers. No liner notes and the sound quality stinks, but I
like it anyway. B- [10-19-03]</dd>
<dt >Fresh & Smoked</dt>
<dd>
(The Kielbasa Kings Polka Band, Horseradish Records HRCD-002) This is a
pretty ambitious bunch: their album features five originals and a cover of
Elvis Costello's "Alison," the packaging is outstanding and the
logo is great. They even have a snappy website. Unfortunately, the music
doesn't live up to the hype. The singing is weak, the bass is boring, and
the album is padded out with two live cuts. I did like the <i>a capella </i>opening
of "Pod Mostem" and their drummer is terrific. B- [Rated
"C" on 5-16-03; moved up to C+ on 9-12-04 -- they get better with
time. Raise to B- on 3-11-06.</dd>
</dl>
<h3 class="boxed_head" >C</h3>
<dl>
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<a name = "knoedel"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Overcooked Tyroleans</dt>
<dd>(Die Kn�del [Die Knoedel], Koch KOC-3-7908-2, 1995 [originally
released 1993 as <i>Verkochte Tiroler</i> by RecRec Music]) I've <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/overcooked-tyroleans?cat=entertainment">read</a>
that Die Kn�del was part of a renaissance of Austrian folk music,
refashioning traditional rhythms into a kind of <a href="http://www.answers.com/topic/die-kn-del?cat=entertainment">post-modern
blasmusik</a>. I can hear a distinctively Stravinsky-like sound, but I
can hardly detect the traditional Austrian folk elements. In any event,
Austrian composer and bassoonist Christof Dienz led Die Kn�del during
the 1990s, when they toured extensively and recorded several
well-received CDs. For 20th century classical music, the compositions on
this CD are quite listenable, beautifully performed and wonderfully
recorded. The two polkas, "Jet Polka" and "Kn�delpolka"
are quite charming. C [5-11-2008] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.amazon.com">www.amazon.com</a>]</dd>
</dl>
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<a name = "alex"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Alex Plays Button Box . . . and Other Stuff</dt>
<dd>(Alex Meixner, Euro-Class Music CD-034, 2003) Alex is a talented
multi-instrumentalist (read <a href="http://lovemonkeystudios.com/blog/?p=38">what
David Love says about Alex</a>), currently active in about seven
different ensembles and bands. On this CD, he plays almost all of the
instruments, supplies most of the vocals, and wrote or co-wrote about a
third of the songs. Most of the tracks have the bright, cheerful sound
one expects from a Slovenian-style CD. I enjoyed pretty much all of the
instrumentals (particularly "Ribniska Valley Polka" and "Hot Peppers Cumbia")
though more variety in the arrangements would have been appreciated. C+
[11-30-2007] [Available from <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]
[12-4-2007: The "Jolly Coppersmith Polka" is also quite good.]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">On the Bright Side</dt>
<dd>(Tom Brusky, Polkasound Productions PP5020, released 2003) Wisconsin
polka stalwart Tom Brusky presents 18 songs, mostly Slovenian style
polkas and waltzes. I particularly like "Come to the
Mountain," a hit for Roger Bright, whose trademark Swiss lilt
inspired several songs on this CD. Other highlights include Dan Tutsch's
vocals and Gary Hendrickson's guitar on "Old Fashioned Walk"
and Ron VanDenboom's singing on the "St. Bernard Waltz." In
fact, Tom has assembled a crew of five excellent vocalists (himself
included) for this recording. The musicianship is also superb, as is Tom's
production. His choice of material, however, runs more to the schmaltz
than mine does: I was ok with "Kiss an Angel Good Morning" and
I could handle "When You're Smiling," but when they got to
"I Left My Heart in San Francisco," I was pretty much
lounged-out. C+ [10-22-06] [Purchased from <a href="http://www.tombrusky.com/music.html">Tom Brusky</a>,
4055 S. 103rd St., Milwaukee, WI 53228-2005]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage"><a name="Estonie">Estonie: Airs anciens</a> [Estonia: Olden Tunes]</dt>
<dd>(Various artists, Ocora / Radio France C-600012, released 2000
[recorded 1912-1987]) Historic recordings of Estonian folk tunes,
including several polkas. Traditional instruments used include the
parmupill (jew's harp) and torupill (bagpipe). I prefer the more recent
recordings such as "Kas maletad kevadet oites?," a lovely
waltz performed by Aleksander Parkja on kannel (Estonian zither) or
"Trallilugu / Savikua polka" a pair of snappy polkas played on
Hiiu kannel (an unstopped bowed instument). The thorough notes are in
French, Estonian and English. CD runs a generous 63 minutes. C+
[10-16-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.amazon.com">www.amazon.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">"Everybody's Favorites" and
"Something Old, Something New, Something Modern Too"</dt>
<dd>(John Check and the Wisconsin Dutchmen, North Star Appli.
NSA-226, [no date]) Dr. John Check's musical career dates back to
1935, when he formed his first band in a Wisconsin high school. Over the
years, he performed and recorded with both the Michigan Dutchmen (when
he lived in Michigan) and the Wisconsin Dutchmen (when he moved back to
Oshkosh). This CD was transferred from two LPs of uncertain
vintage. The "Lhanicka Polka" is done in a pure German brass
band (blasmusik) style; the fine arrangement of the "Red Raven
Polka" combines a touch of marching band, a dose of big band and a
neat men's chorus; Russ Mikkelson lends an excellent vocal to the 1937
Tommy Dorsey hit "Marie." Most of the ethnic tunes (ten polkas, five waltzes, two
laendlers, and a schottische) are in the German or Czech style, the
remaining nine tunes are pop or big band. Musicians are credited,
songwriters are not. The transfer to CD is not entirely successful, as
there is noticable "wow" on two slow numbers. Pleasant and
well-played. C+ [5-29-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Dance, Dance, Dance!</dt>
<dd>(The Dujka Brothers, JMD Records JMD-1008, released 2005) The
arrangements are wonderfully varied, the performing and recording are
sharp, and the voices warm. No surprise there -- after all, this is the
Dujka Brothers. The songs have a sweetness characteristic of bands that
come out of the Texas Czech tradition. I love "This Song Is for Me
and You," a patriotic song written by Daniel Klapuch -- it makes me
want to stand up and salute. But having listened to other Dujka CDs, I'm
ready for a bit less synthesizer (maybe they could take an analog
drummer into the studio for their next recording). C+ [1-14-06] [John
Dujka sent me a promotional copy -- a trend that I hope catches on with
other musicians! Ordering information is on their website <a href="http://www.dujkabrothers.com">www.dujkabrothers.com</a>
or you can purchase through <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>.]</dd>
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<dt >Mother's Hands</dt>
<dd>(Henny and the Versa J's with Ryan [Ogrodny], Jazzo 1007) Violinist Ryan
Ogrodny, 12 years old when this CD was recorded, has some hot hands -- and
accordionist Randy Koslosky found the perfect vehicle to show off those
talents in the title track, "<a href="polka-koslosky.htm">Mother's
Hands</a>," which the two have turned into a fiery <i>tour de force.</i>
They worked similar magic with Mozart, turning the Rondo alla Turca (Sononta
in A), into a dance bursting with passion. The rest of the CD is less
interesting. C+ [1-30-05] </dd>
<dt >Polkas Y Rancheras</dt>
<dd>
(Los Rancheros Del Norte, Maguey Music 4071) A mix of traditional (i.e.,
with bajo sexto instead of electric bass) and modern norte�o. I count nine
polkas, five valses<i> </i>rancheras (waltzes) and two ballads. Less polished
but more charming than Los
Tigres Del Norte. Includes some nice duet vocals. C+ [10-19-03; revised
2-22-04]</dd>
<dt >El Rey De Las Polkas</dt>
<dd>
(Tony De La Rosa, Hacienda HAC-7418) De La Rosa is one of the most
important post-War Mexican polka artists. His tempo is gentle and his tone
is sweet. Like many other greats of the past, he's not afraid to venture
beyond the traditional repertoire, covering the old minstrel "Alabama
Jubilee" (here called "El Circo") and Boots Randolph's "Yakketty
Sax." I only wish there were some vocals to add variety. C+ [2-22-04 C;
raised to C+ on 3-21-04]</dd>
<dt >Best of Polka!</dt>
<dd>
(Walter Legawiec & The Polka Kings, Eclipse Music Group 64649-2) Back
in
the 1970's, Legawiec was a popular New Jersey violin teacher whose students
still remember him fondly. Like <i>Polka That's All, </i>which I reviewed<i>
</i>before, this CD features an impeccable big band playing polkas mostly
composed by Legawiec. Between the two CDs, buy this one; it has the better
melodies. C [2-22-04. Revised 11-12-04. Reduced from C+ to C on 10-4-05.]</dd>
</dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Overdrive / XV & IX</dt>
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<dd>(Reissue of <i>Overdrive </i>by Prime Drive [1994] and <i>XV & IX </i>by
the Dynatones [1983], Sunshine Records SNCD-147, 1996) David Klemenz
urged me to try both of these albums, so when I saw that they're
available in a combined double-CD, I jumped at the chance. Now I'm not
sure what all the shouting was about. Prime Drive had some fine players
such as Eddie Siwiec, but their brief heyday in the 1990s doesn't seem
to have made a large impact. Their songs on this CD all feature fine
musicianship and vocals, and the clarinets of Siwiec and Keith
Habratowski are a welcome touch. The Dynatones, of course, are the
legendary Buffalo polka band -- but their most legendary recording was
over by 1983. Here, their push-flavored covers of L'il Wally songs add
interest and the "Monopol Polka" (probably by Polish composer <font size="-1">Władysław
Powiadowski) is a charming </font>instrumental featuring two concertinas
sharing the lead. Liner notes list musicians and some of the composers.
C [9-14-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Golden Tamburitza</dt>
<dd>(Hank Haller Ansambel and Johnny Krizancic's Internationals, Hank Haller
Enterprises [in conjunction with Marjon
International Records] HHMJ-2004, 2004) The tambura is a
mandolin-like instrument popular in and around the former Yugoslavia. In
Croatia, where it is known by the diminutive "tamburica" or "<a href="http://www.slavonicweb.org/events/tamfest_hist.html">tamburitza</a>,"
it has become the national instrument, used for folk, popular and classical
music. Hank Haller, responsible for half of this CD, is a member of both the
IPA Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame and has had
a long career recording polkas in a variety of ethnic styles. In spite
of his use of a synthesized tamburitza (yuck!), I actually enjoyed several
of his songs -- such as "Spanish Eyes" and "Malinkolija"
-- because of vocalist Frank Umeck's fine, warm voice and Haller's
interesting arrangements. The other half of the CD is by Johnny
Krizancic, probably the best
known tamburitzan in polka circles. Most of his songs here sound a bit more
"ethnic" than Haller's, almost reminding me of the Greek La�k�
sound. "Ja Ču Piti" and "Ponove Bi Ruke Htjele"
stand out among the others. Liner notes are poor, attributing
"Spanish Eyes" to the public domain instead of composer Bert
Kaempfert. C [8-26-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolka.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">We Sing and Play Just for You</dt>
<dd>(Jimmy Kilian, Frankie Berendt, and the Polka All Stars; Chicago
Polkas CD-8206; 2006) I like the minor key "Lonesome Me Oberek"
as well as the "My Shoes Keep Walking Back to You Oberek,"
which has some of the happy Stevens Point swing I associate with Pat
Zoromski. In spite of the strong musician lineup (Eddie Noga and Frankie
Berendt were both part of L'il Richard [Towalski]'s original Polka All
Stars, Ted Okrzesik Jr. is leader of Freeze Dried, Gene Rydosz played
with Marion Lush), the album suffers from indifferent arrangements and
weak vocals. C [7-31-2007] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">The Polish Diva's Polka Party</dt>
<dd>(Terry Palasz, [self-published], 2006) Terry Palasz is a life-long
performer -- acting on TV as a child, singing as a teenager at Divine
Savior Holy Angels High School in Milwaukee, studying voice at the
Manhattan School of Music (on a scholarship), and performing in "Carmen"
in Seattle. But the operatic stage didn't provide an outlet for her
wicked sense of humor, so she shifted to cabaret, billing herself as a
"soprano comedienne." She wrote herself a
semi-autobiographical show, "The Polish Diva from Milwaukee,"
where she poked gentle fun at her Polish Catholic upbringing. Having
come to terms with her ethnic roots, Palasz was finally ready to issue a
polka CD. She has combined her lusty soprano voice with Toby Hanson's
marvelous arrangements in covering a wide variety of polkas --
Slovenian, Polish, German, and American, as well as two unique
selections: Malene Dietrich's "Boys in the Backroom" and the
Singling Nun's "Dominique." Her tender take on "My Melody
of Love" brings new life to this Bobby Vinton classic. Excellent
liner notes. C [5-24-07] [Available from <a href="http://cdbaby.com/cd/terrypalasz">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">The Polka Element</dt>
<dd>(Mike Surratt, Keytone Enterprises KT2006DI, released 2006) Mike
Surratt has been playing German ethnic and polka music for over 30
years, mostly with the Maryland-based Continentals. His interests range
all over the polka map, including German, Polish, Slovenian, and Tex-Mex
styles. On <i>The Polka Element</i>, Mike explores those diverse kinds
of polkas in a series of original compositions which he has also
arranged and performed, making this a kind of "concept album."
