Mikulas Celebrate 50 Years of Making Happy Music

By Gary E. McKee
Mikula (Mĕkoola) translates to Nicholas in Czech and is a very popular name around December 5th in the Czech Republic as Svatý Mikuláš (Saint Nick) visits the children with gifts to brighten their lives. The same can be said, any time of the year, when the Jodie Mikula Orchestra (JMO)
visits your dance hall with its unique brand of dance music as they have been doing for the past 50 years.

ACCORDION LESSONS
It all began around 1929 near Ennis, Texas when 11-year-old Josef Maetej (Michael) Mikula received a $12 accordion from his father, Josef. When there was time on the cotton farm, Great Uncle Frank Mikula would stop by to give Jodie accordion lessons. Jodie became confident enough to start sitting in with local bands while in his late teens.

With the advent of World War II, Jodie left the accordion and the farm behind to serve in the Army. Upon returning, he got a mechanic job in Ennis and subsequently met Rosie Horak at a polka dance at the KJT Hall. They were married in 1947. Uncle Frank’s accordion led the Grand
March at the wedding reception. The union produced three sons: Ken, Nick, and Andy. When they were in elementary and junior high school, Jodie ensured that they began a music education. To steer them the polka way, Jodie asked a friend, Raymond Zapletal, who was head of The Music Masters, to teach Ken and Nick the cornet. Andy, who was always drumming his fingers on
something opted to learn the drums.

As the boys were learning the horns, their father, astounded them and their mother by pulling out an accordion and started playing some old Czech songs. He had never mentioned to even his wife of almost 20 years that he had once played the accordion. With their father guiding them, the boys progressed toward their destiny.

FAMILY JAMS
On Sundays, Uncle Frank would bring his accordion over for a polka jam. Ken reminisced: “One Sunday, the idea came up about starting a band. We needed a bass player and we looked to our cousin Edwin Mikula, Uncle Frank’s son. Edwin rented a Sousaphone but soon decided it wasn’t anything he wanted to do. We looked to our mom, Rosie, who offered to play drums. Andy gave up the drum slot and started on bass.” Utilizing Johnny Mensik and The Vrazels as guidelines, the
band searched for their own sound.

By 1967, the family band was ready to go public. Jodie and Frank were on accordions, Ken and Nick on cornets and saxophones, and Andy on Sousaphone. (The Sousaphone is the big round
marching-band type of bass horn.) Ken and Nick provided the Czech and English vocals. The cornets produced a sound that is markedly different than that of a trumpet, a less brassy sound, which set the band apart. Soon, they were booked almost every weekend for a dance or church bazaar.

Their reputation grew as evidenced by the December 1973 advertisement run
by Elm Mott’s Linden Hall, just north of Waco: We got ’em again. You liked ’em so well in January now come and enjoy them again. Polka, Waltz, Popular, Country- Western. On their 10th anniversary, the SPJST Lodge 84 in Dallas advertised for polka fans to: Listen or Dance to Jodie’s music while he plays that accordion and still smiles at his three sons who are part of this family band. Dance schedules show that they were performing at least once a week for several decades, particularly in the Dallas/Fort Worth-Waco-Ennis area.

SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION
The 25th anniversary of the band was celebrated at the SPJST Lodge 18 in Elgin in March 1992. The Lodge presented them with a nice plaque engraved: To the Mikula Orchestra, who have made a significant contribution to promoting polka and waltz music. In 1997, to mark the 30th anniversary of JMO, they performed at a polka Mass and then gave a dance at the West
Fraternal Auditorium where they had played the very first song, the Dance Hall Polka performed there at the hall’s grand opening 20 years earlier. Details for the 50th anniversary celebration to be held August 26 at the KJT Hall in Ennis are being worked out as you read this.

MUSICIANS PLAY
A few musicians have come and gone from the band, but the greatest loss was Jodie Mikula himself who passed away in 1989. The following year The Texas Polka Music Association (TMPA) bestowed a posthumous award to Jodie: A Pioneer Polka Band Leader with a Lifetime of Dedication to Polka Dance Music. A year after the band’s forming, Rosie decided that the already full schedule was not for her, so she bowed out and Andy went back to his first love, the drums. Dan Barto filled in for a couple of years on bass. Musicians who have helped build and ensure the success of the band were Charlie Patak, who “unretired” from music, signed on, and squeezed
the accordion for 25 years; John Graves on keyboards, and James Zalkovsky on electric bass and vocals. Keeping the band close to home and returning the music lesson favor, Raymond Zapletal’s wife, Pat, played keyboards for 25 years.

MAREKS JOIN JMO
Janice Matocha Marek came aboard the JMO in 2013. Janice began music by occasionally singing with her father’s band, the Lee Roy Matocha Orchestra in 1975, and moved into full-time keyboardist four years later for the legendary band. Several years later, Mike Marek began
dating Janice and Lee Roy told him if he was going to follow her around he should bring his tuba along. He followed his future father-in-law’s advice and Lee Roy gained a son-in-law and a tuba player.

Mike played with the Matochas until Lee Roy’s retirement in 1998. At that time the Mikulas needed a bass player. Mike signed on, and is still thumping away. After her father’s retirement, Janice kept her fingers nimble by playing keyboards at their church in Marek, Texas. When Pat
Z retired from JMO after 25 years, Janice, who had been occasionally sitting in for Pat, took the keyboard position.

Mike Marek began his musical career in the 8th grade without knowing how to play. The story goes that his father’s band, Der Rhein Steins was filming a promotional video for a Cameron festival and they needed someone to hold the tuba. Mike was drafted. After the shoot, his father suggested he learn how to play music so he started taking band in high school. For the next several years he played with various Cameron-area bands such as Bob Schlecte’s Central Texas
Polka Image and Leroy Schiller’s East Bell County Bohemian Brass and BBQ Society.

After Charlie Patak retired (again), Joe Zetka Jr. was tapped to handle the accordion side of the band. Joe was auditioned at a Corn Hill dance, but had just slammed his index finger in a car
door. He still passed the audition with only three operable fingers. Joe’s multi-instrumental
talent strengthens the band’s unique sound (he also is a great harmonica player). For the record, this year Joe will be the same age as the band, 50. His wife, Patti, says that he was born to play in the JMO. The versatility of these six members adds up to over 20 different instruments that they can play producing a wide repertoire with a full, rich sound.

WELL TRAVELED
Along the way, JMO has picked up numerous awards and accolades. In 1991 the TMPA named the JMO band of the year with Ken and Nick being designated the Best Vocal Duo and the JMO’s album, Hot Favorites making Album of the Year. Two years later, the TMPA chose The
Klobase Polka as song of the year. The song was penned by Ken and Charlie Patak, and is a humorous story of two farm boys who were given money by their mother to go buy some klobase in town. There, the boys discover a polka dance in progress and they proceed to whoop it up, spending all their money, and suffering the consequence when returning home empty
handed.

In June 1996, JMO performed at the First Annual Lawrence Welk Polka Festival in Branson, Missouri. There was a band competition judged by some of the original Lawrence Welk performers. The JMO tied for first place and performed with Myron Floren in the Lawrence Welk
Branson show that evening.

Over the years, the JMO has tested its sea legs on eight polka cruises to various Caribbean ports, including the most recent this past November with the Dujka Brothers and Alex Meixner, and
in January 2014 hosted by Jimmy Sturr and Mollie B. They have also tested their ability to be confined to close quarters by hosting bus trips to Nevada, St. Louis, and the Midwest. Apparently they have survived their journeys intact. Being so well traveled, they have also broadened
their ethnic horizons by playing at St. Patrick’s Day festivals, though I doubt that they played very many Irish jigs.

So remember to journey to Ennis in August to help the Jodie Mikula Orchestra kick off another 50 years.

Sweethearts Share Love of Music, Polka

By Gary E. McKee
It’s a musical Valentine’s story: girl develops crush on boy she sees at church. Despite living only several miles across the pastures of deep rural Central Texas from him, she never talks to him. They travel to two different schools in the same town on different buses until her Catholic
schooling ends in the 8th grade and she transfers to his public school. They ride the same yellow bus 32 miles to school and back every day, and romance starts to blossom. They attend a youth group function and she asks him to dance. They become high school sweethearts. When he takes her to the prom, they first have dinner at (Gene) Hackemack’s Hofbrau House, where, white tuxedo-clad, he borrows an accordion from the house band, plays, and dedicates The Starlight
Waltz to her. This was the teenage love story of Alicia Brune and Tim Kulhanek, members of the emerging Lost Cause Band (LCB).

BORN TO SING, PLAY TRUMPET
Alicia Brune Kulhanek, was, as she said, “Born into the church choir.” Her mother sang and her father was the church organist at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Frelsburg, north of Columbus. In addition to her parents teaching her music, she joined the school band, falling in the shadow of
her older sister, Leigh Ann. The instructor was so impressed with Leigh Ann’s abilities on trumpet,
he proclaimed Alicia would be a trumpeter, also. Well, the teacher was correct. Alicia’s talent took her as soloist and her school’s band (Columbus) to win many different competitions. After high school and during college, she slowed down on trumpeting, but was still very active in
the music of the church.

Alicia and Leigh Ann were among those kids who slept on or under the benches and had polkas and waltzes as lullabies. Her parents thoroughly enjoyed live music and never missed a picnic or dance in the area. Her years of singing harmony led her to really love just “singing along” with others. Occasionally, she was asked to sing a song or two with Central Texas Sounds (CTS) as
her husband, Tim, was a member of band by then. There is a big difference between singing with others and as a lead singer. She begrudgingly accepted and was successful making the
transition to occasional lead singing.

POLKA INFLUENCE
Tim Kulhanek, raised in Lone Oak (between Fayetteville and Frelsburg), was a somewhat typical child of the 1980s, listening to his dad’s scratchy AM radio. Tim was not overly impressed by the polka shows that his dad listened to. Those rock-oriented sounds that he heard on other folks’
FM radios and at the teen dances appealed to him more.

Playing music did interest Tim. He took one interesting piano lesson from Alicia’s cousin, Dena. Tim played the music as it should sound, he just played a different style than the classic form. It was obvious that he had the gift of learning and playing by ear. He was also interested in the saxophone and the accordion, but never seriously pursued them as a youngster. However, one day, on the way home from hauling hay, Tim and his dad stopped at Krenek’s Store in Fayetteville and bought a Dujka Brothers cassette and stuck it in the vehicle’s tape deck. John and Mark Dujka’s style of music awakened something in Tim, and he began to listen more to his dad’s music, especially The Vrazels. Soon, Tim was begging his mother to take him to wherever the Dujkas were playing, and he began absorbing the brothers’ arrangements. Their music, and that of the Vrazels and Lee Roy Matocha, began to feed his musical talent.

When Tim was old enough, he got a job washing dishes at Hackemack’s Hofbrauhaus, located north of Columbus. The restaurant owned by accordionist Gene Hackemack, was a German-themed restaurant complete with accordion virtuoso Jason Keepers (Enzian Buam) providing
most of the musical entertainment. Tim had been learning the accordion, and working with Jason
upped his skill level considerably. Gene loved to tell the audience, “Playing the accordion is easier
than it looks. Why, I bet my young dishwasher could play.” The trap was set for the diners. Tim would take the stage, fumble around a few minutes, and then leap right into several songs.
The crowd loved it.

The draw of the Dujka Brothers to Tim continued at a festival dance in Ellinger featuring the Bobby Jones Band and the Dujkas. John asked Tim to join them on stage. Tim said playing
those few songs with his musical heroes was one of his best times ever on stage. When Tim and Alicia were married in 2002, guess who played for the wedding - the Dujkas - and Tim got to serenade Alicia from the stage for the second time wearing a tuxedo.

TEXAS DREAM CALLING
In high school, Tim recorded a CD and started playing a few family reunions, but nothing serious. After graduation and marriage to Alicia, music kind of fell by the wayside as he focused on making a living. Then, out of the blue he received a phone call from Texas Dream. They were in a bind and needed a keyboard player the next Saturday, and without blinking he said, “Sure
I can make it.” There was only one problem. He had sold off most of his equipment including his keyboard.

After a quick trip to Collins Music in El Campo, he bought a keyboard, his natural musicianship kicked in, and by Saturday Tim was on stage and played with them for two more years. These were very formative years as he learned stagecraft and explored musical boundaries with the band. Since Texas Dream primarily played Saturday nights, Tim had Sundays off. This gave him an opportunity to begin occasionally sitting in with CTS. After a while, he left Texas Dream and began playing with CTS more. When a spot became open in CTS, bandleader Larry Sodek
called Tim and offered him a full-time position. Holding down the keyboard, saxophone, and accordion positions in CTS, Tim was able to play the music that his dad loved so much and, thanks to the Dujka Brothers, Tim felt at home with.