The sagacious Joe Rodgers says, "I think these numbers are wonderful
-- tasteful, varied, engaging, and melodious. I am usually skeptical or
unappreciative of all-English polka albums, but this one is a wonderful
exception because the songs and sound are so fine. I look forward to
listening to these numbers many more times and to learning some to play at
my own gigs. Congratulations, Mike, on a great achievement; I truly believe that
this is genuine Grammy-class material." As for myself, I think
several of the compositions are quite good, but I don't usually like
singer-songwriter CDs. This one was no exception. C [12-30-06]
[10-21-2007: Mike composed, arranged and performed all the tunes using
only a Hohner Morino V accordion and an Alesis QS6.2 synth.] [Available through <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Gotta Lotta Rhythm</dt>
<dd>(K!CK, self-published KCK-2, 1998) K!CK was a valiant attempt at
"displaying a new sound in the polka scene" but the results
were mixed. The Germanic tunes are excellent, particularly the spirited
rendering of "Musicians Come Out and Play." Michelle Jerabek's
vocals on "Bill Bailey" are spot on. But "Cecilia"
cannot compete with Paul Simon's original; several tunes needed a larger
band to be carried off successfully; and the German vocals sound like
they were learned phonetically. C [9-18-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Play and Sing Polkas and Waltzes</dt>
<dd>(Al Grebnick and The Boys, Polka Cassettes of Nebraska CD-2485, CD
released 2000 [a compilation of much earlier recordings]) Al Grebnick
had his
heyday in the 60s and 70s, playing big-band
Nebraska Czech music. He was crowned
Nebraska Polka King (1978), was inducted into the Sokol Polka Hall of Fame
(1982), and finally into the IPA Hall of Fame (1988). I enjoyed the fine
concertina/tuba romp of "Bass Polka" but the rest of the CD
left me flat. C [9-17-06; rev. 7-7-07] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd> </dl>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Polka �ber Alles</dt>
<dd>(The Polkaholics, [self-published, no number], released 2006) They're
the MC5 of polkas, continuing to assault the ears of fans who pack into
clubs throughout the Chicago area to hear them. Their sound is loud,
aggressive guitar rock. Their tunes are
interesting; mostly written by the band or traditional polkas with new
words by leader Dandy Don Hedeker. If you like your polkas played at a
volume that can melt concrete, you'll love the Polkaholics. As for me, I'm too old for this. C [5-20-06]
[Available through the band's merchandise site: <a href="http://stores.ebay.com/polkascene">stores.ebay.com/polkascene</a>]</dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Pāri jumtam [Pari jumtam]</dt>
<dd>(Maskačkas spēlmaņi [<a name="Maskackas">Maskackas</a> spelmani], [self
published] MS-02, recorded 2003) Maskackas spelmani ("Musicians of
Mashkachka") are a Latvian folklore group performing traditional
tunes on traditional instruments -- including two instruments that I swear sound
like a musical saw and a Jew's harp. My favorite tune is "Eilenders"
which sounds just like "Who'd You Like to Love You?" Seven of
the 27 songs are polkas. On
the whole, this is 'way too authentic for my tastes. C [5-9-06]
[Purchased through their website: <a href="http://maskacka.folklora.lv/en.html">maskacka.folklora.lv</a>] </dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">Mrozinski Brothers Aleatoric Ensemble</dt>
<dd>(Mrozinski Brothers Aleatoric Ensemble, Jimmy K Polkas UPC
6-13285-94422-0, released 2005) Minnesota's Mrozinski Brothers band was
popular through most of the 70s and 80s. This 2-CD set encompasses the
entire contents of three of their LPs, <i>Here We Are, Music, </i>and <i>In
Session, </i>34 songs in all. It contains many fine tunes, including
"The Girl Who Invented Kissin' Polka,"<i> </i>"Everybody
Loves Somebody Waltz," and "At the Russian Front Polka"
but the sound quality is mediocre, the track listing is confusing and
there's too little variety for my taste. C
[12-2-05] [Vendor: www.jimmykpolkas.com] </dd>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">Polka Lovin' Gal</dt>
<dd>(Don Wojtila Show Band featuring Christine Hibbs, Peppermint Records
PR5024CD, released 1994) Christine has a wonderful voice but the band
sounds exactly like Frankie Yankovic's. Best track is the good-time
"Polka Lovin' Gal." C [11-23-05] [Vendor: www.jimmykpolkas.com] </dd>
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<dl>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Northwest Polka Country</dt>
<dd>(The Smilin' Scandinavians, Lutefisk Records LCD 01-000) I like the
"S�kkij�rven Polka," where they put a slight klezmer touch
on an old Finnish polka, as well as the sweet "Lokkeren Vals." The rest of the album was
a bit too sedate for me. Sharp
graphics by Wing Fong. C [9-11-05. Rev. 7-4-06. Rev. 7-9-06, Rev.
11-11-06] [7-30-07: Check out the <a href="http://www.polkavideos.mypolkaband.com/SS/SS1.html">video</a>
of their playing the "JoAnn Polka."]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">P�lka</dt>
<dd>(The Shanes, Sumo Rex 001) Fab packaging, and interesting lyrics (in
English!), but this time the punk-polka boys from Trier just didn't tickle
my fancy. C [7-8-05]</dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">
A Viennese New Year: Favourite Waltzes, Polkas and Overtures from the Programmes
of the Vienna New Year Concerts 1939-1998</dt>
<dd>(Various orchestras, Naxos 8.554466-67) Two-CD set of the works of Josef
Strauss and Johann Strauss the Younger. Six polkas and a polka-mazurka, 19
pieces in all. "Marcello, I'm so bored." C [7-8-05]</dd>
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<dl>
<dt >Let's Dance</dt>
<dd>(Ambrose Brothers Orchestra, Baba's Records BRCD-2051) Fiddle in front,
backed by a rhythm section that has a solid "thump thump" to it.
At first I thought, "Big deal, I've already heard that kind of sound
from Peter Ostroushko." Then I got the connection: the Ambrose Brothers
are Ukrainian-Canadians and Ostroushko is a Ukrainian-American. Anyway the
album is a lot of fun. C [3-11-05. Would have been a B+ except for the "Roch-chuch-chuch-Polka"
where they sound out of tune.] </dd>
<dt >Blasmusik Zauber: Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Koch Pr�sent 398-078) Blasmusik ("blowing
music") is German brass band music. The typical ensemble might have
15-20 members and a repertoire rich in German and Czech polkas and waltzes.
This particular compilation has tracks from twelve different bands, all
performed and recorded faultlessly, yet I could find no charm or joy in it.
Bands, composers, arrangers and publishers are credited, and timings given,
but there are no further notes. C [11-6-04]</dd>
<dt >The Best of Bud Hundenski and the Corsairs</dt>
<dd>
(Bud Hundenski and the Corsairs, Swing Time Music CD #2002) A generous
seventy-seven minutes of solid Eastern polka music that is, in the final
analysis, not very interesting. C [9-28-04] </dd>
<dt >Ein Tag in Deutschland</dt>
<dd>
(The Continentals, [self published]) The Continentals started out playing
German music in the early 70s, evolved into a more conventional Polish polka
band in the 80s and 90s, and have now come full circle -- returning to their
roots as a three-man combo playing German music. They have several nice
songs on this CD. I enjoyed their version of Anton Karas's "Third Man
Theme"; I like the gentle rock feel of "Die Berge die sind mein zu
Haus," and "Boarischer" reminds me of those great rock
instrumentals of the 60s. It was also good to
hear "Seemann, Deine Heimat Ist Das Meer" again after all these years.
Overall, however, I prefer a punchier sound. C [9-28-04. Revised 10-10-04] Note: You can read
accordionist <a href="polka-surratt.htm"> Mike Surratt's thoughts on polkas</a>
-- German and otherwise.</dd>
<dt >Crispijn</dt>
<dd>
(Het Brabants Volksorkest [Brabant Folk Orchestra], Auvidis/Ethnic B-6827)
Since 1978, Hubert Boone, founder and leader of the orchestra, has been
diligently trying to resurrect the folk music traditions of Brabant, a
thousand-year old duchy today divided between Belgium and the Netherlands.
Though Boone's bagpipe
playing on one of the polkas is an absolute delight, most of the music
sounds like a quaint chamber ensemble. 24 tunes, 11 of which
are polkas. C [8-25-04; revised 8-26-04]</dd>
<dt >The Best of . . . </dt>
<dd>
(Stas Golonka and His Chicago Masters, Ampol Records AMCD-7002) A fine
honky band, but they
sounded better on Rick March's <i>Deeper Polka </i>compilation. Buy that
instead. Contains 24 cuts, 74 minutes of music. C [Rated " B-"
on 6-16-03; revised 9-12-04 and downgraded to C because the vocals sound
awful]</dd>
<dt >Polka Magic</dt>
<dd>
(Walt Procanyn Band, Eastwind 35) Eleven Eastern-style polkas, well played
and well-recorded. <a href="polka-jellineck.htm"> Wally Balicki's</a> clarinet solo is breathtakingly good. No
other musicians are credited. Outstanding cover art, no liner notes. C
[Rated " B-"7-13-03; reduced to C on 9-12-04 because it's just not
very interesting]</dd>
<dt >Romy Gosz 1935-1936</dt>
<dd>
(Romy Gosz and His Orchestra, Polkaland CD-602) Roman "Romy"
Gosz, one of the most important bandleaders in east-central Wisconsin in the
30's, might be described as the father of mid-western Czech Bohemian music.
But this collection of 20 tunes just doesn't move me -- I don't particularly
like that pre-war old-timey feel, the sound quality is poor, and the liner
notes are worse. C [5-3-04]</dd>
<dt >All Wound UP!!</dt>
<dd>
(The Downtown Sound, Bel-Aire Records CD-44172) Sixteen tracks, containing
a mix of country and familiar Polish tunes performed in Chicago style.
Uninspiring. C [3-9-04]</dd>
<dt >His First and Last Recordings</dt>
<dd>
(Don Santiago Jimenez, Arhoolie CD-414) Santiago Jimenez is probably the
second most important name in the development of the conjunto style, the
working class Mexican idiom that adopted the polka as an integral part of
its repertoire. This, however, is a very strange CD: half was recorded in
1979, the other half was recorded more than forty years earlier. I prefer
the more recent material, as the older tracks are a bit rough for my taste.
There are thirteen polkas; as is typical for Mexican polkas, these are all
instrumentals. Of the seven rancheras (sentimental ballads), four are sung
to a polka beat. C [3-2-04; revised 3-9-04; revised 3-21-04] </dd>
<dt >Too Much of a Good Thing?</dt>
<dd>
(Charm City Sound, CCS Records [no number]) Charm City Sound is a good,
solid Push band that writes some excellent original material. I particularly
like "Falling Again" and "Drink 'Til I'm Sober." The
only drawbacks are that ubiquitous bellows-shaking on accordion and some
vocals that are flat. C [1-4-04]</dd>
<dt ><a name="headless"></a>Post Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Headless Household, Household Ink HI-133) I'm impressed that a terrific
free-jazz ensemble would put out a polka album. These guys are <i>really</i>
good; if only they leaned a bit more towards the polkas and bit less towards
the free jazz, I'd like this album more. In spite of my rating, if you're
interested in the nexus of jazz and polka, buy this CD. C [1-4-04]</dd>
<dt >Polkas, Polkas, Y Mas Polkas</dt>
<dd>
(Los Dos Gilbertos, Hacienda Records HAC-7387) I'm still trying to get a
handle on Mexican polka, so I tried this album of instrumentals in
traditional conjunto style. Nice but they didn't knock me out. C
[12-16-03]</dd>
<dt >Polka That's All</dt>
<dd>
(Walter Legawiec & The Polka Kings, Eclipse Music Group 64650-2) Legawiec
is a noted composer and violinist, father of playwright Stephen Legawiec. I
like the peppy sound and the interesting arrangements. The engineering and
performances (probably by a studio band) are first rate, but Legawiec must
be saving his best melodies for his classical compositions because his
polkas all sound alike. C [11-3-03, revised 11-18-03]</dd>
<dt >Polka Can't Die</dt>
<dd>
(The Polkaholics, self-published 2003) Polkaholics leader Dandy Don
Hedeker is a tireless promoter of polka music, helped in the compilation of
my favorite polka album, <i>American Polka, </i>and brought L'il Wally back
to Chicago to play the Zakopane Lounge. The Polkaholics sound is usually
described as punk-polka but I think it's more heavy metal. Their latest
album, <i>Polka Can't Die</i>, has several clever originals and some fine
guitar work by Dandy Don, but I don't find the unrelenting sound of a power
trio (<a href="http://www.shitenonions.com/links.html">Shite'n'Onions</a>
called them a "Chicago-based punk polka band w/Ramones overtones")
keeps my interest for very long. C [10-19-03;
revised 9-13-04; revised 10-11-04]</dd>
<dt >
Gone Polka</dt>
<dd>
(Jimmy Sturr, Rounder 82161-6103-2) My first album by the 600 pound
gorilla of polka music today. Sturr has recorded
over 100 albums and won more polka Grammy awards than anyone else. On this album
he features singers Willie Nelson, John Karas, Brenda Lee and Arlene Crissan,
backed by a tight ten-man band (a "big band" by polka standards).
The arrangements, mostly by Henry Will, are outstanding and the musicianship
unsurpassed. The packaging is attractive and there are real liner notes --
the most thorough of any polka album I've seen -- with the composers, arrangers and all the musicians fully credited. Only
drawbacks are the album's short length (under 35 minutes) and MOR leanings. <a href="http://www.rambles.net/sturr_gonepolka01.html">Read
Amanda Fisher's review</a>. C [I gave this a "B" on 5-1-03.
Downgraded to "C" on 11-2-03 because it now strikes me as too
close to easy listening. Revised 9-12-04.]</dd>
<dt >Polkasonic</dt>
<dd>
(Brave Combo, Cleveland International CIR-1023-2) This is the album that won a Polka
Grammy for Brave Combo. Their polka version of "Purple Haze" is extraordinary (it's also on the <i> American Polka</i> compilation)
but the rest of the album is less satisfying. I don't like the originals "Polka
Dancer" and "Conchita the Waitress," nor do I like their
arrangement of "Down in the Valley." Even the graphics and liner notes are
poor. Since their <i>Humansville</i>
album is one of my all-time favorites, I had expected more from the Combo. C
[Revised 10-19-03. Originally rated " B."]</dd>
<dt >
Eat Our Beans</dt>
<dd>
(The Garbonzos, Missouri Mule Music MM-0002) Novelty band playing a few
polkas. Well recorded, packaged and performed but they ain't no Squirrel Nut
Zippers. C [6-16-03]</dd>
<dt >
The Early Hits</dt>
<dd>
(Gene Wisniewski and His Harmony Bells Orchestra, Dala DLC-345) I bought
this because I'm still trying to get a handle on Eastern-style polka. While
I still don't have much to say about the genre as a whole, this album by one
of the Eastern giants has 24 cuts, flawless playing, and a great period
photo of Gene in the old days. On the other hand, the sound is poor and
there are no liner notes. "Otworz Drzwi Polka" is a minor-key
polka that really swings. "Pan Michalek Polka" is "Old
MacDonald" sung in Polish. And "Czarownica Polka" sounds to
me just like "Grodno in the Moonlight" by Those Darn Accordions. C
[4-29-03]</dd>
<dt >
The Wave -- Khvilya</dt>
<dd>
(The Wave, self-published [no number]) Ukrainian polka band from New
York. They have several nice tunes and several of the band members,
particularly Kasia Mychajlyshyn, have attractive voices. Unfortunately, the
arrangements and production are colorless. C [3-29-03]</dd>
<dt >Polkatime: 20 of the Best</dt>
<dd>
Eddie Blazonczyk and the Versatones (Cleveland International, CIR 1003)
"Happy Tappy" is a joy, and the album includes a nice variety of country tunes (J.D. Loudermilk's "Talk Back
Tremblin' Lips") and Eddie B. originals ("Polish and Proud of
It") but this album doesn't move me. Liner notes are useless. C</dd>
<dt >Sunrise to Sunset</dt>
<dd>
(Desert Horizon, Canyon CR-8116) Native American polka (also known as
"Waila" or "Chicken Scratch"). I really like the
songs "Wally G." and "Flowers on the Wall" but the
rest of the album is a bit unpolished for my taste. C</dd>
<dt >Country Polkatime</dt>
<dd>
(Joey Miskulin, Intersound 9321) Joey is a longtime music business pro who
worked on and off with Frankie Yankovic for many years. This album contains
a couple of nice songs but has an overall sameness of sound that makes me think
that Joey recorded most of the parts himself on synth. C [Read <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.makers.squeezebox/msg/f63607cd4e3e47a8?dmode=source">Toby
Hanson's remarks</a>.]</dd>
<dt >Texas-Czech Bands 1929-1959</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Arhoolie Folkloric CD-7026) I really like some of the
Adolph Hofner country-sounding stuff and "Krasna America" by Joe
Patek's Orchestra. The rest of the album didn't move me. Good liner notes. C</dd>
<dt >Pasos Dobles and Polkas with Mariachi</dt>
<dd>
(Mariachi Oro y Plata de Pepe Chavez, Para Musica PMCD-177) "Beer
Barrel Polka" in Mexican style, but otherwise a bit schmaltzy. C</dd>
<dt >Unidos Para Siempre</dt>
<dd>
(Los Tigres Del Norte, Fonovisa SDCD-6049) <a href="http://www.suntimes.com/output/music/sho-sunday-tigres04.html"> Los Tigres</a> are the ultimate
superstars of Norteño (northern Mexican) music. This album has plenty of
polkas and plenty of concertina. The performance, arrangements and
production are all highly polished -- unfortunately, you need to understand
Spanish to appreciate the highly-politicized lyrics. Includes an
attractive full-color booklet with practically no content. C </dd>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
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<a name="alltimefavorites"></a>
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<dt class="no-sinkage">All Time Favorites</dt>
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<dd>(Glen Deinema, [self published, UPC 6-34479-53775-2], 2007) One man
with a synthesizer. Is this really what Les Paul had in mind when he
invented multitrack recording? Nice voice, though. C- [10-21-2007]
[Available through <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com">www.cdbaby.com</a>.]</dd>
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</td>
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<dt> </dt>
</dl>
<h3 class="boxed_head" >D</h3>
<dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<a name = "wiggles"></a>
<dt class="no-sinkage">Hoop-Dee-Doo</dt>
<dd> (The Wiggles, Koch Records KOC-CD-8627, 2003) When I heard The Wiggles'
version of Milton De Lugg and Frank Loesser's "Hoop-Dee-Doo" on <a href="http://www.247polkaheaven.com">www.247polkaheaven.com</a>,
it struck me as a refreshingly irreverent take on an old standard. The Wiggles
are a children's musical group from Sydney, Australia, who've become
multi-millionaires through their live performances, recordings, merchandizing,
theme parks and television shows. If you're ready to barf from listening to
Barney the Dinosaur, try the Wiggles instead, they're much less insipid. The
CD comes with a full-color booklet that includes complete lyrics but,
inexplicably, no credit for composers and songwriters. Maybe that's why their
website says, "<span id="PVNotes">Copyrights prevent us from selling DVDs
or CDs to North America & United Kingdom."</span> D [8-20-2008]
[Vendor: <a href="http://www.walmart.com">www.walmart.com</a>]</dd>
</dl>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<dt > </dt>
<dt >Honky Holiday</dt>
<dd>(Stas Bulanda's Dyno Chicago, K&C Events KCCD-104) The band sounds
great but the vocalists (Stas Golonka, Chet Kowalkowski, Richie Gomulka,
Stephanie Pietrzak, and Keith Stras) are not in good form. Slapdash
production and no liner notes. D [3-11-05]</dd>
<dt >Polcas de mi Tierra</dt>
<dd>(Chango Spasiuk, Acqua AQ-022) Chamam� is a unique musical mix of
African, European, and indigenous musical influences found in northeastern
Argentina. The polka is an important part of the chamam� repertoire. Chango
Spasiuk, whose ancestry is part Ukrainian, is the modern master of chamam�
which he plays on accordion in a particularly fiery style, either solo or
backed by a small combo. Charming but 'way too folkloric for me. Packaging
is major-label quality. D [1-30-05]</dd>
<dt >A Big Band Polka Extravaganza</dt>
<dd>
(101
Strings, Madacy AL-2-2435) I was hoping for something a bit over the top
like RCA Victor's Stereo Action series but it's just easy listening. [8-30-03: D;
5-5-04: It's still easy listening, but not as bad as I remembered: D+]</dd>
<dt >The Polka Beat</dt>
<dd>
(Johnny Prill, [self-published]) I frequently dislike the way well-known
songwriters perform their own works. This CD is no exception. D [9-28-04.
Revised 10-10-04.]</dd>
<dt >Werbung, Baby!</dt>
<dd>
(Elãkelãiset, Humppa 010 / Stupido 042) Real Finns will no doubt laugh
at my description; but when they're done, I hope they will drop me a note
and correct my errors. Humppa is a traditonal Finnish polka-like folk dance,
recently revitalized and rocked up by several Finnish bands, somewhat like
Brave Combo has done with American polka music. El�kel�iset seems to be
doing well with genre, as they have been issuing CDs for about ten years.
This attractively packaged CD contains seventeen tracks of energetic music
fronted by a man with an unattractive voice singing about "Humppa"
-- yes, it comes up in every song. D [11-14-03] </dd>
<dt >40 Years Later . . . Living on the Edge</dt>
<dd>
(The Little German Band of State College, Pa., [self published] LGB-6) Big
brass band (about 25 pieces) with a lighthearted repertoire (e.g.,
"Happy Birthday" as a polka, the Oscar Meyer Wiener jingle). Too
bad they don't always play in tune. D [11-3-03]</dd>
<dt >
Texas Bohemia</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Trikont US-0201) Having loved Trikont's <i>American
Polka </i>album, this was a big disappointment. The sound quality is awful,
there are too many slow songs and the lengthy liner notes are in German
only. On the positive side, the CD is over 70 minutes, the notes list the
date of recording or release (I wish everyone did that), 16 bands are
represented and there's even a bit of hammered dulcimer. Interestingly,
Trikont's US distributor is Other Music, best known as a source for
alternative, indie, experimental and electronic music. My favorite song on
the CD is
"Corn Cockle Polka," credited to the Vrazels & Majeks &
Bobby Jones Czech Band. D [4-8-03]</dd>
<dt >
Fantasztyczne</dt>
<dd>
(Li'l Wally, Jay Jay 5165) There's a joke about a woman who returns from
her vacation complaining about the resort, "The food was absolute
poison . . . and the portions were so small." The music on this CD is
not poisonous, but the performances are sloppy, the CD runs only 34 minutes
(a bit slender even for an LP), the vocals are mostly in Polish and there are
no liner notes. D. [3-12-03]</dd>
</dl>
<h3 class="boxed_head" >Not rated</h3>
<dl>
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<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">How I Love Them Old Songs</dt>
<dd>(Ron VanDenboom -- Family & Friends, Briarhill Records UPC
6-11483-79492-0, released 1999) Wisconsin native Ron VanDenboom has a
warm and rich voice that matches well with the old time, country, rock
'n' roll oldie, and gospel tunes on his CD. There are just two polkas,
both done in a gentle Slovenian style. Liner notes are complete,
crediting all songwriters and musicians (including talented
multi-instrumentalist Tom Brusky). I could have done without the
children's chorus, however. Not rated because it's not a polka CD.
[6-2-06] [Ordering information: <a href="http://www.ronvandenboom.com">www.ronvandenboom.com</a>]</dd>
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<img border="0" src="images/polka/yoopers.jpg" width="144" height="144"></td>
<td valign="top">
<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage">For Diehards Only</dt>
<dd>(Da Yoopers, You Guys Records 71169) Yoopers are residents of
Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Upper Peninsula = U.P. = Yoopers. Get it?)
Anyway Da Yoopers are known for the kind of songs we used to sing on the
summer camp bus. They're either sophomoric or ribald, depending on your
taste. I kinda like it. Not rated because it's not a polka CD. [9-10-05]</dd>
</dl>
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<dt >Accordion Dreams</dt>
<dd>
(Various artists, Hacienda HAC-7586) Not a polka CD but a lovely
compilation of Mexican button accordion music by familiar artists including
Tony De La Rosa, Flaco Jimenez, Los Dos Gilbertos and Santiago Jimenez, Jr.
The production is first-rate, sounding neither like a field recording nor a
goopy Nashville session. The liner notes are bare-bones. Unrated because
it's not a polka CD but recommended nevertheless. [8-26-04]</dd>
<dt >Adijo Knapi</dt>
<dd>
(Orlek, RTV Slovenija DD-0278) Orlek is sometimes described as a Slovenian
punk polka band. While there's only one polka on this album, it's one of the
most enjoyable rock albums I've heard in years. Not rated because it's not a
polka album. [7-13-03]</dd>
<dt >The Squeegees</dt>
<dd>
(The Squeegees, [unpublished]) The Squeegees, a six-piece band out of San
Francisco, don't have a real CD out yet but they do have this nifty demo
they give to prospective clients. There are plenty of original novelty tunes
by bandleader Tom Torriglia, one of the founders of Those Darn Accordions. I
hope they get themselves a really good singer and head into the studio
sometime soon. Unrated. [1-4-04]</dd>
<dt >Exitos con Tradiccion Sinaloense</dt>
<dd>
(Banda El Recodo, Fonovisa Records 0883-51340-2) The brass and woodwind
"Banda" style goes back at least as far as the 1940s in the north
eastern Mexican state of Sinaloa. The traditional banda repertoire includes
plenty of polkas, waltzes and marches. This CD, by one of the most famous
banda groups, is nice but has too few polkas to be of interest to readers of
this page. I'll look for something else to recommend instead. Not rated.