MEET LCB
The Lost Cause Band was officially formed in 2014. Tired of being a “no-name” band, drummer Spencer Schneider had the wild idea to borrow the initials from the Liquor Control Board for fun, and instead made it stand for Lost Cause Band. The name stuck. The five-piece group plays a
wide range of music from country to polkas to rock, and is composed of some members who also play in a favorite band based in Fayetteville called Central Texas Sounds (CTS).

In addition to Spencer, LCB/CTS members are Joey Krchnak, guitar; his son Walter, bass; and Tim Kulhanek, keyboards, saxophone, and accordion. Alicia, on trumpet, accordion, and vocals rounds out the sound of LCB. Joey, who works at Huebner Concrete as a truck driver, learned guitar while playing in his father’s band, The Western Stars, in Houston. His father, Dan, was one of the twin fiddles in the band that played major dance halls such as Magnolia Gardens and Dancetown. Joey was singing with them at the age of seven and soon was playing rhythm guitar for several
years. After moving back home to Central Texas he joined a band out of Brenham, Country Keys, and later became a 17-year veteran of the Sil and Ray Krenek Orchestras. When CTS had an opening for a guitarist, Joey jumped in and began a long run with them providing spot-on classic
country guitar licks. Joey’s guitar style was influenced by two of the most innovative players:
Merle Travis and Eldon Shamblin, the innovative rhythm and lead guitarist of the early Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.

Joey’s son, Walter, started playing bass when he was 14 and learned by playing along at home listening to tapes of the Vrazels and other topnotch artists. He played bass for a while with Southbound FM 955 and CTS, and then took a break to go to college. After returning home, he
rejoined CTS backing up his dad in addition to providing the back beat of the LCB. During the day, Walter is a technician with Winkler’s A/C & Heating.

Percussionist Spencer Schneider, is the musical co-anchor of LCB along with Walter. Spencer, who spends his days as an inspector for the City of Giddings, began learning his stagecraft
in a country band in the Giddings area in the mid-1970s. However the band’s sound went disco during that period. Spence has a philosophy: “When it quits being fun, I’m going fishing.”
Spencer chose fishing over disco. He left and hooked up with The Ellinger Combo in 1978 and began a long and happy time playing drums for them, then CTS, and now both CTS and the
LCB.

Once CTS played a battle dance with the Vrazels. Spencer, like many other musicians, was in awe of Thomas Strmiska’s drumming for that legendary polka band. As they were setting up drum kits side by side by side, Spencer was a little intimidated. Thomas came up to him and politely said, “You have your style of drumming and it’s great, and I have my style, so let’s give the dancers a
great show.” They were good friends till Thomas’ passing.

Tim’s tan gives him away as a laborer for the Kulhanek Construction Co., and Alicia is an assistant vice president/real estate lender/loan officer for Industry State Bank in New Ulm. The group plans to record a CD in the near future.

THANKS, FANS!
LCB members would like to thank the top members of their fan club for the love and support they have received. These are Tim’s parents: Delbert and Laura Kulhanek; Alicia’s parents:
Lambert and Carol Brune; Joey’s wife: Lori; and Spencer’s wife: Carolyn. Lost Cause has a cool promotional video on YouTube that can be found by a search for “The Lost Cause Band”
or Erik McCowan, who filmed it among other musical events. If you need a great all-around band for an event, please contact Tim at 979-732-4065 or Alicia at 979-733-4481, but hurry as the 2017 dance calendar is filling up rapidly!

Polka Man of the Hour - Danny Z

By Gary E. McKee

When you want to create an event to promote polka, who ya gonna call?
Danny Z!

Musician, arranger, bandleader, vocalist, national festival director, international polka hall of fame
trustee, and radio disc jockey, Danny Zapletal of Ennis, Texas knows the polka world. One of his favorite ways to promote the music is on the KBEC Polka Party show, from 9-11 am, on 1390 KBEC out of Waxahachie and online at kbec.com. It’s a job he inherited from legendary polka DJ
Johnnie I. Kracja, who was recently honored by the Texas Czech Heritage & Cultural Center (TPN December 2016).

“It was a tremendous honor to be chosen by KBEC to follow in Johnnie I.’s footsteps,” DZ said. “Those are very big shoes to try and fill. Johnnie dedicated over 48 years to being at the station every Sunday to host his show, and did a fantastic job playing all the requests. Johnnie had a huge following and I just hope that I can continue in the same fashion of playing good polkas and waltzes every Sunday morning.”

Taking over for a legend can be worrisome, but DZ said the listeners have embraced his show. “After doing the polka show for three years I cannot ask for a better response than what I have received,” he said. “I do have a different format than what Johnnie had, but I feel it’s best to
have your own identity. I like to play as much music as possible, by as many different bands as possible. There are so many great bands from the past and from the present. I try to play them all
including many bands from the Czech Republic. I truly have a lot of fun doing the polka show.”

DZ pre-records the show on Thursday nights in his home recording studio from requests that
he has received, mostly through email (dannyzpolkashow@yahoo.com). This is not DZ’s first appearance behind a radio microphone. He got his start as a polka DJ on Internet radio station WRJQradio.com out of Wisconsin five and half years ago. When it came time to choose a theme song, DZ went with Oh Clara Polka.

“We (Czech & Then Some) were working on the Texas Tribute album to Ernie Kucera and I have always liked his recording of the song,” he said. “We decided to put it on the recording and got a great response from our fans. It’s a fun song to play and not many bands play it. It has good drive to it. The crowd always responds well when we play it. It’s one of my favorite polkas.” And, when he took over KBEC Polka Party, there was only one choice for the theme song - Oh Clara Polka.

DZ continued to do the WRJQ show along with the KBEC Polka Party, until he got word the station wouldn’t be able to continue all its programming.

“I appreciate Aaron Schuelke giving me the chance to be on his station without even knowing who I was. WRJQ is the best 24/7 polka station. I think I can say I brought a lot of Texas listeners to the station,” DZ said.

Aaron at first was going to shut down the station completely because of growing job and family
commitments, but the fans spoke. “I started getting emails and phone calls from the listeners telling me their disappointment that the station was no longer going to be on air,” DZ said. “After visiting with Aaron and letting him know how many calls and emails I was getting, he said he was getting the same on his end, so he came up with a plan to keep the station on the air.”

Unfortunately, the station had to cut some of its special programming like DZ’s show. “I’m glad Aaron found a way to keep the station going playing polkas and waltzes 24/7. I still listen to
the station every chance I get,” DZ said.

TEXAS POLKA CHEERLEADER
Another new polka assignment DZ accepted last year was to the board of trustees of the International Polka Association’s Hall of Fame based in Chicago. His job is to make recommendations to the board on hall of fame inductees and music awards by artists from Texas and Southwest U.S. DZ leads a group of electorates from this region who get to vote on the final
nominations ballot.

DZ worked with Mollie B and Ted Lange of SqueezeBox, and a team of Texas Polka News volunteers to host a Super Bowl Polka Party last year at SPJST Lodge 88 in Houston to
introduce the IPA and raise funds for the association that will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary.

This January, during National Polka Month, DZ, TPN, and a team of Texas polka supporters once
again gathered to raise funds for the association while celebrating Carl Finch’s (Brave Combo) induction into the hall of fame and the 20th anniversary of Czech & Then Some, led by DZ. The dance was held Sat., Jan. 21, at the KJT Hall in Ennis. (See the photos).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CATS!!!
Not the Broadway musical, but the Ennis-based Czech music ensemble that celebrates its founding 20 years ago. To clarify, CATS is the acronym for Czech & Then Some, a seven-piece, multi-ethnic orchestra. The nickname came about when leader DZ’s wife, Yvonne, got tired of filling her calendar space with “Czech & Then Some” and started abbreviating it to reserve days for performances or practices. The actual name is a descriptor of the Czech music they play, and the “then some” refers to the other ethnic polkas and country music they play.

CATS started out when Joe Betik, a good friend of DZ and David Slovak, asked David to play his accordion for his sister’s 50th wedding anniversary. David recruited DZ, David Trojacek, Louis Valek, John Marek Jr., and Andy Mikula to assist him. The band didn’t even have a name, but after that gig, they realized that there was some musical chemistry happening. Soon afterwards, Joe Lansfeld, the president of KJT Society #35 in Ennis, as well as DZ’s father-in-law, hired the band to play for their annual KJT membership recognition dance. That confirmed it.

As the band evolved playing countless parties and festivals around North Texas, the band members kept developing new arrangements to old standards that they presented to great
acclaim around the Central Texas Polka Triangle (Ennis-San Antonio-Houston). What sets CATS apart is the use of the full arrangement of all the songs they play as opposed to just playing the chorus rendition of a song.

In 2012, CATS was invited to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. as part of “The
Music of Budapest, Prague, and Vienna” celebration. On a recent return trip to D.C. they were blessed to play at the Czech Embassy’s Open House. Most of the visitor activities, including the music, had been set up outside, but a rainstorm drove them inside, where CATS performed “au
natural” without mikes and amps.

Part of the attraction of CATS is the musical diversity of the musicians. In addition to polka and waltzes of German, Czech, and Cajun extraction, they have backgrounds from big band, country & western, Tejano, jazz bands. The family connections enhance the vocal harmonies and with two females at the microphones, singing, in addition to playing sax and clarinet, it creates a unique sound in the polka world. Every member of the band is a multi-instrumentalist and are
vocally accomplished.

The youngest member of CATS is Josh Zapletal (2012), DZ’s son, carrying on his dad’s and grandfather Raymond’s tradition on trumpet. John Schumacher, bass and vocals, came to
the band after having played with The Czech Harvesters a few years before; Zeke Martinez (2007), percussion and guitar, has a background in Tejano music.

Jennifer Slovak (1998), David Slovak’s sister and recently Zeke’s wife, plays saxophone and clarinet. Michelle Slovak (1998), DZ’s sister and David’s wife, played with Harry Czarnek and
the Texas Dutchmen.

David Czarnek, (2010) who plays sax and clarinet, came to the band from his father’s band, the Texas Dutchmen, and has a background of big band, jazz, country, and rock.

David Slovak (1997), accordionist and piano, played with the Henry Rejcek Polka Band and Czech Harvesters before founding CATS with DZ.

FAMILY TRADITION
DZ grew up in a house filled with polka as his Czech dad, Raymond, had his own polka band in Ennis from 1960-1969 - the Music Masters, then played in the Texas Dutchmen when the family moved to Houston, and his German/Czech mother, Pat, was a pianist for the Jodie Mikula Orchestra for 25 years. One of DZ’s earliest memories is of being at home with a plastic toy
trumpet imitating his father. Raymond had learned music while attending St. John’s Nepomucene Catholic High School in Ennis, where he played with several Czech bands while still in school. He also taught Kenneth and Nick Mikula the fine points of playing trumpet.

In his early teens, DZ joined the Dutchmen with a real trumpet. “My first actual job was playing with Harry Czarnek and The Texas Dutchmen on Dec. 9, 1978 in Needville,” DZ recalled. “I think we played for a wedding that day. I was 13 years old at the time.”

Through the years, he continued to play with the Texas Dutchmen, as well as help out a few other bands before cranking up CATS.

Harry Czarnek’s Texas Dutchmen had a lot of influence on CATS, mentoring young DZ and Michelle. Gene Patalik and Harry were like second fathers to them, and Gene’s son, “Sonny,” was DZ’s accordion teacher and fantastic trumpet player and arranger. CATS plays many of Sonny’s arrangements today at all of their engagements.

Living in the Zapletal house meant you were also involved in promoting Czech heritage. DZ’s dad was one of the co-founders of the National Polka Festival, which has been held on Memorial Day Weekend for many years. The festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016. DZ served for 18 years as the director of festival. Michelle has been the secretary of the festival for over 15 years keeping Czech heritage alive in Ennis.

In case you haven’t noticed, the Ennis area has a plethora of young Czech bands. “I think that comes from the musicians growing up listening to Johnny Mensik,” DZ said. “Johnny’s style is a little bit different and jazzy, which catches the interest of the younger folks.