[11-12-04] [Some great information on banda can be found about halfway down <a href="http://www.maztravel.com/twiki/bin/view/Mazatlan/ArtAndMusic">this
page</a>.]</dd>
</dl>
<h2 ><a name="Genres">Genres</a> and Artists</h2>
<p >Starting in 1830s Bohemia, the polka took Europe by storm. It reached
Scandinavia, the Baltic states, the Ukraine, the Slavic and Germanic-speaking
countries, France, Ireland and Scotland. In other words, the polka blanketed
Europe with the exception of the Iberian peninsula, the Mediterranean, and parts
of the Balkan peninsula. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the
immigrants brought it to the New World. In the United States the polka
flourished, particularly among the Poles, Germans, Slovenians and Czechs. In
Canada, the Ukrainians were important purveyors of polka. And from Mexico all
the way down to Uruguay, wherever Germans went, the polka went with them. (Read
Jolly James' brief essay on <a href="http://polkaboy.typepad.com/polkaholics/2004/09/polka_you_arent.html">the
spread of polka</a> and Troy Gawlak on the <a href="polka-gawlak.htm">polka
dance</a>.) </p>
<dl>
<dt >Chicago Honky (or Dyno)</dt>
<dd>
In its day, Honky was a reaction to the modernized Cleveland/Slovenian
polka. Artists like <b> Eddie Zima</b> and <b> Li'l Wally Jagiello</b> transformed
the Slovenian sound by slowing down the beat and introducing Polish folk
tunes to the repertoire. The classic Honky band had both concertina and
piano accordion, but since the 1980s it has become more common to use just
the piano accordion. Many people find Honky more danceable than
Slovenian; I think it has more soul and sounds a bit like Dixieland Jazz.
(Thanks to <a href="polka-litwin.htm"> Steve Litwin</a> for setting me straight on Dyno.)</dd>
<dt ><a name="push_defined">Chicago Push</a></dt>
<dd>
Like Honky, Push is a Polish style, but with a snappier sound
characterized by a double-time "bellows shaking" rhythm played on the
accordion. You'll often find the lead played by two trumpets, the accordion
carrying the rhythm, the bass line played on Fender bass and trap drums
played in the style of a rock band. Major proponents
are <b> Eddie Blazonczyk</b> and <b> Lenny Gomulka</b>. (Read what Jim
Polaski says about the <a href="polka-polaski.htm">history of Chicago style</a>
and what Lenny Gomulka has to say about the <a href="polka-lenny.htm">role
of the concertina</a>. The Encyclopedia of Chicago also has a <a href="http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/991.html">brief
history of Chicago polka</a>.)</dd>
<dt > Cleveland / Slovenian</dt>
<dd>
"Quick, slick and Yankovic." Listen for two piano-accordions out front and a tenor
banjo carrying the rhythm. <b>Frankie Yankovic</b>, the biggest name in American
polka, modernized the sound of the
Slovenian polka and spread it through all the polka-loving
ethnic groups. He had several chart hits in the 40s and brought a high level of
professionalism to his performances. Yankovic is to polka what
the Beatles were to rock and roll. (Read what <a href="polka-brusky.htm">Tom
Brusky</a> says about how they play Slovenian polkas in Wisconsin. Allmusic
has an informative paragraph about <a href="http://www.allclassical.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=29:K219%7C%7C1">Slovenian
music</a>.)</dd>
<dt >Conjunto</dt>
<dd>
A Mexican working-class musical style found in Northern Mexico where it is
usually called Norte�o and in Texas, where it is called Conjunto. The modern
Conjunto repertoire consists mostly of polkas and waltzes. <b>Narciso Mart�nez</b>
is the pre-WWII father of the modern conjunto sound; <b>Tony de la Rosa</b>
further modernized it in the post-war era and <b>Flaco Jimenez</b> went a
step further by adding elements of jazz and rock. Flaco's younger brother, <b>Santiago
Jimenez Jr.,</b> prefers to maintain the pre-war Conjunto style. (See the article
on the <a href="http://www.gale.com/free_resources/chh/music/musnorte.htm">Thomson
Gale</a> site. Other references can be found at <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=77:358">AMG</a>.
There's also an interview with <a href="http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_oralh_flacojimenez.html">Flaco
Jimenez</a>, where he talks about how Conjunto came out of Texas polka
music. <a href="polka-matousek.htm">Mike Matousek</a> says that Conjunto
derives from Tejano, and he provides a brief history.) </dd>
<dt >Dutch Hop</dt>
<dd>
The traditional style, now virtually extinct, of the "Volga Germans" who emigrated to Russia in the 18th century and then to several
states in the American west in the late 19th century -- most notably
Colorado. Also found in Argentina. Typical instrumentation includes hammered dulcimer
and accordion. Prominent artists included <b>Adolph Lesser</b> and <b>Paul
Weingardt</b>. </dd>
<dt >Eastern</dt>
<dd>
Starting in the 1920s, the urbanized Poles of the East-coast cities
started turning away from the village-style (wiejska) bands, toward a more
Americanized sound with the big-band instrumentation typical of the time.
These "Eastern style" big bands, many from Connecticut, played a mix
of Polish and American tunes. Prominent bandleaders included <b>Frank Wojnarowksi</b>,
<b> Bernie Witkowski, </b>and <b>Walt Solek.</b></dd>
<dt>Extreme Push</dt>
<dd>A new (2005) term for the more contemporary rocked-up sound of <a href="#push_defined">Push</a>
bands such as <b>Polka Country Musicians</b>, <b>Change of Pace</b> or <b>Charm
City Sound</b>. This is a logical continuation of the innovations of Eddie Blazonczyk,
who began mixing rock and country with polka many years ago. The genre is
still in flux, as some proponents consider LynnMarie and Brave Combo to be
part of Extreme Push even though neither are Push artists. [Note: A CD
titled <i>Extreme Polka </i>was released on the Shot Glass label (Cleveland
International) in 2003. There were only six tracks, performed by the
Polkaholics, Polkacide, <span class="md">Brave Combo, </span><span class="md">Frankie
Yankovic and Drew Carey, and Big Lou.] [In March of 2006, <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/alt.music.polkas/msg/f6ef927ba2cd8b25">Joe
Rodgers posted to the Usenet group alt.music.polkas</a>, a thoughtful
critique of Extreme Push and listed some of the polka alternatives he
likes.]</span></dd>
<dt>Heel and Toe Polka</dt>
<dd>While not a musical genre, the Heel and Toe Polka is one of five
recognized folk dances of the Bahamas, along with the Quadrille, Conch
Style, Calypso Waltz, and the Sculling Dance.</dd>
<dt>Hoolerie</dt>
<dd>Hoolerie is a sub-genre of the Minnesota Dutchman style. <span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" class="text">Aaron
Schuelke</span> of <a href="http://www.wrjqradio.com/">WRJQ Radio</a> says,
"A Hoolerie band such as <b>Erwin Suess</b>, or <b>Elmer Scheid</b>
specialize in 'Hoolerie' polkas, waltzes and laendlers. A Hoolerie is
usually a concertina or clarinet solo or clarinet duet or even clarinet
trio, with a trombone or bass trumpet walking along the bass line providing
a sort of counter-melody in the background." (See what <a href="polka-mollie.htm#hoolerie">Mollie
Busta</a> says.)</dd>
<dt>Humppa</dt>
<dd>Humppa is "oom-pah" in Finnish, and refers to an indigenous
polka-like music and the dance that is done to it. <b> Elãkelãiset</b>
is a Finnish parody band that plays humppa, like Weird Al Yankovic plays
polkas.</dd>
<dt >Minnesota Dutchman / Czech</dt>
<dd>
It's that German oom-pah sound. The Dutchman bands seem to
be built around concertina (lead), tuba (bass) and banjo (rhythm). The originators include <b>Harold</b>
<b>Loeffelmacher</b> and <b>Whoopee John Wilfahrt (</b>You can read more in <a href="#holtz_book">the
Holtz book</a>.). In Midwestern Czech music, <b>Romy Gosz</b> was a
important figure music and, according to <a href="http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0021-8715%28198807%2F09%29101%3A401%3C339%3ACAG%22M%3E2.0.CO%3B2-A&size=LARGE&origin=JSTOR-enlargePage">James
Leary</a>, something of an innovator (article available for $10 or through
your library). The
Texas-Czech bands are more eclectic: they're more likely to use electric
bass, electric guitar and piano; and they will include the occasional
Spanish or C&W song in their repertoire. The <a href="http://www.polkamart.com/">Polkamart
website</a> has a great selection of Germanic polka CDs, with separate
sections for "Dutchmen," "Nebraska Czech," and "Wisconsin
Bohemian/Oompah." Also read what <a href="polka-mollie.htm#German_Style">Mollie
Busta</a>, <a href="polka-rickmarch.htm">Rick
March</a>, <a href="polka-rodgers.htm">Joe
Rodgers</a> and <a href="polka-surratt.htm">Mike Surratt</a> have to say.</dd>
<dt >Nuclear Polka</dt>
<dd>
For the last decade or so, bands have been experimenting with combinations
of polka and rock. Leading the way has been Texas band <b>Brave Combo,</b> founded in
1979 by Carl Finch. Rounding out the Big Three of rocked-up polkas are the <b>Polkaholics</b>
of Chicago and <b>Polkacide</b> of San Francisco. Also heavily
rock-influenced are <b>LynnMarie</b> of Nashville and the Alpen Rock band <b>die Schlauberger</b>. </dd>
<dt><a name="Oberkrainer">Oberkrainer</a> </dt>
<dd>In the 1950s, Slovenian <b>Slavko Avsenik</b> and his brother Vilko formed
the Avsenik Ensamble, a band that would have a profound influence on the
music of Slovenia, Germany and Austria for decades to come. The band's style
was nicknamed "Oberkrainer" (perhaps a play on "Kraine,"
the German name for the Kranjska region of Slovenia). The music is rooted in
Slovenian folk music traditions and has a
German "oom-pah" sound. In time, the Avseniks' hundreds of
original compositions became a central element in the Slovenian-American
("Cleveland style") polka repertoire. Since 2004, <b>global.kryner</b> has
been performing an updated playful version of the Oberkrainer style. Read a <a href="http://www.clevelandstyle.com/awards_lifetime_Avsenik_slavko.html">biography
of Slavko Avsenik</a>.</dd>
<dt >Waila or Chicken Scratch</dt>
<dd>
The Native American music of Southern Arizona, mostly associated with the
Tohono O'odham (formerly Papago) tribe. Walia consists of four dances:
cumbia (a Columbian dance, by way of Mexico), <span id="google-navclient-hilite">chote
(schottische)</span>, <span id="google-navclient-hilite">waila</span>
(polka) and mazurka. [<a href="http://www.elearn.arizona.edu/msw/waila/">One
source</a> says the dances include the watersaw and mazurka.]</dd>
<dt>Paraguayan Polka</dt>
<dd>The polka is the national dance of Paraguay, but you don't hear much about
it here in the US. Carl Finch of Brave Combo says, "The polka in
Paraguay is more like a huapango, which is three against four [beats]. You
actually can waltz to it, although the dance looks more like a polka. It's
not at all what we think of as polka." After listening to some of the
beautiful polkas that <b> Ram�n Romero</b> plays on the Paraguayan harp, Carl
commented, "The rhythm is actually 3 on 2 (3 beats to a measure layered
over two beats to a measure), instead of 3 on 4, but the 2 is very subtle
here. If I remember, there's a singer from the 60s named Lupe [Perhaps
Cuban-born "La Lupe" (1939-1992)?] . . . I remember her music
moved in and out of 2 and 3 throughout, more like a Colombian <span class="S37" style="font-family: 'Verdana'; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="span_W0013W000600010002W0003_BODY_0001">Vallenata</span>.
Check out Bimonos de Oro. They make the most of that musical
phenomenon." (Read more about Paraguayan
polka <a href="http://www.paraguay.com/arts_and_culture/music.php">here.</a>
or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danza_Paraguaya">here</a>.)
</dd>
<dt>Polcalypso</dt>
<dd>It is claimed that polcalypso developed in the Caribbean islands of St.
Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, when the polkas of the immigrant Danes
mixed with indigenous calypso rhythms. To my ears, it sounds more like
Spooge (also "Spouge" -- a late 60s calypso-like style from Barbados) than like polka.</dd>
<dt>Ukrainian</dt>
<dd>I cannot yet describe Ukrainian polkas, but there is a robust Ukrainian
polka scene in Canada (read <a href="polka-rodgers.htm#Joe_on_Canada">Joe
Rodgers' description</a>).</dd>
</dl>
<center>
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" bgcolor="#CCCCCC">
<caption>
The <a href="#keil">Keil</a> book lists six types of<br>
polkas in three categories:</caption>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#9999FF" align="center">
Slavic</td>
<td bgcolor="#9999FF" align="center">
Germanic
</td>
<td bgcolor="#9999FF" align="center">
Southwest
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
Polish
</td>
<td align="center">
German
</td>
<td align="center">
Mexican
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
Slovenian
</td>
<td align="center">
Czech
</td>
<td align="center">
Native American
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#FFFFFF" bgcolor="#CCCCCC">
<caption>
Polish polkas are<br>
generally subdivided as<br>
follows:</caption>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#9999FF" colspan="3" align="center">
Polish </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
Eastern
</td>
<td colspan="2" align="center">
Chicago
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">
</td>
<td align="center">
Honky
</td>
<td align="center">
Push
</td>
</tr>
</table>
</center>
<p>
The <a href="http://www.versatones.com/profile.htm">Versatones website</a>
refers to "12 main styles which include Polish, German, Bavarian, Slovenian and Tex-Mex that are played in North America
. . ." Unfortunately, the other seven styles aren't named.
By now (October 2004), I can recognize about eight styles: Conjunto,
Scandinavian, Slovenian, German, Waila, Eastern, Honky, and Push.
You can make an approximate timeline for polka styles. Before about 1930, the
music consisted largely of the tunes and musical styles brought over from the
old country. About 1930, the Eastern style emerged, influenced by the big band
sound of contemporary American popular music. Following the Eastern style came
the Cleveland or Slovenian polka about 1940, the Chicago Honky about 1950 and
the Chicago Push about 1960. While the names of these four Slavic styles are
well established, nobody seems to have named the stages in the development of
Germanic or Hispanic polka.
<p>
Read <a href="polka-mikrut.htm#genem_on_polkas">Gene Mikrut</a> on the
diversity in polka music, and <a href="polka-gifford.htm"> Paul Gifford</a> on the various polka
styles. Nancy's Place for Polkas also has an FAQ that describes <a href="http://www.polkas.com/npgenfaq.htm">the
different polka styles</a>.
<h2 ><a name="Q&A">Q&A</a></h2>
<dl>
<dt>What is the polka?</dt>
<dd>Well, these are just my opinions, but here goes . . . </dd>
</dl>
<ol>
<li><b>The polka is a dance and dance music. </b>The polka is a lively
couple-dance in a moderately fast duple meter. It probably began in Bohemia
around 1830 as a round-dance. It soon swept Europe and was adopted by
ballroom and art composers (e.g., the Strausses and Dvoř�k). By the
late 19th century, European immigrants had brought it to North America. (See
Maja Trochimczyk's essay <font color="black">on the <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/dance/polka.html">history
of the polka dance</a>. Also see <a href="polka-gawlak.htm">Troy Gawlak</a>.)</font></li>
<li><b>The polka is American. </b>By the 20th century, the polka was pass� in
Europe but it was flourishing in America. It took root everywhere in the New
World, from Connecticut to California, from Minnesota to Texas. In spite of
the fact that polkas are played in Canada, Mexico, and even Paraguay, the
U.S. hybrid is so vigorous that I would say that today's polka is "as
American as mayonnaise."</li>
<li><b>The polka is multi-ethnic.</b> The polka is among the traditional
dances of many ethnic groups in North America -- including the Ukrainians,
Scandinavians, Germans, Czechs, Mexicans, Poles, and
Tohono O'odham.</li>
<li><b>For Polish-Americans, the polka is a focal point for ethnic identity. </b>For
most polka-loving ethnic groups, the polka is just one of several dances
that they enjoy. But for many Polish-Americans, it has become a cultural
icon, having replaced the church as the center around which communal and
familial bonding is ordered. When working to promote cultural continuity, other groups might
organize summer camps, parades, or language instruction for the children.
Polish-Americans, on the other hand, go to polka dances with their
families, sometimes wearing outfits of red and white, the Polish national
colors.</li>
</ol>
<dl>
<dt>What is "old time music"?</dt>
</dl>
<ol>
<li><a href="#victor_greene">Victor Greene</a> describes old time music as the
Americanized and commercialized form of the peasant dances from the German,
Czech, Polish, Hungarian-Gypsy, Ukrainian, Swedish, Italian, and Jewish
ethnic groups. In other words, it's a superset of polka music. </li>
<li>On the other hand, most Americans use the term "old time music"
to refer to the pre-bluegrass music of the southern Appalachian region --
music with English, Irish and Scottish roots and a strong African influence.</li>
<li>In the polka world, the term "old time music" is seldom used
outside of Minnesota and Wisconsin.</li>
</ol>
<dl>
<dt>What's the difference between a "two step" and a
"polka"?</dt>
<dd>
The way I understand it, the music is very similar, but the dances are
different. Some ballroom dancers will choose to two-step or to polka based
on the tempo of the music. Read what <a href="polka-surratt.htm#tempos">Mike
Surratt has to say about polka rhythms</a>.</dd>
<dt>What are polka lyrics about?</dt>
<dd>The writings of Joe Rodgers on Usenet (see alt.music.polkas) have persuaded me to take a closer look at polka lyrics. While
my knowledge is still superficial, here's what I've learned so far. </dd>
</dl>
<ol>
<li>Joe points out that the Polish lyrics in most Polish-American polkas come
from the folk songs of Poland. Those folk songs cover a wide range of themes
such as insect songs ("Mosquito Polka" cf. "The Bluetail
Fly"), gruesome tragedies ("Mountaineer's Farewell" and
"Green Maple Polka"), and robber ballads ("Four Miles from
Warsaw").</li>
<li>American-written polkas present a radical departure from these themes,
centering instead on dancing, drinking, and familial and romantic love. The
"Down Home Polka," by Dan Gury of the Dynadukes, sings the praises
of home and hearth in a way almost unheard of outside of the American
polka. </li>
<li>Polka presents an interesting contrast with country music. Since the days of Jimmie
Rodgers, country lyrics have expressed feelings of wanderlust, conflict, loss, and
heartache, as well as dealing with the topics of infidelity, crime,
imprisonment, and death. Surely no polka would be titled "Take
This Job and Shove It." </li>
</ol>
<p>Joe was kind enough to write a <a href="polka-rodgers.htm#critique"> critique</a> of my conclusions about polka lyrics.
He also notes that people looking for polka lyrics should start with the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jayjayrecords">Li'l
Wally Songbooks</a>. Finally, be sure to check out James Leary's article, "<a href="http://csumc.wisc.edu/mki/Resources/Online_Papers/MusicConfPapers/DialectSongsAmongtheDutch.pdf">Dialect
Songs Among the Dutch</a>." </p>
<dl>
<dt>The <a name="marginalization"> marginalization</a> of polka. What makes the polka so square, under-appreciated, slow to change and
poorly documented?</dt>
</dl>
<ol>
<li>In the fall of 2002, I offered my thoughts on why polka music is so slow to
change.
I wrote:</li>
</ol>
<dl>
<dd>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
Because its audience is stable, content and conservative.
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
</dd>
</dl>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
In the early 1970's there was a paradigm shift in klezmer music (sort of
the Jewish equivalent of polka). In a few short years, klezmer went from being
grandpa's old-world music to being baby-boomers' hip music. I think the
critical factors are that 1) the parents of the Jewish baby boom generation
had already become assimilated and had discarded klezmer and 2) the kids had
left home and left the old neighborhood. By the early 70s, klezmer was an
anachronism rather than a daily reality; so, when the New Ethnicity hit,
klezmer was adopted as a nostalgic connection with a romanticized past. Finally, The
Klezmorim (the first neo-klezmer group) put R. Crumb's art on the cover of
their first album and the boomers all understood that klezmer was now hip.
(Read Matt Dziedzic on polka and klezmer.)
<p>In the polka world, things were different. The parents were less
assimilated and still danced to polka bands. The kids were still living close
to home and themselves danced to polka music at weddings and dances. The polka
boomers were not so much interested in a New Ethnicity because they still
participated in the old one. As a result, the polka world was not re-invigorated in the 1970's the way
the klezmer world was.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm pleased to say that <a href="polka-rickmarch.htm">some people</a>
thought I had a good theory.</p>
</blockquote>
<ol>
<li value="2">Also in the fall of 2002, I speculated on why polka music is so poorly
documented:</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<dl>
<dd>
Nobody writes about dance music. Serious writing about jazz doesn't begin
until after World War I, when jazz moved from the dance floor to the
phonograph. The same can probably be said of tango, rap, etc. </dd>
</dl>
</blockquote>
<p>It wasn't such a good theory, and no one wrote to compliment me.</p>
</blockquote>
<ol>
<li value="3">In late 2003, I added <a href="http://www.folkdancing.com/home.html">Patrick D McMonagle</a>'s
thoughts on "the decline
of Waltz and Polka and renaissance of Swing among regular dancers. The
reason is Nike� . . . When I was a kid in rainy
Seattle I'd wear my wet leather-soled shoes into Safeway and nearly flip tail
over teacup. Leather is really slick when wet. And when dry it is
perfect for turning on a waxed wood dance floor. Then Nike� came along with
soles that have better traction. At least better on a wet day and better
for basketball. But they have enough more
friction than leather that they hurt my knees when I constantly turn in the
Waltz and Polka. So unless a dancer has really young and sturdy knees or
likes to Polka enough to drop over $70 on a pair of shoes used only for
dancing; they stop Polkaing 'cause it hurts. In other words, a change in the folk
costume of America has changed the folk dance of America!"</li>
</ol>
<ol start="6">
<li value="4">In April 2005, <a href="polka-rodgers.htm">Joe Rodgers</a>
theorized that the polka has
suffered because it's a hybrid and thus not fully accepted by either
Americans or Poles: " . . . [U]nfortunately, the Polish-American polka (and don't get me
wrong: I love it, too)
is sort of an "illegitimate child" of a marriage between Polish,
American and other types of music , not fully embraced, as Malinowski
said, by either its mother, Poland, or its father, English-speaking America
. . . and this is probably a major reason for its troubles today,
as its fan base is aging and dropping rapidly , while it enjoys no
reinforcements from the mother country, which considers it to be
foreign and substandard, or from most of the American public, which
feels the same way about it."<br>
</li>
<li>As I continued to speculate on polka music's difficulties, I considered
whether they were the result of the polka being white people's music. I could see some parallels between polkas
and mummer (Philadelphia
string band) music -- both have similar European ethnic origins, and both have
suffered as their audience and musicians have assimilated and moved to the
suburbs. But other genres of white music (southern gospel, bluegrass,
heavy metal) seemed to have no such parallels with polka music. [While Keil
(p. 139) hears an African-American influence in Cleveland polkas, I remain
skeptical.] <br>
</li>
<li>My current (November 2005) hypothesis is that the marginalization of polka stems from
the conservatism and anti-elitism of Polish-Americans.
<ol type="a">
<li>African-American music is "liberal" in the sense that it is
rebellious, questions authority and promotes individual autonomy. This
lack of traditional fetters allowed African-Americans to produce or
contribute to an astonishing range of American music: ragtime, boogie-woogie, jazz, swing, blues,
rhythm & blues, rock 'n' roll, soul, funk, disco, rap, and hip hop.</li>
<li>In her book, <i>Music in the Culture of Polish Galicia -- 1772-1914</i>,
Jolanta T. Pekacz writes at length about the conservatism of Polish
Galicia and how that conservatism inhibited musical expression and
creativity. If we presume that that conservative trait was
characteristic of the Poles who immigrated to America, and was then
passed on to their descendents, it could explain the glacially slow
evolution of the Polish-American polka.</li>
<li>Outside the Polish community, Americans looking to express their
dissatisfactions (political, social, moral -- or just disappointment in
love) would be more likely to seek expression for their feelings in
African-American music than in polka music. Certainly, the explosive
growth of rock 'n' roll in the post-war period seems to support this
view.</li>
<li>Ironically, conservative non-Poles would also be unlikely to seek
expression through the polka, as they would be more likely to seek
outlets within their own ethnic or cultural traditions.</li>
<li>By contrast, classical music is plenty conservative and still seems
pretty robust -- at least in comparison to the polka. Why is that? Again we turn to Pekacz, who writes about the rigid caste system --
the social stratification -- of Polish Galicia. One aspect of that caste
system which is hard for Americans to appreciate is its disdain for social climbing. One knew one's place, appreciated one's place, and did
not aspire to "move up." Similarly, Polish-Americans have
shown no interest in "upgrading" the polka to appeal to a
tonier audience. As a result, the climbers go elsewhere, perhaps to the
Philharmonic, the opera, or the art galleries.</li>
<li>Thus, the marginalization of the polka probably results from the conservatism and anti-elitism of
the Polish-American community. Q.E.D.</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>
<blockquote>
Interestingly, a few post-punk musicians, having become bored with all the other musical
genres, turned to the polka -- partly because it was so uncool and
marginalized. A few (e.g., Rotondi) went on to other things; some (e.g.,
Brave Combo, the Polkaholics) fell in love and stayed. [<a href="polka-rickmarch.htm">See
Rick March's comments.</a>]
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<dl>
<dt>Why is polka music so regionalized?</dt>
<dd>
American polka is still primarily live music performed for actual dancing.