Polka Power Duo: DUJKA BROTHERS CELEBRATE 30 YEARS

By Gary E. McKee
In a triangle within the towns of East Bernard, Wallis, and Rosenberg is the small community of Tavener, founded as a railroad stop in 1890. This flat, fertile blackland area, populated by Czechs in the early 1900s, is well known as a high producer of row crops such as cotton. The Czechs who
come from there are men of the soil and the people who till it. Two of these men are the Dujka Brothers, John and Mark. For the Czech-challenged it’s pronounced doy-ka.
      Their father, Willie, who along with his 14 brothers and sisters, carried on the tradition of their
forefathers who conquered this tough black gumbo oasis and raised their family. Their mother, Mary Lou (Brossmann) from St. John, southwest of Schulenburg, was raised in a similar situation.
      John and Mark shared the chores around the farm from an early age. John, the oldest, seemed to be musically inclined and was taking piano lessons by the first grade. Younger brother, Mark, seemed to have the music gene also and began taking piano lessons at the same
age. By the time they were in grade school, their music teacher, Jane Turner, owner of Rosenberg Music, confirmed their talent by getting them on television.
      The Houston TV show on Channel 39, was a cowboy-themed kiddie talent show, called Don Mahoney and Jeanne Clare’s Kiddie Troopers. Every few months through their grade school years they made appearances on the show singing and playing. John remembers singing Little Brown Jug on his first performance. It was their first taste of bright spotlights and structured performances, but hardly their last.
      As time went by the brother’s chops improved (practice, practice, practice) and by the ripe old age of 13, John had his first paying gig at a wedding in East Bernard. Most traditional piano lessons are based on classical music, however, Ms. Turner, was open minded and exposed them to other forms of music, opening their minds to country, jazz, and pop sounds.
      Another sound that the brothers enjoyed growing up was the sound of their Grandfather Herman Brossmann’s accordion. They hadbeen to many picnics and heard bands, but it was their grandfather playing at his house that made a huge impression. Though German, he played many Czech songs which the brothers absorbed and learned on the accordion. Mark still plays
the same accordion on stage. It was their grandfather’s passing in 1986 that stimulated the brothers to start exploring their heritage and begin playing more German/Czech songs in
their set lists.

THANKS, AL
In high school, the brothers were blessed to have Al Sulak as a band director. Al has his own band, Al Sulak and the Country Sounds, which has kept the dance floor full for over 30 years with their unique blend of country and polkas. After graduation, Mark started attending college in Wharton as a music major. However, the blackland under his fingernails, spoke to him and he got
a degree in agriculture-business at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University), and came back home to farm with his father. After 12 years and a bad back, Mark decided to change careers. A local financial institution was looking for a person with a background in agriculture and business. Mark fit the bill perfectly, and soon had a day job, but still farmed in the evenings.
      John entered the music program at the University of Houston and achieved a Master’s Degree in Music with an emphasis on piano performance. In addition to his academic musical training, John acquired an excellent education in Czech music from working as an accompanist/recording
engineer with the East Bernard Czech Singers under the direction of Martha Viktorin. He received lessons on the Czech language in song and how to use the most commonly used lyrics and melodies to make their music even more authentic.

CZECH KARMA
The brothers never started out to make playing music an integral part of their lives, but other forces were at work. In the mid 1980s, Mark had been sitting in on bass guitar with Al Sulak’s band. John had been playing more frequent solo gigs, but injured his hand, so Mark, who had been learning the bass guitar, stepped in. They found that they made a pretty good duo, but they still just played small events.
      Their confidence increased when John temporarily lost his voice and the vocal duties were all Mark’s, giving him even more singing experience. The Bleiblerville (south of Brenham) Fish Fry offered them a paying gig and The Dujka Brothers premiered to the general public at this fun little gathering. As the bookings increased, KULP polka disc jockey B.J. Sablatura began encouraging the brothers to make a cassette of their favorite songs. They returned to their roots and recorded their first cassette, At the Dance, in the Tavener house that they grew up in.
      After completion, marketing wasn’t a problem, as both B.J. and Bobby Jones played them on their KULP shows. Their version of The Hills of Shiner Polka was the first song that the brothers heard on the radio, giving them pause to think that maybe that there is a chemistry between them.
      The song and cassette were received by the public like a fresh batch of kolaches right out of the oven. From then on the brothers never looked back. A total of 11 recordings followed including the just released Let’s Have a Party: The Dujka Brothers 30th Anniversary CD. John has
returned the KULP favor by having his own weekly polka show, which carries on the tradition of playing requests and helping new bands get exposure.

THANKS, FANS!
The Dujkas have always been very thankful for their fans, and the liner notes on their releases have, whenever space allowed, included English translations of the Czech songs. Just prior to completing the Road to St. John, famed musician and disc jockey Lee Roy Matocha passed away. Lee Roy had geographically extended the brothers’ fan base by playing their songs on his show based in La Grange with syndication on other stations in Brenham, Columbus, and Gonzales. The brothers went back into the studio and recorded a tribute medley to Lee Roy.
      The brothers have never had an actual band. In the beginning, John utilized a drum machine to back his personal piano playing. When Mark joined his brother, he brought saxophone, guitar, and bass instruments, so the drum machine was still used. As the duo began performing at larger venues like the St. John picnic (continuous appearances since July 1987), John brought in his laptop computer to produce a fuller sound. Mark and John would record all the necessary parts (tuba, sax, drum, guitars) themselves to be played later, as if there were five or six Dujka brothers. This writer remembers a St. John picnic, in the last century, where some of the old timers would walk around the stage looking for all the extra musicians they were hearing. John said that they never really talked about having a full band, and looking back, they adopted a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” attitude, which sounds like a song that needs to be written.

PIVO & TAMALES
Speaking of song writing, the Dujkas have contributed a lot of new music to the polka and waltz world. John collaborated with Daniel Klapuch and Mark Hermes on the FM 959 anthem, Moon Over Moravia, which helped put Henrietta and Frankie’s store on the map. Light-hearted songs such as Out Behind the Barn, Grandpa Got Drunk at the St. John Picnic, and Pivo and Kolaches, Cerveza and Tamales not only tell of rural culture, but are just plain fun to sing and dance to.
John said the Pivo song came about when there seemed to a large number of Hispanics in his music classes. (He is a music professor at Blinn College.) He got to thinking about the similarity
between his Czech traditional polkas/culture and the Tejano traditional polkas/culture. A song was born.
      By the early 1990s, The Dujka Brothers were averaging 75 gigs per year. That’s performing once every five days while holding down day jobs. John has been a professor of music at Blinn College in Brenham since 1990. Mark marked his 10th year in the banking business helping farmers and ranchers of his home territory keep the tradition going, and has helped transition his family farm into a cattle business.
      The Dujka Brothers strive to keep the music vibrant and speak to the heritage of their forefathers. That is never more evident than in their latest CD, which was recorded, where they
began, in their parent’s home. The CD is a great mixture of old and new tunes including Church Picnic Polka and Seven Step Polka so you can practice shouting HEY! at home.

Accordion Cowboy Chris Rybak Says Na zdraví, Y'all!

By Gary E. McKee

Chris Rybak, a Hallettsville native, was surrounded by music from day one, as he was born into the sounds of his father's band, the Leroy Rybak's Swinging Orchestra, a fixture on the polka scene for over 40 years. Leroy’s wife, Joyce, and toddler Chris were also fixtures at most of Leroy's gigs around the Polka Belt. Chris would hop up on stage playing a plastic trumpet. When he reached the advanced age of six, he started learning music by ear on a small keyboard.

By the ripe old age of 12, Chris received his first accordion and soon played solo at a family event. (Chris still has this $50 accordion and considers it his most prized of his collection of more than 20 accordions.) Playing several instruments with his father's band through junior high school, Chris joined the Hallettsville High School marching band, and was the first student to play an accordion. The highlight of the halftime show was when he and the bass player would play a brief solo (using a new, state-of-the-art wireless sound system). They always received a standing ovation.

When it came time to graduate, the school counselor asked Chris what direction he wanted to take his life. “Music,” he said without hesitating. The counselor suggested he think about pursuing a different career, and perhaps later in life he could play music. Heeding this sage advice, Chris worked in a print shop for a very short period of time before taking a giant leap of faith to follow his passion and become a fulltime musician at the age of 18.

“There was no guaranteed paycheck to pay for gas to the next gig, no guarantee of anything except the concept of focusing on the music and my audience,” Chris said.

Julius Tupa, founder of the Texas Polka News and the Texas Polka Music Association, saw the potential, as he awarded Chris the TPMA New Horizon Award in 1993.

With the basics of music firmly in hand, the next lesson he needed to master was the art of self promotion. At the Yoakum Country Opry, Chris brought along a box of 50 cassette tapes,
thinking he might be able to make gas money by selling them. He sold all 50. Lesson learned.

ONE-MAN BAND
Chris developed a one-man show, ready to "play at the opening of an envelope." This refers to working musicians’ daily gigs of performing at car dealerships, grocery stores, and other businesses that would hire popular entertainers to perform as a public draw. Most of these events happened during the 8 to 5 timeframe. Bob Wills and Adolph Hofner grew their fan base this way.

Chris said the most rewarding of these type of shows were performances at senior citizen centers. “It’s always a great deal of satisfaction to watch folks’ eyes light up and smiles spread across their faces as, maybe for the last time, they are hearing the Julida Polka sung in Czech, as they recollect dancing the night away decades ago,” he said.

Another facet of this solo life is the equipment needed to make it work. Chris, who has been playing a conventional accordion for 25 years can make a joyful sound, but to enhance the performance, a band was needed. In 2007, musical powers-to-be smiled upon Chris. Roland Music Corp. had just developed the first digital (electronic) accordion and was ready to unveil
it to the music industry at the next NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) convention, which was going to be held in Austin.

Roland located Chris through an Internet search. They offered him a "free" chance to own the first digital accordion. As with all things "free," there was a catch. He had three days to learn how to play this revolutionary instrument and then wow the music store owners at the
convention. Chris was successful, so successful that Roland made him an advisor and flew him to Italy to assist with the introduction and design of a new model.

The digital accordion has allowed Chris to have the sound of a back-up band while playing all music live, not a preprogrammed music track. Life with Roland has been very good exposing
Chris to many different cultures as the company sends him and his accordion to venues throughout the U.S. and overseas. One of Chris’ proudest moments was to perform for the Czech Republic president, prime minister, and other government dignitaries.

POLKA PARTNERSHIPS
Chris has always been on the lookout for assistance in procuring gigs, and two of the most supportive have been John Hybner and Jimmy Mauric, past and present brewmasters of the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner. “These guys and all of the staff at Shiner have always helped
promote my music,” Chris said. He showed his gratitude with a CD called Shiner Time, produced in 2010.

The Shiner Time song features a chorus recorded at the brewery with Shiner staff singing along, “Well, we’re drinking beer in Shiner, Texas. The party’s here, so drink one with us. We’ve all got friends in Shiner, Texas. The party never ends when you’re drinking with us.”

Chris has also reached out for collaboration with other artists, the most notable being his friendship with conjunto accordionist Santiago Jimenez Jr. The duo has toured on educational
jaunts and heritage festivals, and collaborated on a CD – Two Kings of Accordion, recorded in 2012. The Czech-Mex tracks take turns featuring Czech classics like Clarinet Polka, and conjunto favorites, like Viva Seguin Polka, written by Santiago Sr.

ZICKE ZACKE ZICKE ZACKE HOI! HOI! HOI!
Chris’ brand of “let’s get everyone together to dance, drink some pivo, and have a good time,” fits in well with festival entertainment. He is a much sought-after performer at festivals that
promote all kinds of heritage – Czech (Westfest in West, Kolache Festival in Caldwell), German (Oktoberfest in Fredericksburg, German Heritage Festival in Tomball, where Chris has his own party stage), Polish (Houston Polish Festival), Tejano (Big Bang Salsa Fest in Three Rivers), and Cajun (Fiddlers Frolics in Hallettsville).

The latter had hometown boy Chris headlining Cajun Night this year. “My family always went to this event and my dad would say, ‘One day, you’re going to play here.’ He didn’t get a chance to see me play (his father passed away in 2012), but I think he had a hand from above in getting me in the lineup,” Chris said. He debuted his latest CD Cajun Baby at this year’s festival. It features the song Going to Hallettsville, which tells the story of going to the Fiddlers Frolics.

Chris has also been a mainstay at the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville at the Arborhaus Biergarten since 2005. He was the first and only accordionist there for a while, although the fest now features other accordionists. He also brought his wireless mike to the
biergarten, which was frowned upon by other festival acts, wanting to remain true to the period and not introduce today’s technology. Chris reported most of the other stages now usewireless. “Yeah, we changed the landscape of the Ren Fest,” Chris joked.

Depending on the event, Chris recruits other musicians to round out his band. Mainstays include guitarist Marvin Kremling, who played in Leroy’s band, and drummer Jonathan Statsky.
Of course, Chris’ wife of 16 years, Edita, also joins in on vocals, offering authentic pronunciation of Czech lyrics since she hails from Slovakia. Chris also brings in brass, reeds, tuba, fiddle – whatever is needed to keep the polka party going.