Its dissemination tends to be limited to the distance a band is willing to
drive for a gig -- figure a couple hundred miles, tops. The few bands big
enough to sustain national tours (Yankovic, Sturr) were influential outside
of their home-base regions.</dd>
<dt>Do all polka bands sound the same?</dt>
<dd>Goodness, no! Here are some American polka artists who I think sound
totally unlike one another: Group Papago, Karl Hartwich, Charm City Sound,
L'il Wally, Los Tigres del Norte, Polka Country Musicians, Polkaholics, Dick
Rodgers, Bernie Witkowski, and Frankie Yankovic. Outside the U.S., you might
try Chudoba, global.kryner, Los Gauchos de Rold�n, Ram�n Romero, or Chango
Spasiuk.</dd>
<dd>
<dt>What is the <a name="state_of_polka"> state of the polka today</a> (November 2005)?</dt>
</dd>
</dl>
<dl>
<dd>I couldn't find a good answer to this on the Web, so I decided to try to
answer it myself. First I gathered some data by asking Jim "Jimmy
K" Krzeszewski some questions:</dd>
</dl>
<blockquote>
<dl>
<dd><b>How many new polka CDs do you think came out this year?</b></dd>
<dd>There were about 100 CD releases in the past year sold at Jimmy K
Polkas. However, we do not handle every Polka CD that is released. There
are many local and regional bands that release CDs on their own that we do
not handle. Typically I'll use my judgment on what to handle (or not to),
and if we receive more than one request for a band we don't have, we try
to obtain the CDs.</dd>
<dd> Now, regarding these releases, there are several
"re-releases" in the mix. Not all are new studio recordings.</dd>
<dd> </dd>
<dd><b>How does that compare to 5 years ago?</b><br>
Ok, as for how it compares: I would say the new releases are slightly
down, but not dramatically. This is purely due to a few bands dropping out
that were once active on the recording scene (the Dynatones, for
example).</dd>
<dd> </dd>
<dd><b>How many polka CDs do you think are in print at this time?</b></dd>
<dd>How many CDs are in print? Wow, good question. We handle about 1,000 I
believe, and there are others. I'd say 1,200 to 1,500 would be a fair
guess, but I could be way off.</dd>
<dd> </dd>
<dd><b>How does that compare to 5 years ago?</b></dd>
<dd>Comparing now to 5 years ago, that is a dramatic difference. There were
probably 300-400 CDs on the market 5-6 years ago. The big change is
somewhat due to new releases, but mostly due to older recordings being
released in CD format as times change.</dd>
</dl>
</blockquote>
<p>Here are my thoughts:</p>
<ol>
<li>The Dutch Hop is extinct, in the sense that there are no active bands that
specialize in this genre.</li>
<li>The honky-style polka is an endangered species. The practitioners are
aging and are not being replaced by younger musicians. </li>
<li>Otherwise, the polka is reasonably healthy; it's not going to die anytime soon.</li>
<li>The slow dropoff in dance attendance will continue.</li>
<li>Based on the pictures of polka dances that I've seen, the audience is younger
than I expected. </li>
<li>Many people on the Internet (i.e., Usenet) have expressed the view that's
what wrong with polkas today is that the bands show a lack of innovation and
promotion. <a href="polka-polaski.htm#whats_wrong">Jim Polaski</a> has articulated
this position particularly well.</li>
<li>I envision the polka world as divided into "old audience" and
"new audience." Bands that appeal to the old audience are really
limited when it comes to growth or change. Rick Nelson complained about this
in "Garden Party" back in 1972-3. "New audience" bands
like Brave Combo, the Polkaholics, and Polkacide are freer to explore new
directions for the polka. On the other hand, Freeze Dried seems to have been
pretty successful at appealing to the old audience, which stretching the polka
borders.</li>
<li>The most interesting new polka bands are coming from Europe: Austria,
Germany, Poland, and Slovenia.</li>
</ol>
<dl>
<dt>What is the state of the polka today (December 2006)?</dt>
<dd> <br>
I think it's useful to make a periodic assessment of how the polka world is
doing. As I did last year, I've posed a series of questions to polka
musician and retailer Jim "Jimmy
K" Krzeszewski.</dd>
<dd>
<blockquote>
<dl>
<dd><b>How many new polka CDs do you think came out this year?</b>
<dd>There were about 60 CD releases that were released in 2006 that were
sold at <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com/"> Jimmy K Polkas</a>, which is down from 2005.
As stated
before, we do not handle every Polka CD that is released. There
are many local and regional bands that release CDs on their own that
we do not handle.
<dd><br>
<b>How does that compare to 5 years ago?</b><br>
No question it is down from five years ago, simply due to less bands
being active in the circuit. I'd say the "per band"
average is about the same.
<dd>
<dd><b>How many polka CDs do you think are in print at this time?</b>
<dd>Probably between 1,500 and 2,000, but that's a pretty rough
estimate.
<dd>
<dd><b>How does that compare to 5 years ago?</b>
<dd>It's an increase of about 400%, partially due to the CD format being
relatively new.
</dd>
</dl>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p><b>Is there anything you'd like to add to what you said last year?</b><br>
I think the CD market is still strong, even if the live audiences
seemed to have dropped a little in the past few years. Our
business is steadily increasing each year, but that may not be a
market indicator, as new people are discovering our individual
business.<br>
<br>
<b>Do you think that legal downloads will replace CD sales?</b><br>
No, I don't see that being an issue in the Polka Music market, as
there are too many independent producers of the music, and none
(including Jimmy K Polkas) seem anxious to explore this area.
</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<dl>
<dd>
<b>Do you think pirated downloads are hurting legitimate sales?</b><br>
No question it does, but it's hard to say how much. The amazing part is that most of the people doing most of the burning
are either musicians or very regular fans, and they're very candid
about it. The more casual fan tends to buy their
CDs. People don't realize that in Polka Music, CD sales
are the only way bands can combat the high costs of equipment, travel,
etc. You are <i>stealing</i> when you burn a CD for any
reason other than a copy for yourself, period. I'm anxiously awaiting technology that will cause someone's CD
player or computer to catch fire when a pirated CD is played,
rendering the music thief homeless (a little
retailer humor there!).</dd>
</dl>
</blockquote>
<p>My thoughts:</dd>
</dl>
<ol>
<li>There were no big changes this year.</li>
<li>The attendance at dances and the release of new CDs continues its slow
decline.</li>
<li>There's still plenty of amazing polka music being played and recorded.</li>
<li>Maybe if we hold out another 10 years, there will be a revival of interest
in polka music, as there has been in Europe. (But see why <a href="polka-rodgers.htm#joe_rodgers_3">Joe
Rodgers</a> doesn't think that will happen.)</li>
</ol>
<dl>
<dt>Should the polka be de-ethnicized?</dt>
<dd>The polka world is changing. The ethnic groups that once danced the
polka in places like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Milwaukee,
Cleveland, or Chicago started leaving for the suburbs decades ago. Nearly all the polka clubs are gone from
those cities, as well as most of the bands. There
is no more Polish Broadway. </dd>
<dd> </dd>
<dd>In response, polka lovers have been struggling with what to do so that the polka might regain -- or at least
preserve -- some of its glory. One particularly emotional part of the
debate has been over the ethnic character of polkas. </dd>
<dd> </dd>
<dd>Here are some of the arguments, pro and con.</dd>
<dd>PRO: The name "polka" should be replaced because it evokes
ridicule. Similarly "Salsa" was a new marketing term successfully used
to promote Latino music from the Caribbean during the 60s and 70s.</dd>
<dd>CON: A new name only turns off the die-hard fans who go to the dances,
buy CDs, and join the polka organizations. And the Spanish word
"Salsa" didn't de-emphasize the Latino origins of the music, but
instead blurred regional distinctions (the word included both Cuban and Puerto
Rican music). The word "polka" already does that.</dd>
<dd>PRO: De-ethicizing polkas would increase their appeal to Americans (particularly
younger listeners) who don't identify ethnically.</dd>
<dd>CON: In a <a href="http://www.rps.psu.edu/0201/five.html">Penn State University interview,</a> Alex Meixner
says that some of polka's practitioners, in an attempt to
achieve mainstream popularity, have tried to de-ethnicize the music.
"But," says Alex, "it's the ethnic element that makes it
worth preserving." [Thanks to Joe Rodgers for bringing the Meixner interview to my attention.]</dd>
<dd>PRO: English
lyrics should be emphasized to make the music more accessible. After
all, Frankie Yankovic recorded and performed mainly in English.</dd>
<dd>CON: Polish
lyrics ought to be be promoted because they have the emotional power to stir the hearts of the
listeners. And the new energy brought to polkas by Li'l Wally was driven by his
unapologetic association with his Polish roots and frequent use of Polish in his
singing and recording.</dd>
<dd> </dd>
<dd>Here's what long-time polka musician Don Lucki had to say:</dd>
</dl>
<blockquote>
<p>"I think Polish vocals are fine, but at the same time it will not have
the same impact on the people that don't understand the language, the general
public. It drastically decreases your already small audience, which is not
something we should be doing to try to involve a bigger audience. Polish
vocals do have their place, though, but they should be more thoughtfully used.
Take, for instance, Bobby Vinton's �Melody of Love.� It used Polish
lyrics, but also gave the English translation, letting the listener in on what
the heck he was singing about. If we want to expand our audience and expose
and get them interested in polka music, this has to be more than a
consideration. He sold a lot of records with that tune and helped him make a
comeback." [Reprinted by permission from Steve Litwin's <a href="http://www.polamjournal.com/polka/">Polka
Page</a> in the <a href="http://www.polamjournal.com/">Polish American Journal</a>.]<o:p>
</p>
</blockquote>
<dl>
<dt>Is there Polka Jazz?</dt>
<dd><a href="http://speakeasy.jazzcorner.com/speakeasy/showthread.php?p=480441#post480441">The
mavens over at JazzCorner's Speakeasy</a> answered this question in 2006.
The answers included a track from Sidney Bechet's <i>Live in Paris</i>, <i>Last
Polka in Nancy?</i> by Center of the World (Frank Wright), "Chasin' the
Trane" by Coltrane, <i>Who Stole the Polka </i>and <i>Polka Dots and
Laser Beams</i> by Guy Klucevsek, Duke Ellington's "Klop" (also
covered by by Klucevsek), and the Brave Combo version of Coltrane's
"Giant Steps."</o:p>
</dd>
<dt>Where does Lawrence Welk fit into the polka world? </dt>
<dd>Lawrence Welk was a popular and successful accordion player, big-band leader and businessman.
While he exposed millions of television viewers to polka music, his inclination
was more towards American popular music. As a result, he wasn't very
influential in the strongly ethnic polka world.</dd>
<dt>And what about Roman Lankios?</dt>
<dd>Ok, so no one would actually ask me this but Ukrainian-American <a href="http://membersites.namezero.com/rlankios.e-gosha.com/public_html/INDEX.HTML">Roman
Lankios</a> plays the continental xylophone and he's terrific. I hope
someone invites him to play on their polka album. It would be a hoot!</dd>
<dt><a name="How_do_I_rate_CDs?">How do I rate CDs?</a></dt>
<dd>Here are the grades I give and roughly what they mean:</dd>
<blockquote>
<p>A+ = Buy it right now!<br>
A= Buy it<br>
B= Enjoyable<br>
C= Nothing special<br>
D= Substandard<br>
E= Feh!</p>
</blockquote>
<dd>The process is of course subjective. It should go without saying that I like
interesting song selection, good musical performance, varied arrangements,
professional recording, mixing and mastering, complete liner notes, and quality
graphics. But beyond that . . . </dd>
<ul>
<li>I don't have any strong <b>genre</b> or ethnic bias. I make an effort to
track down quality polka recordings in all styles. If you feel I've
overlooked a particularly good polka CD, feel free to drop me a note.</li>
<li>I may have a slight preference for English lyrics because that's the <b>language</b>
I understand but, if you look at my ratings, you'll see plenty of
non-English CDs at the top and several English-language CDs at the bottom.</li>
<li>I don't have strong feelings for or against <b>traditional polka tunes</b>
since I didn't grow up with them. On the other hand, if I already know all
the tunes on your CD, I'll get bored pretty quickly.</li>
<li>Because I'm relatively new to polkas (started in 2002), I love <b>compilations</b>.
They're a great way to learn about different styles or different bands, and
often provide great value for the money.</li>
<li>In my opinion, the thing that most sets apart the top polka bands from the
also-rans is the quality of their <b>vocals</b>.</li>
<li>I seldom actually take off points for bad <b>graphics</b>, but you can be
sure that my decision to <i>purchase</i> a CD has often been influenced by
good graphics.</li>
<li>I try to make sure that the CDs at the <b>top of my list</b> are those I
would purchase again, or take with me to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs.shtml">desert
island</a>, or recommend to a friend.</li>
<li>I like albums that sound as good to me the <b>tenth time</b> as they
sounded the first time I played them.</li>
<li>I really wish there were more <b>historical and folkloric</b> CDs that I
could recommend, but I can't get past the poor sound quality of many CDs of
historical interest, or the primitive arrangements typical of folkloric
albums.</li>
</ul>
<dl>
<dt>Why did I begin this web page?</dt>
<dd>I started putting my own polka reviews online around October of 2002,
because I couldn't find any polka album reviews on the
web, which I found frustrating because I'm interested in buying more polka CDs.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the whole state of polka
writing (that is, writing about polkas) is abysmal.</dd>
</dl>
<p>The few books in print are wholly inadequate (there is no Rough Guide to
polkas). The liner notes with most polka CDs don't list the dates of the
recording sessions nor the names of the musicians. Even the
otherwise-exhaustively-thorough All Music Guide is limited to about six polka
artists.</p>
<p>I can only hope that I make some small contribution to changing the current
state of affairs. After all, I put up the first page on the Web devoted to Sam
the Sham and the Pharaohs in the mid-90s. Now there are about six different
sites that cover their career.</p>
<h2 ><a name="Bibliography">Bibliography</a></h2>
<dl>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="158">
<img border="0" src="images/polka/bk-newulm.jpg" width="144" height="220"> </td>
<td valign="top">
<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage"><u>BOOK</u><br>
<a name="holtz_book">
Enemies of Sleep: New Ulm Musicians</a></dt>
<dd>(Dale Holtz with Kathleen Lorence, self-published, 2004) Author
Dale Holtz grew up in the New Ulm, Minnesota, area in the 1930s and 40s,
listening to and later playing in the German and Czech bands that made
the region famous. Drawing on his own memories as well as interviews, he
tells the stories of more than two dozen local bands and musicians --
including Whoopee John, The Six Fat Dutchmen, Babe Wagner, Peter and
Paul Wendinger, and Fezz Fritsche. The book is primarily a memoir, but I
also learned a lot:</dd> </dl>
<ul>
<li>Holtz was very much influenced by the "Old Time Music" he
and his neighbors heard on the radio in the 1950s and 60s. He doesn't
say just what "old time" meant, but I'd guess that it was the
popular music of the 20s and 30s. By contrast, I've never heard Polish
polka enthusiasts talk about "old time" music -- I think they
were more influenced by the big bands of the 1930s and 40s.</li>
<li>With all the drinking that surrounds the polka, I've often wondered
whether there was a lot of fighting. Holtz is quite candid, saying
"Fights were quite common in the ballroom scene . . . At the Palms
in Renville, I remember fights in at least three of the corners of the
ballroom at the end of the night."</li>
<li>Holtz says that most New Ulm vocals were sung in English rather than
German, but that the Bohemian or Czech bands often sang in Czech. What
an interesting observation! I wonder what led to the different language preferences.
Could it be a result of there being more Germans in the U.S. than
Czechs, and their arriving earlier?</li>
<li>Charlie Sunde, who contributed a chapter to the book, laments that he
was born of Norwegian stock in Iowa rather than in a more
"ethnic" (his word!) German, Czech, or Polish town.</li>
<li>In the chapter on Elmer Scheid, Holtz says that "Hoolerie is the
closest music style to the Dixieland sound." Does that make
Hoolerie the Germanic equivalent of Honky?</li>
<li>Finally, <a href="polka-polaski.htm">Jim Polaski</a> will love this
quote: "How did the Six Fats become so popular? No one promoted a
band the way Harold Loeffelmacher did."</li>
</ul>
<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dd>As the only book on this seminal part of polka history, this is a
must-read. [9-6-06] [Vendor: <a href="http://www.polkamart.com">www.polkamart.com</a>]</dd> </dl> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="158">
</td>
<td valign="top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="158">
<img border="0" src="images/polka/bk-norway.jpg" width="144" height="217"> </td>
<td valign="top">
<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage"><u>BOOK</u><br>
Fiddling for Norway: Revival and Identity</dt>
<dd>(Chris Goertzen, University of Chicago Press, 1997, ISBN
0-226-30050-1) To me, the most interesting aspect of this work is not
it's coverage of Norwegian polkas (there's some), but the description of
the Norwegian folk revival, the organizations that fostered it and how
they handled their conflicts, and the national fiddle competitions that
have been held for over 80 years. Perhaps American polka-lovers could
follow the Norwegian example and promote our beloved music as a uniquely
American folk music genre. Author Chris Goertzen is very thorough,
covering the regional variations in Norwegian folk music, the history of
the Hardanger fiddle vs. the regular fiddle, the Gammaldans controversy,
and much more. Includes notated melodies for 127 tunes. [8-20-06]</dd> </dl> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="158">
</td>
<td valign="top"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="158">
<img border="1" src="images/polka/bk-paha.jpg" width="144" height="215"> </td>
<td valign="top">
<dl class="no-lead-below">
<dt class="no-sinkage"><u>JOURNAL</u><br>
Polish American Studies, Vol LXI, No. 2, Autumn 2004</dt>
<dd>(Polish American Historical Association, ISSN 0032-2806) In the fall
of 2004, the <i>Polish American Studies</i> journal devoted an entire
issue to the polka. For me, it was essential reading, giving me new
insight into Polish-American culture and its connection to the polka.
Guest editor Ann Hetzel Gunkel (she's a professor of Humanities and
Cultural Studies at Columbia College in Chicago) begins the volume as
follows: "Polka is perhaps the most misunderstood, misrepresented,
and mocked popular musical form in American history. Contrary to popular
opinion, Polish-American polka is not Polish but a uniquely American
cultural hybrid of ethnic styles and popular forms." This slim,
hard-to-find publication contains articles or reviews of three important
works from the polka literature: <i><a href="http://web.uccs.edu/hnapierk/clarinet_polka_tn.htm">The Clarinet
Polka</a>, Horn Man, </i>and
<i><a href="http://web.uccs.edu/hnapierk/hoopi_shoopi_donna_hn.htm">Hoopi Shoopi Donna</a> -- </i>as well as several other compelling essays.
Along with <i><a href="#keil">Polka Happiness</a></i>, it's a must-read.
[8-5-06]</dd> </dl> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="158">
</td>
<td valign="top"> </td>
</tr>
</table>
<dt ><i><a name="keil">Polka Happiness</a></i> </dt>
<dd>
(Charles Keil, Angeliki V. Keil, <a href="http://www.mediarare.com/polkahap.html"> Dick
Blau</a>; Temple University Press 1992)
Covers the post-war American polka scene. The interviews and Blau's
photographs give a real feeling for "Polonia," the
Polish-American communities that nurtured the polka and its adherents. I
love this book but find its unevenness (it's basically a pastiche of materials written over
twenty years by its three authors) and limited coverage of non-Polish polkas
frustrating. [10-10-04] Also read what the <a href="http://trfn.clpgh.org/free-reed/reviews/polkahappiness.html">Free Reed Review</a> has to say.</dd>
<dt ><i><a name="victor_greene">A Passion for Polka: Old-Time Ethnic Music in America</a></i></dt>
<dd>
(Victor Green, University of California Press, 1992) A history of American
polka music, emphasizing the period between the world wars. Covers
Poles, Czechs, Scandinavians, Italians, Jews and other immigrant groups.
Thorough, scholarly, unromanticized and extensively footnoted. Dry but not
boring. This is the best-written book in the field; too bad that it stops in 1960.
[Revised 10-10-04] See <a href="polka-walser.htm">Robert
Walser's review</a> of <i>Polka Happiness </i>and <i>A Passion for Polka.</i></dd>
<dt > <i>Colorado Dutch Hop Music Arranged for the Accordion: The Music,
History, and Culture of Colorado's Germans from Russia </i></dt>
<dd>
(Kurt Edward Goldenstein, 2000: self published) More than 100 songs
arranged for accordion, recipes, photographs, history, bibliography and who
knows what else. I wouldn't say that the book was elegantly produced, though
the music engraving was professionally done. Nonetheless, it's as rich and
flavorful as a good borscht. The book is available together with
Goldenstein's Dutch Hop CD from The American Historical Society of Germans
from Russia (<a href="http://www.ahsgr.org">www.ahsgr.org</a>). At only $30
for the pair, it's a bargain. [6-29-04] </dd>
<dt ><i>Down Home Dairyland: A Listener's Guide</i></dt>
<dd>
(James P. Leary and Richard March, University of Wisconsin Press, 1996)
Thank goodness this thing's back in print! Folklorists Leary and March write
about the rich musical traditions of the upper midwest (mainly Wisconsin),
covering the music of the Germans, Scandinavians, Finns, Poles, Hmong, and
Native Americans among others. At least half of the book will be of interest
to polka-lovers (example: there's a terrific little history of Dutchmen
music). Plenty of stories and wonderful pictures. [10-10-04, revised 4-1-07]</dd>
<dt > <i>American Polka </i>[liner notes] </dt>
<dd>
I'm grateful for the thorough liner notes that accompany the <i>American
Polka</i> CD. They were one of my first sources of information about polka
music.</dd>
<dt><i>Music in the Culture of Polish Galicia, 1772-1914</i></dt>
<dd>(Jolanta T. Pekacz, University of Rochester Press, 2002) It's not a polka
book -- polkas aren't even listed in the index, though they're mentioned in
the text -- but essential for understanding Polish-American culture. At
least it was for me. [11-7-05]</dd>
<dt ><i> Dzieła wszystkie [Complete Works]</i></dt>
<dd>
(Oskar Kolberg, Wrocław-Poznań: Polskie Towarzystwo Ludoznawcze, 1962-8. Originally published in 1857-1888. 68 volumes.)
I haven't actually seen this work but it is, by reputation, the last word on
Polish folk music. Some volumes can be purchased used (see bookfinder.com).
The <a href="http://www.oskarkolberg.pl/">Oskar Kolberg Institute</a> is
publishing about 20 supplemental volumes, most of which are expected by 2009
(at least that's what I think they're doing -- my Polish is weak). </dd>
</dl>
<h2 ><a name="polka_links">Polka links</a></h2>
On September 1, 2001, in Cambridge, Ohio, Judge John Nicholson found defendant
Alan Law guilty of disorderly conduct and ordered him to pay a $100 fine or listen to
four hours of Frankie Yankovic. The <a href="http://enquirer.com/editions/2001/09/01/loc_polka_is_punishment.html">story</a>
so intrigued me that I bought my first polka album. The rest, as they say, is
history. [Here's a version with <a href="http://www.truenorth.tv/soundoff_091502.jsp">pictures</a>.]
<h4>Polka scholarship</h4>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="polka-mollie.htm">Mollie
Busta's excellent article on polka music</a>. </li>
<li>
Lenny Gomulka's site has <a href="http://www.chicagopush.com/bb1.htm">five
polka articles</a> from <i>Billboard</i> magazine.</li>
<li>
Ann Hetzel Gunkel, Ph.D., gives <a href="http://acweb.colum.edu/users/agunkel/homepage/frmlect.html">lectures</a>
about polka music. In 2000, she gave a lecture entitled "Polka As
Counter-Hegemonic Ethnic Practice." In 2003, she spoke on "<a href="http://web3.colum.edu/press_releases/archives/000044.html">The Virtual Ethnic Neighborhood: Polka as the Next Blues</a>."
She has contributed a
paper by that name to the upcoming <i>Polka Theory: Perspectives on the Will to
Party, </i>edited by Charles Keil (University of Chicago Press. Forthcoming,
2004). Her paper has also been published in the scholarly journal <i>Popular
Music and Society</i> [cite: Ann Hetzel Gunkel, "The Polka
Alternative: Polka as Counterhegemonic Ethnic Practice." <i>Popular
Music and Society</i>, Vol. 27, No. 4, 2004 pp. 407-427], which you can now
read on the Web at <a href="http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2822/is_4_27/ai_n8708926">findarticles.com</a>.</li>
<li>
In 1984, <i>Musical Traditions</i> published <a href="http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/polka_h.htm"> "In
Pursuit of Polka Happiness . . . and a classless culture?"</a>, a
Marxist analysis of polka music, partly based on a paper presented by Angela
Keil at a conference of the Mid-Atlantic Radical Historians Organization.</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/540086">"Slovenian- and
Polish-American "Polka" Music."</a> Part of Richard March's
article from the <cite>The Journal of American Folklore</cite>, Vol. 102,
No. 403 (Jan. - Mar., 1989) is available online.</li>
<li>
<a href="http://csumc.wisc.edu/mki/Resources/Online_Papers/MusicConfPapers/DialectSongsAmongtheDutch.pdf">Dialect
Songs Among the Dutch</a> [i.e., Germans] by James Leary, University of
Wisconsin-Madison. <a href="http://csumc.wisc.edu/mki/Resources/Online_Papers/MusicConfPapers/DutchmanSongs/DutchmanSongsIndex.htm">Sound
clips that accompany Leary's article.</a></li>
<li>
David J. Jackson's <a href="http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2822/is_4_26/ai_111507225/pg_1">"Just another day in a new
Polonia: contemporary Polish-American polka music -- Audio Review Essay"</a>
from the British journal, <i>Popular Music and Society</i>
(v<font color="black">ol. 26, no. 4 / December 2003; pp. 529 - 540).
</font> </li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.polishfest-ny.org/polkaarticle.htm">Wally Dombrowski on the Art and Business of Polka and Why it is Hot Again</a>
(from 2004).</li>
<li>
<a href="http://wings.buffalo.edu/info-poland/DAS.html">"The Old
Neighborhood Isn't the Same Any More: The Evolution of Polish-American
Ethnicity"</a> article by Deborah Anders Silverman</li>
<li>
Abstract of Brian A. Cherwick's dissertation, "<a href="http://www.umanitoba.ca/centres/ukrainian_canadian/dissertations/cherwick.html">Polkas on the Prairies:
Ukrainian Music and the Construction of Identity</a>."</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.polishheritagerochester.org/newsletters/accordion-polka.pdf">The
Accordion and the Polka in Polish-American Ethnic Music</a> by Roy S.
Czernikowski</li>
<li>
"The Origins and Stylistic Development of Polish-American Polka Music."