TAKING THE PARTY ACROSS THE POND
Chris and Edita have added another dimension to their entertainment business by organizing European tours for their fans. Since 2008, they have taken music fans overseas 14 times, and
this past September took travelers to Europe for a tour of Italy, Vatican, Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic. On February 12-19, 2017, they will host a Valentine Polka Cruise to Belize, Cozumel, and Mahogany Bay with several polka dances scheduled. On May 1-15, 2017, Chris and Edita will host another Mediterranean cruise tour; their first was held earlier this year. “It was so popular, we decided to do it again,” Edita said. Many polka fans have toured with the couple more than once. “It’s just a great time and the people you meet on the tour become lifelong
friends,” said Dennis Pustejovsky of the Waco area.

“It’s great when we go to an event like the Praha Picnic and see a group of people who have toured with us. They immediately raise their drinks and greet us with ‘Na zdraví,’ because we are always toasting to each other’s health (with slivovitz) on our tours,” Edita said.

CONTINUING THE RYBAK TRADITION
In the spring of 2011, Chris became the proud father of a beautiful daughter, Kristina Nicole, who is already walking in her father's bootsteps. She is showing much interest in music and has even appeared in national newspapers and television programs, such as the Mollie B Polka Party and early morning news programs.

Chris Rybak is an excellent example of the American Dream, a small-town kid who stuck by his accordion, and followed it halfway around the world many times. Looking back, Chris said he
wouldn’t change a thing. “I think back to those who said, ‘You’ll never make a living playing accordion.’ I’m glad I didn’t listen,” he said.

This writer wonders if he has ever played Frank Sinatra's immortal (I did it) My Way.

Chris' CDs are available in the Polka On! Store.

Everyone Scream! Carl Finch Is a Polka Hall of Famer!

By Gary E. McKee
As reported in the August 2016 issue of Texas Polka News 

Brave Combo (BC) is one of the most accurately named bands in the music scene today. Leader and founder Carl Finch has been taking his musical cronies into little known realms of
rhythm without fear of repercussion for 37 years. To illustrate the progress he has made, Carl was recently inducted into the International Polka Association Hall of Fame, where he joins 2016 inductees Stanley "Stas" Golonka, Dean Hansen, Richard Midura, and Don Jodlowski (posthumously).

"I'm beyond the most outside person, I think," Carl said. "Most people [in the Polka Hall of Fame] grew up in some household where polka was a way of life, and [their] family has played for generations." Carl said that there are not any musicians in his family, and that music wasn't a major facet of his home life.

UNBELIEVABLE HONOR
Carl wasn't expecting to be named as an inductee. "I couldn't believe it," he said. "I could look at tangible markers in my career that tell me I achieved what I wanted as an artist." Some markers include marching in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, playing the Lincoln Center and next night, CBGB, a famous punk rock club in New York City. Brave Combo has earned Grammys, performed in movies, written and performed television show soundtracks, been
animated in a couple of episodes of The Simpsons, and Bob Dylan covered one of their songs, to give a short list.

Carl continued, "I look at all of these things, but the Hall of Fame means that my adventure through this art - polka - has now been not only recognized, but lauded by people who
have been doing this forever."

All sounds like a great musical resume. But marching in Macy's parade? BC had been performing as a wandering polka band at the Texas State Fair for several years, when they
got several gigs in New York over Thanksgiving weekend in the mid 1980s. On a whim, Carl contacted Macy's Parade officials and asked if they needed another marching band. All they could say was "No", right? Carl sent in a demo tape, Macy's accepted, and they were playing polka in the parade behind the Woody Woodpecker balloon and in front of Dionne Warwick's float.

BC had a wandering gig at the State Fair for 10 years until October fests filled their schedule. But this year, they're back. BC will be headlining the main stage on Thurs., Oct. 6. "We get to bring polka awareness to the state fair," Carl said.

DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Growing up in Texarkana, and attending Texas High, might have shaped Carl into a person that can see both sides of musical composition. Texarkana is a city that the Texas/Arkansas state line literally runs through the courthouse and down the main drag. The Arkansas side of the street is lined with honky-tonks and the Texas side has a lot of churches. This environment might have influenced Carl to start polkasizing rock-n-roll songs.

In extreme northeast Texas, polka was nonexistent. In the late 1970s, Carl had been collecting 45s and albums while learning about different music genres. Venturing into the local Woolworth's, Carl distinctly remembers it was on the left hand side just at you entered,
and there it was, a large stack of polka albums for sale REAL cheap. Not sure what polka sounded like, he bought them all. (Remember, they were REAL cheap. Us record collectors
understand.)

Dragging his growing record collection to college in Denton, he studied graphic design, art, and music. Figuring the best way to combine his talents was to form a band. While attempting to figure out which direction to take his music, the Texarkana influence kicked in and he started listening to his polka LP stash more closely, discovering a whole new world of rhythms and musical textures that felt authentic and was nowhere near mainstream music.

"I wanted to present polka in a way that wasn't stereotypical of the genre during the band's growth in the '80s," Carl said. "Accordion in rock music was unheard of, much less popular. I
was confused about why polka music was always the butt of the joke - why it was always the music that people would use to sell beer and sausage."

POLKA WAS THE ANSWER
The move away from guaranteed gigs (as long as you could play Proud Mary and Wooly Bully, you got paid) gave birth to the name Brave Combo as they began attempting to recreate what they heard on these albums Woolworth's couldn't sell. Attempting to recreate these rhythms was difficult as they were clueless on the music itself, which was mostly Polish polkas. This accounts for early BC songs having a real fast beat, which over the years Carl said was slowed down to the "peppy" speed of today.

After feeling secure in their musical abilities, BC took a gamble in restructuring worshipped, traditional music and then rebuilding it as something new and refreshing. This theory was applied to all genres. This writer's favorite Christmas album is BC's It's Christmas Man!
composed of new strains of standard music, such as a cha-cha version of O Holy Night. But their version of Ave Maria is played so reverently that you can smell the incense and hear the
priests chanting in a huge cathedral.

"I have always said, 'Nothing is sacred, and everything is sacred,'" Carl said, channeling the Texas side of Texarkana. "We've never done these things to mock the music. It has never
been a joke to us."

When BC turns loose on polka standards such as Beer Barrel Polka (Arkansas side of Texarkana) it is pedal-to-the-floor intensity. BC's mission has also been to expose their followers to the different styles of music from around the globe, such as Skokiaan, a 1950s SouthAfrican song about making bootleg liquor. It has been previously recorded by Louis Armstrong, Bill Haley, and Herb Alpert. Carl has interpreted musical voices from Japanese pop to zydeco to multiple Latin rhythms. A critic noted while attending a BC gig, "You might come for the party, but you will leave with an education."

Carl said that one main goal of his band's music is to "destroy people's misconceptions about what's cool in music."

TIP OF THE HAT
Carl said he was something of an outsider from the get-go. He has been a vegetarian for years and mostly abstinent when it comes to alcohol (Texas side of Texarkana). As BC climbed the ladder of success and started logging lots of festival invitations, his diet and non-drinking ways might have irritated the hospitality folks at events that tend to celebrate beer and bratwurst.

When on a bill with Tejano bands, Carl said, "It's a complicated thing, but I wanted
to be part of it (Tejano festivals) even though I knew someone was going to want to go eat cabrito at some point."

That funky red top hat that Carl has been wearing for several years is the only fashion statement that he makes on stage. For years, he wore a black T-shirt and black jeans so as not to distract from the music. When he decided to brighten up his stage dress, he hit the jackpot when he found his "fab" red hat at a costume supply shop in Denton.

The very first weekend he wore it was at a gig in Odessa, Texas. Several weeks later, while performing in Las Vegas, he was standing in a long line waiting for a taxi when a voice
boomed from across the street, "YOU GUYS WERE GREAT IN ODESSA!" The hat and BC music had made an impression on at least one Texian.

One last BC story. Westfest, held in the town of West, Texas, is a bastion of Czech polka and waltz music. The festival oozes authentic Czech music like peach filling from a kolache. BC
has been the house band for over 30 years. 'I asked the booking agent for an opportunity to play and told him they didn't have to pay us," Carl recalled. "We just needed a chance to play in front of a real polka crowd."

They were given a corner of a small tent. After the first set, the crowd kept growing. When
their time was up, the crowd refused to let them quit and passed the hat around and came up with $100, and the rest is history.

"My life continues to surprise and confuse me," Carl said, speaking over the phone while standing on his patio - or, as he likes to call it, his "catio" or patio for cats. "I'm amazed that I've made enough money with Brave Combo that we could build this really nice patio for our cats."

The IPA's acknowledgement of Carl and his music is a refreshing acceptance of the diversification of polka. The induction ceremonies will be conducted at the association's Polka Hall of Fame & Music Awards Banquet on Sat., Sept. 3 in Buffalo, New York. Unfortunately, Carl won't be able to attend. That's Westfest weekend! The banquet is part of the 48th Annual IPA Polka Festival and Convention. For more information, visit ipapolkas.com.

Read Congrats Carl! from fellow polka lovers.

Encore Time: Schroeder Hall Reopens!

By Gary E. McKee

Schroeder Hall, the legendary South Central Texas dance hall, built in the late 1800s, has reopened its doors after a brief respite and will be featuring Chris Rybak, on Saturday, July 16. Schroeder, still owned by Doug Guller, Austin-based restaurant and dancehall owner, has a new manager, Corrine Abbott. Corrine is a native of El Campo, and has a degree in food and beverage management from the University of Houston. She has brought her Wharton County roots to Schroeder and is presently booking polka bands to perform on a regular basis. In between polkas, the hall will be appealing to different genres of Texas music - contemporary country, Red-Dirt Country, indie rock and nationally recognized touring acts.

          On November 19th, all cattle trails and roads will lead to the hall as Schroederfest will commence a day-long celebration of BBQ cookoffs, adult beverages (full bar), vendors, singing in the courtyard with Jon Stork, and culminating with The Charlie Daniels Band that evening.

          As the cooler months come around, Marty Haggard and Kevin Fowler will perform on the same stage that has seen a variety of legends. Bob Wills, Adolph Hofner, George and Tammy, Jimmy Heap, Roy Clark, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Larry Joe Taylor, and Robert Earl Keen top the long list of music heroes.

          Chris, the Accordion Cowboy, is a natural fit for this venue as it resides in the early Spanish ranching grants that date back to the late 1700s. Cattle were driven from this area to Louisiana to feed the Spanish forces fighting the British during the American Revolution.

          As the cattle industry evolved and German/Czech immigrants migrated south, many of them found work on the Tex/Mex ranches and brought their music with them. They began jamming with their Mexican co-workers (Nortiño music) and the blending of the two musical cultures produced a unique sound (Tejano). The accordion-driven Tejano music was absorbed by Tex/Mex/Czech musicians such as Santiago Jimenez, Johnny Rodriguez, and Adolph Hofner.

          Chris' influences have been a combination of Myron Floren and the Jimenez brothers – Flaco and Santiago – with a strong Hank Williams flavor.

          This Slavic/Hispanic sound will be channeled by Chris in this old hall (now air-conditioned) that has its roots in a community that was once named Germantown. During World War I, the name was changed to a little less Teutonic-sounding name, Schroeder, which was in honor of a resident killed fighting the Germans in Europe.

          Visit schroederhall.com for the soon-to-be weekly dance and event schedule at one of the last vestiges of Texas rambling dancehalls. Also appearing in July are Jake Worthington on the 9th; George Navarro on the 23rd; and Jarrod Birmingham on the 30th.

          Schroeder Hall is roughly between Goliad and Victoria and has a self-contained RV park across the road for those travelers who wish to stay the night and explore this history-filled area of Texas.

It's a Free For All!

Accordion Wrestling
By Gary E. McKee

The Hot Peppers: (L-R) Bill Seim, Bob Ascott, Rambie Briggs, Rollie Revering at the 2014 Free-For-All./CTAA photo

The Central Texas Accordion Association will host its 15th annual Accordion Free-For-All, Tuesday, June 7, at 7 pm. The program is being held in the Lamar Senior Activity Center on 2874 Shoal Crest Ave, Austin.

          The crowd-pleasing program features 10 to 12 accordionists who are given approximately 10 minutes each to showcase their skills, as well as one or two accordion bands. This year's event will feature special guest Chris Rybak, the Accordion Cowboy. All genres of music, such as country and western, big band, polkas, and European styles will possibly be performed. Some accordionists perform solo and some have a rhythmic backing musician.

          "We also have had yodelers, singers, concertinas, diatonic accordions, and piano accordions, says CTAAA President Rollie Revering. "Musicians of various talent levels play while still keeping close to a professional level. And of course, a jester of some kind to bring a few laughs.