This dissertation by Janice Ellen Kleeman<a href="http://www.music.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/chmtl/isearchddm?DATABASE=ddm&SEARCH_TYPE=BOOLEAN&ISEARCH_TERM=02foKleJ">
</a>has been cited by several authors (here is the <a href="http://www.music.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/chmtl/isearchddm?DATABASE=ddm&SEARCH_TYPE=BOOLEAN&ISEARCH_TERM=02foKleJ">DDM
citation</a>)</li>
<li>
Article on the <a href="http://www.polamjournal.com/polka/chemnitz.html">Chemnitzer Concertina</a>
by Steve Litwin and Mark Kohan.</li>
<li>
"Jim Kirchstein asserted that every town in Wisconsin had a rock group
and polka band and therefore these were the two musical genres upon which
Cuca [Records] concentrated." See the <a href="http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/FilznHCuca/FilznHCuca-idx?type=HTML&rgn=DIV1&byte=18992&q1=&q2=&q3=">article</a>
at the University of Wisconsin website. The University of Wisconsin also has
an <a href="http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/MillsSpColl/subcollections/cucaAbout.shtml">online
discography of Cuca Records</a>. </li>
<li>
Chris Travis' <a href="http://www.roundtop.com/polka.htm">interview with
George Koudelka</a> includes a history of polka music in Texas.</li>
<li>
Philip Nusbaum article on <a href="http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/amt_0001_0004_0/amt_0001_0004_0_00105.html">Minnesota
Polka Music</a>.</li>
<li>
Ben Tavera-King wrote about the <a href="http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/ajua.htm">polka
in M�sica Chicana.</a> The original article appeared in the February 1978
issue of <i>Nuestro </i>magazine.</li>
<li>
Ben Ratliff's <i>New York Times</i> article on <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/arts/music/29polka.html">Nebraska
Czech polka dancing</a>.</li>
<li>
Jon Connole's 1991 article in <i> Crain's Cleveland Business</i> about <a href="http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-10678758.html">Ron
Schafer's record label, World Renowned Sounds</a>. (subscription required).</li>
<li>
<font size="2">Carlo Rotella's <i><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/03/07/AR2005041501843.html">Washington
Post </a></i><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2004/03/07/AR2005041501843.html">article</a>
about Chicago polkas</font></li>
<li>
247polkaheaven.com's <a href="http://www.247polkaheaven.com/247PHkit.pdf">media
kit</a> includes a discussion of polka people.</li>
<li>
Rick March's article, "<a href="http://www.pbs.org/riverofsong/music/e1-polka.html">Polka: Wisconsin's State Dance</a>."</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.polish-music.org/trochimczyk.html">
Maja Trochimczyk's</a> essay <font color="black">on the <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/dance/polka.html">history
of the polka dance</a> (and <a href="polka-rodgers.htm#maja">Joe Rodgers'
comments</a> on it). Maja also has <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/polish_music/dance/">essays
on other Polish folk dances</a>. (And see Troy Gawlak's comments on the
place of the <a href="polka-gawlak.htm">polka within the Polish folk dance
tradition</a>.) </font></li>
<font id="byline">
<li>
<font size="2">Glossary of <a href="http://www.folkdancing.com/Pages/skandia/appx_b.htm">traditional
Nordic folk dances</a> -- including polkas, of course!</font></li>
</ul>
<h4>Articles about polka artists </h4>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.letspolka.com/2006/07/interview-with-big-lou/">Interview
with Big Lou</a> on the Let's Polka blog.</li>
<li>
Robert Andrew Powell's <a href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/issues/1999-12-09/feature.html">article
about L'il Wally</a>, from the Miami <i>New Times</i>, 12-9-1999.</li>
<li>
Les Carpenter's <i>Washington Post</i> article about L'il Wally's song, "<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102002142_pf.html">Let's go, Go-Go White
Sox</a>."</li>
<li>
New York Times article about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/arts/music/05sisario.html">Jimmy
Sturr</a> and the polka Grammies, 2-5-2006. Includes a brief video.</li>
<li>
New York Times article about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/nyregion/thecity/10polk.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss">Walt
Procanyn,</a> 8-9-2008.</li>
<li>
Long article about accordionist <a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/weekly/06-03-20-dj.shtml">Gary
Sredzienski</a> by <span class="featureauthor">Chris Dahlen<a href="http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/features/weekly/06-03-20-dj.shtml">.</a></span></li>
<li>
<span class="featureauthor"><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/music/6181033.html">Vrazels
Polka Band</a> (a Texas institution since the 1950s) has retired. Articles from
the <i>Houston Chronicle</i>, Dec. 26, 2008.</span></li>
<li>
<span class="featureauthor">Several websites have biographies of polka artists:
the <a href="http://www.internationalpolka.com/fame-ix.htm">IPA</a>, the <a href="http://www.clevelandstyle.com/awards_lifetime.html">National
Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame</a>, <a href="http://www.polkamart.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/Bio.html">Polkamart</a>,
and <a href="http://www.thepen.polkajoy.com/band_news.html">Polka E-News</a>.</span></li>
</ul>
<h4>
Polka recordings </h4>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.primetimepolkas.com/recordings.htm">Prime Time Polkas</a>
maintains a list of new Cleveland-style recordings. </li>
<li>
<font color="black">Jimmy K has a <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com/newrelease.html">list
of new polka releases</a> as well as a <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com/topten.html">Polka
Top Ten List</a>. (I've bought from Jimmy K many times and have always been
pleased with his very quick service.)</font> </li>
<li>
<font color="black">247polkaheaven.com has an <a href="http://www.247polkaheaven.com/bestof2006.html">annual
"Best of" list</a> </font> </li>
<li>
A fine source for German recordings that can be hard to get in the US is <a href="http://www.abella.de/?lang=EN">abella</a>. <a href="http://www.markski.com/index.cfm">Markski</a>
in Chicago carries a good selection of contemporary Polish CDs. <a href="http://www.balticshop.com">BalticShop</a>
has a fine selection of CDs from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as well as many
gift items (ask for their attractive color catalog).</li>
</ul>
<h4>Polka broadcasts</h4>
<ul>
<li>There's regular <a href="http://www.rfdtv.com/shows/bigjoe.asp">polka
programming on TV</a>, through the RFD-TV network, carried by DIRECTV, DISH
Network and many of the smaller cable systems (always check availability
before ordering service). [Thanks to Joe Rodgers for bringing this to our
attention.]</li>
</ul>
<h4>
<font color="black"><a name="polka_films">Polka films and videos</a></font> </h4>
<ul>
<li>Website for <a href="http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/polkatime/index.html">Lisa
Blackstone's film "Polka Time."</a> Includes text, links, viewer
comments.</li>
<li>
Les Blank's polka film, <a href="http://www.lesblank.com/main.html">In
Heaven There Is No Beer?</a></li>
<li>
Craig DiBiase and Timm Gable have finished their film <a href="http://www.polkamovie.com">It's Happiness: A Polka
Documentary</a>. Available from <a href="http://www.jimmykpolkas.com">www.jimmykpolkas.com</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.caughtintime.com/OotekProductionsHOME.html">Polka from
Cuca</a> is a feature-length documentary about the Wisconsin polka scene,
produced by Dave Erickson and Ootek Productions.</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.dangerouspolkafilms.com/index.html">The Worlds Most Dangerous Polka
Band</a>, directed by Sonya �Sonny� Tormoen, won "Best Documentary Short" at the 2006 Fargo Film Festival.</li>
<li>
<font id="byline0">
<a href="http://www.schultzegetstheblues.de/en/">Schulze Gets the Blues</a>
is a German film about a man who loves playing polkas but finds a new love
in Zydeco. I haven't seen the movie, but it sounds like Jungle Fever to me.
Fictional.</font></li>
<font id="byline1">
<li>
"The Last Polka" was a Showtime parody starring John Candy and
Eugene Levy as the Shmenge brothers, two Leutonian musicians in the Happy
Wanderers polka band. Based on a series of sketches from the old SCTV weekly
comedy show. Available on VHS from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6302034655/">Amazon
as "The Shmenges: The Last Polka</a>."
</font>
</font><font id="byline1"> Here's a <a href="http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmTiGS8YGjw">Schmenge
Brothers video clip</a> from the TV show.</font></li>
<li>
<font id="byline1">More and more polka videos -- including performances
going back to the 1980s -- are showing up on <a href="http://Youtube.com">Youtube.com</a>, making
it an increasingly important polka resource. For example, here is </font> Benzy Rathbone's "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QY1oWvf_48">Button
Box Polka Medley</a>." Benzy is considered a Cleveland-style musician,
but here he's playing button accordion with a combo consisting of electric
bass, drums and sax -- and, boy, do they swing! Then there's the
unforgettable pairing of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgB11bRiQM">Lenny
Gomulka and Eddie Blazonczyk at Frankenmuth in 1997</a>.</li>
<li>
John Mikulak has completed a television documentary on polka bandleader and
entrepreneur Jan Lewan, called "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1002570/">Mystery
of the Polka King.</a>"</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=33848">They Live to
Polka</a> is Larry Bauman's 1998 film about polka culture on the Canadian
Prairies.</li>
</ul>
<font id="byline">
<font id="byline">
<h4>
<font color="black">Polka-related websites</font> </h4>
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://arts.state.wi.us/static/dhdshows.htm">Down
Home Dairyland</a> -- encyclopedic coverage of Midwestern polka music by Rick March. </li>
<li>
Dick Blau's <a href="http://www.mediarare.com/polkahap.html">Polka
Happiness</a> website.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.polkas.nl/">John Hasper's polkas.nl</a> covers Slovenian and Cleveland-style polkas from the perspective of an avid Dutch polka fan. Bios, pictures, and articles.</li>
<li>
Jimmy K's <a href="http://www.polkamemories.com/">Polka Memories</a> website,
featuring historical photographs of polka musicians and polka dances from the
1970s and 1980s. More polka-related photos can be found on <a href="http://wildwilson.com/index.html">Wild
Wilson's site</a>.</li>
<li>Polka halls of fame that have websites:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://www.internationalpolka.com/">Polka Music Hall of Fame</a>
(Polish, Slovenian and Dutchmen styles. Chicago. Founded 1969.)</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.clevelandstyle.com/phof_001.htm">National
Cleveland-Style Hall of Fame</a> (Slovenian style. Euclid OH. Founded
1987.) See also <a href="http://clevescene.com/issues/2000-11-23/nd.html">Richard
Wagle's description.</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.wisconsinpolkahalloffame.com/index.html">Wisconsin Polka
Hall of Fame</a>, founded 1995.</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.mnmusichalloffame.org/inductees2.html">Minnesota Music
Hall of Fame Museum</a></li>
<li>
(There's also a <a href="http://www.concertinamusic.com/sbox/wcc/wcchof.html">World
Concertina Congress Hall of Fame</a>.)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
The <a href="http://dmoz.org/Arts/Music/Styles/R/Regional_and_Ethnic/Polka/">DMOZ list of polka
websites</a>.</li>
<li>
Tom Brusky's list of <a href="http://www.wisconsinpolkamusic.com/bandlist.html">Wisconsin
polka bands</a>.</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.hkpe.org/bands.php/hkpe">Hans Klufendorfen Polka Ensemble</a>
is a fake polka band: think Spinal Tap or the Schmenge Brothers.</li>
<li>
The University of California at Santa Barbara is transferring old cylinder recordings
(<a href="http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?query=polka&queryType=@attr+1%3D1016">including about 30
polkas</a>; all are from before 1921) to .WAV and .MP3 format. And you can listen online!
(Thanks to Bill Wollheim for this tip.) </li>
<li>
There are now several polka blogs. Anna and Chris Saccher<a href="http://www.letspolka.com/about/">i</a>'s
blog is called <a href="http://www.letspolka.com/">Let's Polka</a>. Jolly James
of the Polkaholics writes the <a href="http://polkaboy.typepad.com/">Extreme
Polka</a> blog. </li>
</ul>
<h4>For musicians</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Every band should have a web page. If you need help, talk to <a href="mailto:webmaster@
wisconsinpolkamusic.com"> Tom
Brusky</a> . . . or <a href="contact.htm">me!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/">CD Baby</a>, besides <a href="http://www.cdbaby.net/">selling
your CDs</a>, can serve as your <a href="http://www.cdbaby.net/dd">digital
distributor</a> (i.e., they'll get your music onto the big download sites
and arrange for you to get paid). They also have <a href="http://www.cdbaby.net/dd?f=8">thorough
information</a> on the laws and procedures related to digital
distribution. You can even get a <a href="http://www.cdbaby.net/resources/barcode.htm">barcode
for your CD</a> through them.</li>
<li>Procedure for submitting a recording for consideration for a <a href="http://www.grammy.com/awards/grammy/process.aspx">GRAMMY
Award</a>. Information on <a href="http://www.grammy.com/academy/faqs.aspx">NARAS
membership</a>.</li>
<li>Submit your album data to the <a href="http://www.gracenote.com/company_info/FAQ/FAQs/">Gracenote Media Database</a>
(CDDB), <a href="http://www.freedb.org/en/faq.3.html#21">freedb</a>, and <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/about/product-submissions">allmusic</a>. </li>
<li>CD Baby also has a page on <a href="http://cdbaby.net/derek/tips.htm">promotion</a>
-- complete with a list of books on PR, marketing and publicity for the
musician.</li>
<li>For fun, get the <a href="http://www.sibelius.com/cgi-bin/download/get.pl?com=sh&prod=scorch">Sibelius
Scorch plug-in</a> for your web browser. You can then find polkas on the
web, view the sheet music and hear them played through your Midi card. To
locate such polkas, just Google on /polka Scorch/.</li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p align="center" >Everything here is based solely on my own opinion. If you
spot any errors, <a href="contact.htm"> please drop me a note</a>. You're also invited to share your thoughts about your favorite
polka albums.</p>
<p align="center" ><b>May all your days be polka days!</b></p>
<p align="center" ><font size="1">Copyright (c) 2010 <a href="index.html"> Nostradamus
Advertising</a>, a division of Advocate Enterprises, Inc. Last updated
<!-- #BeginDate format:Am1 -->December 28, 2010<!-- #EndDate -->
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