         The CTAA, 40 members strong, meets monthly at Casa Chapala Mexican Restaurant for programs and jams. The Association was a sponsor of the Texas Folklife's Big Squeeze Contest promoting youth accordion skills and is a chapter of the National Accordion Association.

          Remember June is National Accordion Month so come on down to see what all this squeezing is about.

Sing a Czech Song

By Gary E. McKee

With flood threats and warnings abounding, this writer questioned the wisdom of attending a function being held in a basement. But this wasn't any underground shelter, it was the Texas Capitol Extension Auditorium in Austin. Descending into this secure, dry, beautiful labyrinth, it was surprising the number of tourists visiting this hallowed building on such an ominous day.

          The reason for this journey was to attend the presentation of Varied and Vibrant Sources of the Czech Song in Texas  – a lecture/demo by accordionists and music scholars Frances Barton and Dr. John Novak in support of their forthcoming book. Frances and John have been compiling a collection of folk and popular songs of Czech Texas for several years and are nearing completion of their project. The finished songbook (late 2016) will contain 90 songs familiar to most people in the Texas Czech community and will include the music, chords, Czech lyrics, English translations, English lyrics if there are any, and historical and folkloric information on each song.

          The presentation, attended by over 125 enthusiastic souls, featured the origin of six popular songs, Julida Polka, Shiner Song, Wedding Song, Beer Barrel Polka, and two others. After a history of each song, Frances and/or John would perform the song on their accordions with the audience chiming in singing in either Czech or English. Those needing a little help on words could read the lyrics from a huge screen in the back of the stage. On several selections, Frances' daughter, Jubilee, accompanied Frances and John on the singing of songs in Czech. The mother/daughter harmonizing spellbound the audience.

          The event was offered in conjunction with the multi-media exhibition Texas Czechs: Rooted in Tradition, which is currently on display at the Capitol Visitors Center (112 E. 11th Street in Austin ) in Austin through June 11, 2016. It was produced by the nonprofit organization PolkaWorks and co-curated by Texas Czechs Lori Najvar and Dawn Orsak. It is being presented at the CVC by the State Preservation Board.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, June 11, for Big Czechs, Little Czechs, an afternoon of family activities that features food, language, kroj, music, and dance. The event will be held from 1-4 pm.

Bobby Lee's Nightriders

By Gary E. McKee

Almost 40 years ago, a group of four young men from Port Lavaca decided to try their hand at making traditional country music with a little rock and roll flavoring. Bobby Lee, Bill Elliott, Donnie Hons, and Joel Nava formed a band known as The Bobby Lee Nightriders. Their ages were rather interesting. Bobby was almost 40 and Bill was 33, while Donnie and Joel were still in high school. This age split proved fruitful as the older two were very familiar with the 1950s country music and rockabilly sound, and the two “kids” brought a fresh sound to the band and broadened the fan base.

Always a Singer

Bobby can remember always singing. As a child in the pre-seatbelt days, he remembers standing on the car seat going down the road singing along with his parents. Bobby’s other music lesson involved him and his uncle riding horses through the pastures singing duets.

In 1955, Bobby enrolled at the University of Texas. The first day he walked into his dorm room he spied a guitar leaning against the wall. It was love at first sight, “I’m gonna learn to play that guitar,” he thought. His new roommate, the owner of the guitar, taught him some chords and Bobby spent all his spare time humming On Top of Old Smokey and playing chords.

After becoming confident in the basics of guitar, his roommate, who was from Bermuda, suggested that they form a calypso group. This was during the calypso craze that was sweeping the country; Harry Belafonte’s Banana Boat Song (Day O!) was high on the charts. With the name Calypso Islanders they sharpened their chops by playing continuously on campus and nearby clubs. In 1957, an opportunity to audition to appear on Arthur Godfrey’s national talent show arose and they won. The Calypso Islanders loaded themselves into a car and took off for New York City. It was a great road trip, to say the least. They came in second place losing to a sound effects guy.

Reality Strikes

Bobby put his dreams of being a musician aside as he pursued the almighty dollar by working at a refinery in Port Lavaca. At a wedding reception a friend asked him to get up on stage and sing with the band. He did a Hank Williams song, and then was urged to do several more. The next day at work he mentioned it to his co-worker Bill Elliott. Bill said he played electric guitar and suggested that maybe they should start a band. However, they didn’t know any other working musicians. Then Bill remembered this guy, Donnie Hons, who played bass in his church band. Donnie agreed and then enlisted his buddy, Joel Nava who could play drums.

After a few months of rehearsals and getting to know each other musically, they scored a gig at Bea’s Keg Room in Port Lavaca that held approximately 30 people. Setting up in a corner, Bobby Lee’s Nightriders began playing Thursday nights, passing the tip jar around. 
Performing to a small audience helped them work out the kinks in the band that would only happen when playing live. Their sound kept getting better and the audience was bringing friends to hear them. Soon they had built a following as an up-and-coming band. Offers to play at public events such as street dances, weddings, fundraisers, grand opening, etc., were soon pouring in and the band played frequently. Donnie and Joel were still in high school, which Donnie said made it difficult to stay awake during first period English class on Mondays. He must have learned something in that English class as he can write a heck of a song. 

Nightriders Arrive

Somewhere along the way local dancehall promoters took notice of the popularity of the Nightriders, particularly when they hired a piano player, which greatly enhanced and broadened their set list. By 1978, with Bobby Lee on acoustic rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Bill on lead electric guitar, Donnie on bass, Joel on drums, and Bobby Smith on piano; the Bobby Lee Nightriders took the reins as the country band to hire in the Gulf Coast area.

An ad in the Victoria Advocate in 1978, announced a dance sponsored by the Young Homemakers of Calhoun County with the Bobby Lee Night Riders at the KC Hall in Port Lavaca, $2.50 admission. The Music Box at Six Mile (between Victoria and Port Lavaca) was a honky tonk where the Nightriders played regularly along with area polka bands. The Country Inn and the Sons of Herman Hall in Da Costa were frequent venues for the band. The Silver Wings Ballroom in El Campo hosted 1500 folks scooting their boots to the band, which played both country and rock and roll. In the first two years, the band managed to squeeze out two records between playing every weekend.

1980s Shuffle

By 1980, family obligations forced Bill Elliott to retire from the constant touring. Bobby Jay Vickery, an ace guitarist, stepped in with some electronics that mimicked a pedal steel guitar which sweetened the band’s sound and they continued on wracking up large attendance figures. Soon they were able to afford (Mickey) Gilley’s Recording Studio to produce their third album.

In the beginning of 1982, Donnie and Joel had decided to splinter off and form their own band, The Nightriders.

Bobby Lee changed his band’s name to Country Touch and kept on playing for 18 more years before retiring to focus on his day job.

Donnie has continued playing with numerous bands in the area, recording and pitching his songs to record companies. He recently recorded the Church Picnic Polka that has received favorable airplay in Central Texas.

Joel Nava came from behind the drums to be signed as a vocalist for the Arista Texas Country/Latin label. Releasing several critically acclaimed albums, he now focuses on producing and writing while periodically performing with his band, The Border.

In 2013, all members of the band reunited at the Da Costa hall for a reunion show. The crowd was so enthusiastic and the “ retired” musicians had such a great time that they have had quarterly reunion performances since then.

This Is Where the Cowboy Rides Away

Bobby Lee said that his final gig will be at Da Costa Hall, December 31, 2015, however, the remaining original members have vowed to continue performing in 2016, and carry on the legacy that Bobby created four decades ago. The original journey is coming to an end. But, no one has to ask, is another journey beginning? As for this writer, I sincerely hope so.
I would like to thank Donnie Hons for his assistance in this article.

Now Showing: The Pettit Brothers

CD Review
By Gary E. McKee

Fifty years in the making! After playing music together since they were knee high to a ukulele, The Pettit Brothers (TPB) have released their first full-length studio CD.  Backed by a seasoned group of studio musicians the TPB takes listeners on a journey from a mournful country blues ballad to a rollicking, buck-dancing bluegrass party, with a stop off at a honky tonk for a couple of cold ones to ease the pain of lost love.

White Freight Liner Blues: TPB captures the driving bluegrass feel of this song while the fiddle and guitar signals the wide open highway. Lonnie’s voice while not attempting the high notes that Townes Van Zandt sometimes attempted, captures the weariness and restlessness of the man going out on the highway to listen the big trucks whine and haul away his mind from his troubles.

Driving Nails in My Coffin: This is Ernest Tubb’s 1944 ode to excessive beer consumption over the loss of a woman. The steady lockstep of Brian Lux’s stand-up bass and drummer Terry Kirkendall pushes the band along in a delightful gallop, while steel guitarist Nathan Fleming’s prowess on old-school steel provides a counterpoint to the gallop. Lonnie is picking his mandolin as only Lonnie can.

Hold Watcha Got: TPB’s rendition of a song recounting an attempt to rekindle a relationship captures the feel of the ‘King of Bluegrass” Jimmie Martin’s original recording. Sean Orr’s fiddle kicks off a shuffle punctuated by the rhythm system allowing Darryl Pettit’s self-assured plea to his woman to wait for him to come back home to wring true.

Why You Been Gone So Long: A relatively new song written by Micky Newberry begins with Brian’s thumping bass drawing the rest of the band into a bouncy song with Darryl’s inquiring twang and Larry Wilson’s guitar plucking.

I Still Miss Someone: TPB takes you back to Johnny Cash’s lament from the 1950s, as Lonnie’s sad regret of a love lost brings a tear to your eye and the need for a beer for it to fall into. Wilson’s interpretation of Luther Perkin’s signature spare guitar work does the job quite nicely.

Trouble in Mind: TPB’s rendition of this 1924 blues song is given the bluegrass treatment with Lonnie’s mandolin complementing Darry’s weary, yet hopeful lyrics.

Dark Hollow: An old-school bluegrass song about a fellow who would rather be anywhere else besides the now empty house that his woman left him in. Sean’s fiddle and George Carver’s harmonica add sparkle to this sad song.

Way Downtown: Doc Watson’s classic bluegrass song with Sean’s inspiring “hoedown” fiddle break ties in with Darryl’s strong guitar work in this fun song.

‘Til the Coast is Clear: Hal Ketchum/Fred Koller’s song of a honky-tonk with all the ingredients of the drinking, smoking, and marital misdeeds associated with them. Carver’s gorgeous resonator guitar with Sean’s relaxed, yet precise fiddling sets the stage for this cheatin’ song.

You Done Me Wrong: Sean’s unique voice and the band’s true to the original Cajun arrangement makes it hard to miss this song by two guys named Ray Price and George Jones. Larry Wilson’s rhythm playing keeps this jaunty song bouncing along.

Bottom Dollar: Lonnie’s vocal captures the feeling of a guy who is down to pocket change, but it’s not the first time, and he realizes it’s his own doing. Nathan Fleming’s steel guitar licks echoes the vocals familiar weariness on this Billy Joe Shaver classic.

Old Home Place: Lonnie’s declaration of self-sorrow over what his life has become after his woman run off closes out this fulfilling band of songs.  This 1970s bluegrass classic is given a faithful treatment by the whole band as Lonnie’s voice carries the song like the geese fly south and the wind blows cold.

You can see and hear TPB almost every Wednesday night at Sengelmann’s Saloon in Schulenburg, and weekends playing in honky tonks from Austin to Houston. For a schedule, buying the CD, and more, check out pettitbrothers.com.

Brothers in Harmony

By Gary E. McKee

L-R: Brian Lux, Darryl Pettit, Sean Orr, Lonnie Pettit, Jim Schubert, and Chase Hrncir @ High Hill Store, Oct. 31, 2015./McKee photo

Lonnie and Darryl Pettit’s childhood wasn’t exactly the Partridge family, but Momma Pettit had a voice that was as crystal clear as Joan Baez’s and like the Johnny Cash song, Daddy played bass, and little brother, Garrett, and sister, Kari, joined right in to fill their house with music.

Lonnie and Darryl Pettit grew up in a family that cherished music. Their parents, Bill and Betty, were active members of the folk music circuit in the late 1950s and early 1960s and hosted in their home many of the touring coffeehouse circuit folkies. The touring professionals would give lessons to the whole Pettit family starting all the younger Pettits on their musical journey. Garrett became a respected member of the Houston stage musical scene, and Kari became a music teacher and the mother of The Ginn Sisters, a critically acclaimed national touring act.

What? No Amp?
When the family relocated to the Navidad River bottom in High Hill near Schulenburg, their acoustic sound was an anomaly among the local Czech/German music culture. The few rock and rollers then couldn’t figure out why they still played acoustic string instruments and didn’t plug in into amplifiers.

          After high school Lonnie and Darryl played in numerous bands, both singularly and together around Houston. Darryl sharpened his acoustic six-string picking skills with the Broken String Band, the traveling house band for the Chelsea Street Pub chain that had locations throughout Texas and neighboring states. Meanwhile, Lonnie focused on his mandolin skills and for several years, Lonnie played in a band called Rooster Junction at resorts in the Cayman Islands. The brothers reunited and did a three-year stint at one of the most unusual clubs in Houston. This was Los Truncos, a giant, multileveled enclosed tree house. The Pettits would move from branch to branch performing at each table, which was on a separate level from the others. If anyone went to Sam’s Boat on Richmond in Houston in the early 1980s, The Corona Beach Band was an institution there for six years with Lonnie’s voice serenading the crowd. For the next decade and a half, the Pettit brothers, played hundreds of weddings and parties in the Central Texas area.                

Jammin' at Momma's
In the mid-1990s, the Pettit family began holding a Wednesday evening jam session at Momma’s Pizza, which is in the Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg. Local musicians soon began stopping by and it rapidly became the place to hear good acoustic traditional music. When younger brother Garrett began managing Sengelmann Hall, a great opportunity opened up. The Wednesday night Momma’s jam did a chord progression to the lower level stage of Sengelmann’s. Great live music, plenty of room, and great food came together to make Sengelmann’s Saloon a weekly oasis for the music lovers in the surrounding counties. As the weekly jam progressed into the new millennium, a core group, who now make up The Pettit Brothers Band emerged playing tight, extremely danceable old school country

          This ensemble consists of Darryl, Lonnie, Jim Schubert, Chase Hrncir, Brian Lux, Sean Orr, with special guests stopping by on a regular basis. 

Meet the Pettit Band
Jim Schubert, based in Austin, has been playing mandolin music over the Southern United States, embracing different styles of mandolin, jazz, and rockabilly to name a couple, in addition to standard bluegrass and all infused with a tinge of the blues, the basis of all American music.

Chase Hrncir, from Moravia, Texas, Lonnie’s protégé, has been playing mandolin for six years, learning from Lonnie and others at the weekly jam.

Anchoring the drummerless band, is a bass fiddle, Brian Lux, who has deep family roots in Schulenburg. Brian has been a musician for over three decades. While attending Texas A&M he discovered that the stand-up bass was to be his instrument of choice. In his life’s travels, he found there was always a need for a good bass man, whether it was rockabilly, rock and roll, jump, jazz, country, or swing. Brian has played them all quite well, and returning to his family’s home, has been with the band for three years.

Widening the Pettit Brothers sound is Sean Orr, from Bastrop, who has spent decades playing fiddle and guitar in a multitude of bands and different styles. He has played Texas style fiddle at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., and is an expert on getting the “twang” out of his electric guitar to replicate the honky tonk sound. In addition to Texas fiddle, he honors his Celtic heritage by playing intense Irish fiddle in Sean Orr’s Kick Ass Irish Band.

The band has been touring Central Texas playing several nights a week with a recent return engagement in New Orleans. Even more recently they filled the dance floor at the kick-off party for the Second Annual Festival of Texas Fiddling sponsored by Texas Folklife and Texas Dance Hall Preservation. Check out the band’s schedule and buy the CD at www.pettitbrothers.com, or better yet, come see them live!

La Bahia Turn Verein to Host Fiddle Fest

By Gary E. McKee
From November 2015 issue of Texas Polka News

If you were to drive by the beautiful, wooden dancehall between Carmine and Burton on the old La Grange-Burton highway (SH 237) on any Wednesday evening you would see a dozen or more cars parked under the massive live oaks. If curiosity compelled you to stop and stick your head in the door, you would see several tables with groups of four people playing cards. The card game would be called Pitch, a trick-taking game that dates back to the 1800s.

This is not just a group of people who like to play cards. They are members of the La Bahia Turn Verein (pronounced TOORN-fair-ine), carrying on a 136-year-old tradition of promoting community social life. Founded on July 5, 1879, LBTV presently has 40 members, and is a branch of a national and state Turn Verein.

What Is a Turn Verein?
The failed 1848 Revolution in the over 40 dukedoms that made up Germany compelled many of the dissenters (Germans, Slavics, Hungarians) to evacuate Europe and seek asylum in the United States. One of the causes of the revolution was the belief that people that spoke the same language should be of one country, not the numerous separate kingdoms that constituted Germany. The model for this was the French Revolution that united all French speakers under a democratic government.

The German refugees brought to Texas many of their traditions, particularly the Vereins (a voluntary club of like-minded people.) The three main Vereins focused on music, target shooting, and physical fitness. These types of activities needed a home, which led to the building of physical structures such as the LBTV hall and many other similar social centers.

The gymnastic clubs (Turn Vereins), founded in Berlin in 1811, were the most blatantly political. Founder Freidrich Jahn adapted the word Turnen signifying the medieval order of knights and its intensely physical tournaments. The first Turn Verein had 200 members who performed gymnastics to increase their physical and mental strength, communal spirit, and character. They also undertook long marches by torchlight, practiced fencing, and crossbow shooting with military precision. By 1848, there were over 300 Turn Vereins with 90,000 members.

Texas Turn Vereins
In Texas, one of the earliest destinations of German immigrants was the fertile lands between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers and a hundred miles inland, roughly a triangle between present day Brenham, La Grange, and Sealy.

The La Bahia TurnVerein was founded with the purpose of “the physical and spiritual development of the members and the promotion of social life.” (FYI: the community’s name comes from the La Bahia Trail, which was previously the El Camino Real de los Tejas. There was a La Bahia German School about 4 miles away. The Brenham organization wasnamed the Alamo Turn Verein, and others had community names, such as Mill Creek and Round Top.)  

Amazingly, the bylaws and minutes of all the LBTV meetings since 1879 have been preserved. Originally, all transactions were written in “High German.” In 1943, the correspondence and minutes began being recorded in a German/English dialect, and in 1954, all the minutes were translated and recorded in English, signifying the decline of the population of German readers.

To join the LBTV, one had to be an 18-year-old male and have an unblemished reputation. A training period could be begun at the age of 15, if your father was a member. Then a two-thirds vote was necessary to be accepted. While physical exercise was a focal point, the hard-working farmers were generally too tired to go exercise and over the years all that was required was to do 12 chin-ups on the gymnastic bar to be a member. These bars are still in the hall.

Building and Rebuilding
Five years after organizing, the LBVT built a hall as a focal point for functions. Three years later, the hall burned, but within a month quarrymen were at work breaking rocks for the foundation on the new hall. The LBVT prospered, and on its 5th anniversary celebration they invited the Brenham fire department and a number of their “gallant fire ladies” who attended in full uniform.

Disaster struck again in 1901 as a suspicious fire destroyed the hall including, “music, library, fixtures, and furniture.”  The hall had been insured for $850 by Hanover Insurance of Hanover, Germany. That same day the verein met, voted to post a $100 reward for the arsonists, and to begin building a new hall. (Not sure if the arsonist was caught. Subsequent issues of the paper are missing.)

The 1902 hall was larger as attendance and membership had increased dramatically. In 1910, the LBTV celebrated another anniversary with a program that offered “all kinds of clean and healthful amusements” followed by a baseball game and then a grand ball.

Pentecost Day was observed in 1923 during which a Fayetteville Band provided music. Over the years, the hall was enlarged, out buildings constructed, heating, plumbing, and electricity installed until it reached its present state of simplistic grandeur.  

One of the cool upgrades was a bank of metal fans in the shape of airplanes that was installed in the early 1930s when the hall was electrified.

The Turn Verein has done an excellent job keeping this 114-year-old hall in fine shape. Various members have been instrumental in managing and guiding the hall over the years. At present, Roy and Carol Schmidt are coordinating ongoing efforts by the Turn Verein to keep everything painted, the immense roof from leaking, and the indoor plumbing functioning among myriad other tasks.

The list of bands that played the hall seems endless and contains the usual list of suspects, including the Bacas, Lee Roy Matocha, Kreneks, Hi Toppers, Blume’s Orchestra, the Original Triumphs, contemporary country bands, and the upcoming Fiddle Fest.

Buzzard's Roost view
Billy Koerth has been a LBTV member for over 50 years. As a trainee, it was his job to sweep the floor during intermissions at the dances. He remembers that there was a set of bleachers on the edge of the dance floor that was referred to as the Buzzard Roost. Dancers paid 50 cents admission and those who watched from the Roost paid a dime. All present members of the Verein agree that the hall was packed every time there was a dance.

Due to the great condition and beauty of the hall, it has become a favorite wedding reception and music event venue. The hall is booked with an event every weekend through March.

Let's Fiddle On!
This month, on Saturday, the 7th, the hall will be the scene of the Second Annual Festival of Texas Fiddling presented by Texas Folklife and Texas Dance Hall Preservation. The event kicks off Friday evening at 7 pm, with a party at nearby Airway Pavilion in Round Top. The Pettit Brothers from High Hill will provide the music for dancing.     

Next day, workshops and showcases will provide a full spectrum of fiddling including Texas Old Time, Texas Polish, Creole, and Tejano/Mexican style. The evening will swing to a close with a dance by the national award-winning Western Swing trio Hot Club of Cowtown. See schedule and buy tickets.

Well, if you're still standing in the doorway on that Wednesday night at the LBTV hall, several heads will turn away from the card tables and welcome you in. Roy will point out where to help yourself to liquid refreshments and snacks, and ask if you would like to join in on a game of Pitch. I know it worked for me.

Texasu Polski

By Gary E. McKee
From November 2015 issue of Texas Polka News

“The next song goes out to Bennie and Kathy Bronikowski: The Chappell Hill Special.” This dedication is a regular at many polka dances, however few dancers understand the significance of the song. The song gives a nod to the town of Chappell Hill, one of the approximately dozen Polish settlements in Texas, located between Brenham and Hempstead, Texas. 

In the mid-1800s Polish immigrants began to arrive in Texas. The primary areas of settlement were Panna Maria (southeast of San Antonio), Brenham, Bremond, and Chappell Hill to name a few. They brought their Catholic religion, culture, and music to the new world. Their Polish music, which is string-instrument based, has been handed down orally from generation to generation.

The original music typically consisted of a fiddle, a bowed bass, and an occasional clarinet. As time went by guitars, drums, and accordions were added. Brass horns were never fully accepted into Polish music as the popular feeling was that it Czechanized the music. This isn’t a negative comment on Czech music, it’s just that horns were not popular in the old country and they were protecting their roots.

The Polish Oberek is a traditional dance that can only be described as a real fast waltz with a lotta foot-stepping in a highly spirited fashion.

Regional Flavors
As with all music there are regional interpretations influenced by geography and politics both in the old country and new world. There are basically two flavors of Polish music in Texas. One is the Chappell Hill type, which infuses a rhythmic sound into the mix. The other is the Bremond style, which reflects the music that would be found in the villages of central and southern Poland.

A master of both flavors, Brian Marshall’s fiddle whips up a dance crowd with its distinct sound. What is constant in Polish music is the presence of a fiddle (or two or three) in Polish polkas. Brian commented, “All Poles play a fiddle, but some shouldn’t.”

Tradition dictated that a fiddler was hired for entertainment at functions and it was up to the fiddler to provide accompaniment.

Brian’s father was a guitar player in a band in the 1950s and ’60s that played mostly Country & Western music, but would bust into Polish music when the crowd was right.

His grandfather, Ed Marshall, was a fiddler in the 1940s and ’50s, but was equally well known for his stage presence as a Druszba (emcee) at Polish weddings and public events. 

It's a Family Tradition
In the tradition of a family band, Brian’s two teenaged sons, Jakub and Michal, have been performing with their father for years on clarinet and fiddle. At the Polish Festival in Bremond (June 26-27, 2015), Brian’s cousin, Ronnie Kasowski played guitar, and his son Jake, was thumping the bass fiddle. On drums was Chuck Bolin, who is married to a cousin, so it was truly a family band. Thank you Brian Marszalek (Marshall) for posting and sharing information on your heritage.

Brian has performed all over the U.S. including the Lincoln Center in New York, National Folk Festivals in Maine and Massachusetts, the Festival of Americana fiddle tunes in Washington, to name a just a few. He is now signed with Arhoolie Records, a music label that specializes in American masters of roots music.

Brian will conduct a workshop and perform Polish fiddle music at the 2nd Annual Festival of Texas Fiddling on November 7th. This festival is an opportunity to see multiple styles of music performed on the same instrument.

Will Polka for Beer

By Gary E. McKee
From October 2015 issue of Texas Polka News
 

AlpenMusikanten (AMK), like its German multi-syllable name is a Dallas-based band that can perform multi-rhythmic music to please any crowd. This group can play anything from Proud Mary to the Clarinet Polka with the Chicken Dance, the Westphalia Waltz, Jump, Jive, and Wail, and, yes, Freebird (great accordion solo), thrown in the middle to appeal to all ages. The band’s name translates into “Alpine Musicians” and has been mispronounced to the extent of Alpine Muskrats; however no one has ever mispronounced its website address: www.willpolkaforbeer.com.

Take Me to my Liter
This five-member ensemble has a varied musical background ranging from growing up in a big band family to college music education degrees and two members who are from Austria. AMK’s seriously humorous attitude towards music is reflected in their latest CD title: Take Me To My Liter which is a mix of funky polkas, waltzes, swing, country, samba, ballad, and even a rock polka, while still maintaining the original Alpine flare with outstanding three-part harmony vocals and yodeling.

With the ever-youthful audience, the band keeps learning contemporary songs and slips a little polka beat into them (subliminal polka brainwashing). If you were at the Tomball German Fest, there is a good chance you saw AMK in action and stayed through the whole set.

AMK’s Oktoberfest schedule has been so busy that they probably wake up at night hollering Prost! The month of September saw them performing at Oktoberfests in Choctaw, Oklahoma; Addison, Texas; Fort Worth, McKinney, and two in Louisiana.       

That’s 20 days of Oktoberfesting and wasn't even Oktober! October had the band on the road 17 days, taking polka to Louisiana, Georgia, and back to the PolkaOkies in Oklahoma.       

So when AMK hits Wurstfest November 6th for three days, they should be ready to Schuhplattler their lederhosen off for your dancing pleasure.

Up Close with Enzian Buam

By Gary E. McKee
From the October 2015 issue of Texas Polka News

Enzian Buam is one of the most fun bands you will have a close encounter with. Before I explain that remark, let’s shine some light on the band’s name. Enzium is a beautiful trumpet-shaped, deep-blue flower that grows only in the Alpine region. One of its many uses is in alcoholic beverages. Buam roughly translates into boys in an Austrian dialect.

Though the band plays some festivals and private events, they perform mostly at biergarten-styled venues where they personally interact with the audience. Sing-a-longs, multiple toasts (Prost!), and audience participation transforms listeners into part of the performance as they travel the musical globe playing everything from Alpine love songs to the Cotton-Eyed Joe.

Talented Trio
The band was formed in 2008 by Jason Keepers and Eddie Schaible, formerly of the Walburg Boys, and a native German. The present trio led by Jason has been performing together for three years, and features Robert Herridge on fiddle and guitar, and Bill Holt thumping the bass.

Jason began playing guitar, trumpet, and his favorite, the accordion, at the age of 5. He has spent years studying Alpine music with the masters. In 1995, Jason composed a song for his mother, Katherine’s Waltz 95, which is now a dance hall standard in Texas.

One of his strongest musical talents lies in his yodeling abilities. Jason’s Alpine-style yodeling adds another instrument to the band and gives a unique layer to their songs.

Robert, master fiddler, assisted with reviving a Sängerbund (German singing society) in Bellville, and is a past president of the Texas German Society. His fiddling background is lengthy and includes 14 years with Gilley’s House Band during the Urban Cowboy phenomena and many years with Santa’s Wonderland in College Station, where this year for the first time, Enzian Buam will be playing German Christmas music on Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

Which brings us to the “Tuba Kidd,” Bill Holt. Bill began playing tuba at the age of 11. At the tender age of 14, Accordionist Gene Hackemack bestowed this nickname upon Bill. His abilities have allowed him to be inducted into the Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame.

Bill performs with many symphonies and wind ensembles, plays the country opry circuit, and sits in with The Cowboy Jazz Band, Billy Mata, The Travelers, Round Top Brass Band, just to name a few.  

They've Got Your Number
Enzian Buam’s extensive repertoire enables them to play anywhere and everywhere. At a recent performance, where the senior citizen crowds were bussed in, the trio conferred for a minute and broke out into Minor Swing, a classic by The Hot Club of Paris from the 1930s.

So for a good time catch Enzian Buam at Kemah’s Oktoberfest, the TCHCC Heritage Fest and Muziky in La Grange October 17, and at their regular weekend gig at the King's Biergarten in Pearland.

Last Member of a Legendary Band

By Gary E. McKee
From the September 2015 issue of Texas Polka News

The Joe Patek Orchestra, founded by John Patek, was the result of John bringing his musical abilities from Moravia when he immigrated to the Lavaca County area in 1888. After playing in various community bands around Shiner, John formed his own orchestra in 1920. In the 1940s, his two sons, Joe and Jim, joined the band, with Joe assuming leadership. 

The band became a regional favorite among the Czech communities of South and Central Texas, particularly with The Shiner Song and Beautiful America. Their recording of an 1800s Mexican folk song, Corrido Rock, even appeared on Tejano jukeboxes.

Patek’s Orchestra recorded more than 24 78-rpms (thick heavy vinyl platter) and 24 45-rpms (smaller, large hole), and several tapes (cassette and 8-track) and LPs (large, thin, small hole). The Patek Band had a signature sound that set it apart from others in the U.S. with a strong brass sound and emphasis on swing. For years, the band played with only a single microphone for the lead singer. This lasted until the 1970s when a second microphone was added to boost the acoustic guitar, and by 1980, three microphones were used when performing.

Dance Floor Prayer
The stories surrounding the Patek band and associates are endless, but this one reveals the loyalty of their fans. Quentin Hoffman and his wife loved to dance. They made two or three dances every weekend back in the day when Bill Mraz’s Ballroom and Lodge 88 were holding polka dances every weekend. One night, Quentin went up to the Lodge 88 bandstand to request one of his favorites, the Youth and Pleasure Polka.  As he was guiding his niece around the floor, he crumpled to the floor, stricken by a heart attack. Quentin had always said that when the time came he wanted to die dancing. He got his wish, but just too early; he was only 55. Later, when Quentin's son, Johnny (who had witnessed his dad's passing), got married, he danced the Youth and Pleasure Polka with his mother.

Pateks in Demand
The popularity of the band by the 1950s found them playing at least twice every weekend and being booked a year in advance. It must be noted that the vast majority of polka musicians to this day have day jobs, and playing music is not financially rewarding; they do it cause they love it. One musician told me he looks at it this way: "I get paid to travel, set-up, and tear-down, the time between is pleasure." The Patek Band with various members continued until its final performance at the Annual Fireman’s New Year’s Eve Dance in 1982.

In 2013, the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange put together a tribute to the Patek Orchestra by assembling a crack group of veteran musicians to recreate music that the Patek band had created. By all accounts, both band side and audience side, the Patek magic came alive that clear, moonlit night as opposed to the cold and rainy night 31 years earlier when the music stopped.

Performing that evening was one of the final two members of the band, Daniel Malik. The other surviving member was Paul John Darilek, who had filled in for several months following the death of one of the Patek brothers in 1982.

Patek Memorabilia
When I arrived in Shiner to interview Daniel Malik, I was personally unfamiliar with him and unsure how smooth the interview would progress. Arriving at a well-kept house in Shiner, the door opened and a handsome, open, smiling face greeted me. Daniel, with the aid of a cane, escorted me into the dining room, where on the table a fantastic display of photographs and posters of the Joe Patek band was laid out.    

When he sensed that the Patek Orchestra was nearing the end of its amazing 62-year run, he began gathering memorabilia. As his lovely wife, Carolyn, entered the room he was proudly showing me the poster advertising the last performance of the Patek Orchestra in Shiner and the poster of the last out of town performance of the band in Needville. Carolyn was digging in a box and produced tickets and photographs to the last performance of this legendary band.

Daniel’s father and uncle both played polka music informally with family and friends and Daniel played along on trumpet. This feeling of camaraderie instilled the desire to entertain and play music that was fulfilled when the Charlie Tousek Orchestra had an opening for a saxophone player. Daniel went right out, bought a sax, learned to play it by ear, and was a member of the orchestra two weeks later. After doing several years with them, he left to become a founding member of Yoakum’s the Hub City Dutchmen. The Dutchmen once performed 14 days in a row. They had been invited to perform in Wisconsin and booked a gig in each state that they drove through there and back.

Polka Dream Fulfilled
In 1970, an opportunity presented itself for Daniel to fulfill his dream, there was an opening in the Joe Patek Orchestra for a sax player. There was only one problem, he had his own band, The Dutchmasters. He privately discussed it with Joe, voicing the conflict with his own band. Joe understood and told him to go talk it over with his band members. When Daniel assembled his band at the local cafe, he had apparently forgotten he lived in small town, as they already knew he was being considered for the prestigious position and told him to go for it. When I asked Daniel why he had always wanted to play with the Patek band, he immediately responded, "Their style!"

Thus, Daniel began his 12-year stint with the Patek orchestra. The seven-man band he joined was already one of the hardest working bands at the time playing three gigs a weekend. Daniel related how once, they left Shiner at 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon, drove 300 miles to San Angelo, played, packed up, drove back to Shiner arriving at 7:30 on a Sunday morning, got out of the station wagon, went to 8 o’clock Mass, went home, showered and changed shirts, got back into the Patek wagon, where they drove to East Bernard (only 72 miles!). They played the Kolache Festival, drove back to Shiner, arriving at 5:30 p.m., and he went home to Carolyn who had a big pot of chicken noodle soup waiting, which he consumed, and went to sleep. That adds up to 744 miles, two gigs, in 27 hours! The Bill Mraz Ballroom in Houston, had a standing agreement that every two weeks the Patek Orchestra would play, which went on for years.

For the Love of Polka
In 1962, when Daniel first started out with the Tousek band, the musicians were paid $7 a night, and later when he played with Hub City Dutchmen, he made $10 dollars a night. When Daniel finally reached the Patek band, Joe was paying them $14 a night.

Other gradual changes occurred during Daniel’s time with the Pateks. One large station wagon now pulled a trailer with the Shiner Beer emblem on it, replacing the two vehicles, and meat wagon (from the family's Patek Meat Market). And, as mentioned earlier, the band went from using one microphone on stage, to eventually having three mikes.

After the last performance of the Joe Patek Orchestra on New Years Eve, 1982, the band dissolved. Daniel was burned out from playing several times a weekend for over a decade and rarely picked up his sax for four years. (A 1982 dance listing shows 28 gigs that year.) An opportunity to play with The Wence Shimek Band came along and Daniel returned to the stage to play sax with them for five years before retiring again. Now, he sits in with the Shiner Hobo Band, and is mentoring his 13-year-old granddaughter, Cindy, who is proficient on flute, piano, alto and tenor sax, and presently learning guitar.

The spirit of the Patek Band was once again resurrected on October 17, at the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center in La Grange, as Daniel Malik and other top-notch musicians brought the magic sounds of The Joe Patek Orchestra back to life again. See the photos. The Patek sound never left, it just took a really long break. WOO-HOO-HOO!

The Hodde Trilogy

By Gary E. McKee
From the August 2015 issue of Texas Polka News

This journalist after hearing: my cousin, father, sister, grandfather, uncle, etc. played in or has a polka band, is beginning a random series attempting to untangle the family grapevine that is prevalent in this culture. If any readers have a musical family they would like documented please contact the Texas Polka News or Polkabeat.com.

The Hodde musical legacy began in a blackland prairie town named Cele, founded in the 1890s, southwest of Taylor. The social center was the Richland Saloon, established in 1891. In 1951 the Weiss family purchased it and began servicing the farmers of the area with gasoline and basic food items including beer. The Weiss families were musicians and their weekly jam sessions at the store invited other folks to come sit in and play. Lorenz (“Boots”) Hodde and his uncle, Fritz Wendland were regulars, with Lorenz playing banjo and Mr. Wendland playing guitar with popular and traditional songs, such as You Are My Sunshine.  Playing with them was a young Fritz Hodde. The many jam sessions paid off with Lorenz forming a small combo that went by the name of Boots and His Buddies.

The first “professional” gig came when the band scheduled to perform at a family reunion cancelled the morning of the reunion. Lorenz received a call to see if they could come play. Several phone calls later they showed up and a band was born.

The word-of-mouth gigs kept coming and soon they were playing live on KGTN radio out of Georgetown. This free publicity increased their bookings and the need for a name soon. A.J. Zrubek, a band member, suggested Fritz Hodde’s Fabulous Six and the name stuck, mostly, an advertisement in a 1968 West newspaper invited folks to Linden Hall in Elm Mott for a wedding dance by Fritz Hodde’s Fabulous Five.

Fritz’s family was growing, and son, Scott, began showing interest in music. At the age of nine, he began keeping rhythm with a pair of spoons to his Dad’s music. His persistence convinced his dad to buy him a button accordion and within a year he had mastered If I Were A Bird. After several years of learning the songs and stagecraft, Scott formally joined the band in 1990. Father and son were playing even more frequently and doing studio recording. Scott, like his father, was becoming proficient on saxophone, trumpet, and drums. When the time was right, Scott married Diane Pavelka (an accomplished accordionist) and a son, Brandon, was born. Between hanging out with his future bandmates at picnics and festivals Brandon’s desire to play music took the lead.

At the age of twelve Brandon became a full-fledged member of his Grandfather’s Band. He started on drums, learned the saxophone, guitar, and is presently teaching himself the steel guitar. He is currently working for the county while taking online college classes in business management. When asked whom he wished that he could share the stage music there were two choices, one was Tommy Strmiska, a drummer with the Vrazels, who has passed on, and Vince Gill, the country music performer.

Growing up in family band, Brandon spent many hours hanging out with the children of other musicians as their parents were on stage or meeting fans. The frequent exposure to music at an early age implanted the songs in their brains and when they started to learn instruments the melodies were known to them so they just had to figure out how to apply the music to their chosen instrument. As he and his friends (still mostly pre-teen) were learning their chops on stage, they began to get together to play without adults. These informal gatherings soon led to The Ennis Czech Boys and then All Around Czechs was formed.

Brandon’s perspective for playing is fairly common in the music world: “I do it because I love it, when you’re on stage, particularly with my dad and grandfather, there’s not a feeling like it on earth, the bonding on stage with other musicians. As my friend and bandmate Jerry Petter says, the money we receive at gigs is for the setting up and tearing down of equipment, the time between spent playing music is pure pleasure.”

In 2015, Brandon entered the Accordion Kings and Queens contest, sponsored by Texas Folklife. The contest is aimed at giving young accordionists a chance to compete with others of their genre. Brandon won the state wide contest in the Czech polka category and recently performed at the Miller Outdoor Theatre to a crowd that was larger than most of the towns he had been playing at in the Central Texas area. His experience humbled him as he shared the stage with others in his age group that were playing Zydeco, Cajun, and Tejano styles along with the masters of music such as Los Lobos and the Texmaniacs.

Along with one of his bands, All Around Czechs (all under 30), he hopes to inspire other “youngsters” to keep carrying on the tradition.

The Hodde family is a fine example of keeping the music tradition alive. Brandon said that when he starts a family, he hopes there will be a musician included, but “no pressure, of course.”

Support Your Local Church Picnic

In addition to being Dairy Month, June is also the core of the picnic season. There are over 100 church-related picnics yearly and a good many of them occur in June through August. So please attend at least one local picnic and then plan a trip to a new one.

By Gary E. McKee

The Singing Priest

Father Joe Hybner joins the Incredible Music Makers to sing a Czech song or two in Praha./McKee photo

The Dancing Priest

Father Ed Karasek at the Prazska Pout./McKee photo

Picnic Essentials

Bring a chair AND a fan to Dubina picnic./McKee photo

Family Time

Edwin "Buck" Boehm (second from right) of Shiner at Praha with his family./McKee photo

Polka On!

The Shiner Hobo Band entertains at quite a few picnics during the year./McKee photo

Patriotic Raven

The musicians, like Daniel Jobb of the Red Ravens, get into the spirit./McKee photo

Too Pooped to Picnic

After a long day at the picnic./McKee photo

To a visitor from Elsewhere, USA, the idea of a picnic might conjure up images of plaid blankets on the ground with a wicker basket of cold food beside a lake containing a canoe and a delicate lady shading herself with a parasol as a gentleman tries to woo her by playing his accordion. Well pardner, come on down to the Polka Belt, and be prepared to immerse yourself into the alphanumeric drone of Bingo, an auctioneer’s rapid fire patter, the clinking of plastic rings on liters of soda water, the enticing smell of homemade food cooking, the alternating rhythms of polka bands, and the delightful sound of laughter as friends and family reunite in a yearly homecoming.

The summer picnic season runs from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend with a few picnics scattered on both sides to symbolize more agrarian times of the year, i.e. planting and harvest times. The term "picnic" is an anachronism from days of old bringing to mind the first image above without fire-ants. While church fundraisers dominate the picnic calendar, many organizations have sponsored them.

Father Ed Karasek was raised attending picnics from probably day one as his parents were in charge of making the potato salad at the Frenstat picnic. His early memories were of playing the Teddy Bear wheel trying to win one. The ball/bottle throw was a popular booth with a winner getting either a cigar or pack of gum depending upon the winner’s age. The Gil Baca or Sil Krenek Bands provided the music. This is where the “Dancing Priest” learned to polka. A “community builder” is how Fr. Ed describes the church picnic, bringing families together and providing entertainment for the kids. Now tending to his primarily Hispanic flock in Lockhart at St. Mary of the Visitation, Fr. Ed is heavily involved in their yearly picnic, named Jamaica, now in its 40th year of food, music and fellowship. This year's picnic will be held July 24 and 25.

Picnic evolution
Let’s go back a few years and take a brief look at picnics, bazaars, and celebrations to see how they have evolved. In September of 1902 the Texasky Mir, No. 10 S.P.J.S.T. Lodge of Shiner held a Feast and Picnic in Hilderbrandt’s Park with children’s games being the prominent feature of the day, along with “Orators of Repute delivering address on Questions of Vital Interest to Our People.”

Politicians utilized these large gatherings of voters to campaign and connect with the “common” people. At some picnics literately thousands of people would stand in the weather (generally hot) and listen to the politicians for hours, an inconceivable event nowadays. Not all were on Sundays as the S.P.J.S.T. lodge of Snook announced that it will give a picnic on Easter Monday, April 8, 1912 at their new hall.

The Brenham St. Peter’s Church held a picnic in May of 1915, with wagons transporting those wishing to attend to the “beautiful spot adjoining the Giddings place about one mile north of town. The members of the Women’s Guild have charge of the picnic and will take care of the children who wish to attend without their parents. All members of the Sunday school and congregation are expected (editor’s emphasis) to go and take their friends if they wish.”

Picnic during the week
The Schwertner (NW of Granger) Biennial Picnic in June of 1936 was a community happening that was held on a Tuesday and Wednesday. Among the bands performing those two days were Joe Buzze’s Orchestra of Waco, and Louis Welk’s Eleven Piece Orchestra. Two years later the Shimek Brass Band performed. The July 4th weekend of 1926 was a busy period, as it is now, in the Fayette County area, picnic and celebration wise. Hostyn’s feast hosted one of the largest political gatherings in Texas as Governor “Ma” Ferguson and Farmer Jim Ferguson were scheduled to speak. With a noon vehicle count of 3,300 vehicles, the crowd was estimated to be between 10,000 and 20,000 folks, the Schulenburg Sticker reported. The crowd stood for hours in the sun listening to the Ferguson speeches.

Politicians and baseball
Dubina’s celebration drew several thousand people to hear a well received political speech by Senator Gus Russek (Schulenburg) and Method Pazdral, a former local attorney of Czech origin. The Ammansville Snappy Orchestra played a dance that was attended by 2000 people with 300 tickets being sold to young men. From what this writer can deduce from the ads, during this time period, to actually dance, a ticket was needed, while some venues sold a lesser price ticket for “spectators” as one ad put it, People traveled to see Shiner play Schulenburg in baseball, hear Governor Dan Moody talk, and dance that evening to “most excellent band music” in Shiner.

Two weeks later High Hill had a feast that kicked off with the Blessing of the new Parish House by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Drossaerts of San Antonio followed by solemn High Mass. Afterwards a grand chicken and barbecue dinner was served by the ladies of the parish. That afternoon speeches by various politicians will be given followed by a baseball game between Dubina and High Hill. Concert Music was provided by the Ammansville Brass Band and singing by the High Hill Mannerchor. In the evening The High Hill Dramatic Club provide entertainment, accompanied by the previous band and choir (no dance.)

June of 1959, St. Martin’s Parish, in Tours (NE of Waco) held a “Fun for Everyone” picnic with “Something for Everyone to do - All Afternoon and Evening – Ride the Train – Play Games – SUPPER SERVED 4:30 to 9PM – Fried Chicken, Roast Beef and Baked Ham;” that evening Slim Haisler and His Play Boys of Temple provided the dance music.

Don't just drive thru
While the picnic format has evolved into the fairly formulaic state, that is, church service, meal, and then simultaneously live music, games for children, Bingo, a long auction, and family visiting; it has changed from an event on any day or days of the week to a Sunday for six to eight hours, with a few exceptions like the St. John Fourth of July Picnic and the Prazska Pout (Praha Feast) always held August 15 on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

The Fourth of July Picnic at the S.P.J.S.T. hall in West was discontinued in 1966 due to diminishing crowds. Air-conditioning, television, and newly built lakes nearby were to blame, the West News opined. In the pre-automobile days, crowds would gather in town and led by a band march en masse to the picnic grounds. While picnics seem to still attract a large number of folks, it is my observation that the drive-through dinner option of picnics, while increasing the financial income, has diminished the communal bonds that the picnics have built up over the years.

So, please support your local picnic, whether it be in Seguin, Dubina, Wallis, Frenstat, Granger, Shiner, Stoneham, Ennis, Cyclone, or Houston. And please park your vehicle and make new friends or discover extended family members. Check out the listing of Church Picnics at polkabeat.com.

Gospel with a Polka Beat

By Gary E. McKee

Bruce and Shara Repka/Gary E. McKee photo

“Circuit Riders” was the name given to preachers in the 1800s who traveled the physical and spiritual wilderness bringing, on horseback, the word of God to the Great American West. Martin Ruter (Rutersville) was a great example, who in 1837 entered Texas with a stack of Bibles and hymnals to preach to and sing with the citizens of the newly founded Republic of Texas.

Among those still carrying on this tradition in the 2000s are Bruce and Shara Repka. However, instead of riding horseback thousands of western miles, they trailer their beloved horses and instead of stacks of bibles and hymnals they are equipped with voices and musical instruments to implement their horse ministry.

Bruce’s family has deep roots in Lavaca County where his father, Henry Repka along with Herbert Kloesel from Schulenburg, founded the music program at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Hallettsville. Bruce’s musical trip began at a single digit age listening to his father performing in a popular polka and waltz band, The Music Kings, around the Houston area. His father would make cassettes of their performances and bring them home, where young Bruce would listen to them and play along on a plastic accordion purchased from Sears.

One day his mother brought Henry to Bruce’s room to hear him play and he was soon playing on a “real” accordion. At the ripe old age of 10, he performed on a Music King “45” rpm record (the ones with the BIG hole in the middle). The song was the Honeybee Waltz. From that point onward Bruce accompanied his father as they played the Mraz Ballroom, Lodge 88, and various KC Halls in a 50-mile radius of Houston. Bruce’s intrigue with music, led him to learn the guitar, steel guitar, fiddle, and keyboards.

Singing with a purpose
As with most great bands, time took its toll and The Music Kings disbanded. Bruce continued playing in several country bands both in Central Texas and Houston. In 1996, Bruce decided to focus on playing and singing about God’s grace and love. Being interested in the western culture, he gravitated towards the cowboy churches that were springing up throughout Texas and the west. In 2001 Bruce was attending the Crossroads Cowboy Church in Yoakum and met a lovely lady named Shara. They realized that they shared more than spiritual feelings and were married in 2003.

At that time Bruce was singing with Mike Ables from Bellville in a duo called The Calvary Cowboys. The Christian Country Music Association of Nashville rated them in the top 5 acts in 2004, 2005, and 2006. When Mike stepped down, Shara took his place, and the Pony Express Ministry singing duo was formed.

Bruce and Shara have been traveling the west performing at different venues focusing on “ranch rodeos” which are events that involve real working cowboys and cowgirls. These rodeos are fundraisers for various charities that assist young cattlemen to continue in their chosen field and action groups that assist in livestock disease prevention programs and the protection of western rangeland among many similar worthy causes. While traveling from rodeo to cowboy churches, Bruce and Shara have released four CDs of their music, most of which are original songs.

Polka On! with God
In the last several years to widen the scope of Bruce’s respect for God and his family heritage (Czech), he teamed up with his father to deliver a great instrumental CD of gospel music performed with a polka beat. Kicking off with spirited versions of I’ll Fly Away, Amazing Grace, and The Old Rugged Cross to name a few, the CD is an intriguing listen. Named S Pánem Bohem: Sunday Polka, it features St. Mary’s Church near Hallettsville, and is the perfect music to listen to on the way to church picnics this summer. (S Pánem Bohem is Czech for "Go with God.")

Visit the Pony Express website to learn more about the ministry and purchase their uplifting music.