Polka Dan Zantek

Blow Musik is based in San Francisco. We find that there's a lot of great polka music happening in other parts of the world. Today's subject, Polka Dan, is from Alaska!

Ernst Mosch Rarities!

It's September! Oktoberfest season is just a couple of weeks away!

Here's an Ernst Mosch documentary to get you in the mood.

Polka 78s

Classic polka music on the internet. Great stuff here!
https://archive.org/details/georgeblood?and[]=polka  --

also https://archive.org/details/kahleaustinfoundation?and[]=mediatype%3A%22audio%22&and[]=polka

North Star Polka show

It can be hard to find good polka music to listen to. Here is some! Oldies and goodies.

http://www.radionorthland.org/category/north-star-polka-show/

Romy Gosz: Svestkova Alej, aka The Prune Song, aka We Left Our Wives at Home

Svestkova Alej is a Czech song that recalls fondly the days of eating plums with a sweetheart... "but you cheated on me, plums now have no value.  There have been english versions: "The Prune Song" or "We Left Our Wives At Home".

still performed in Czech land:

And finally, the great Elmer Scheid! Apparently in a closet at a Denny's in a mall somewhere...

Tex-Czech, Circling Pigeons

Have I posted this before? Can't hurt to post it again, what a great recording!

Mark Rubin has a worthy article on Tex-Czech music
Denis Svatek's most recent podcast has a great album by the Gil Baca Orchestra. Wise, wonderful, human music!

Josh Eidsor

Since I started looking for concertina music on YouTube a few years ago, I've been seeing Josh Eidsor. He's 19 or possibly 20 years old now -- and he's a very good concertina player! I hope he sticks with it!

A long radio show with Josh: https://soundcloud.com/kchk/live-musician-friday-12-30-16

Library of Congress audio files

LoC has polkas, waltzes, even a few ländlers and mazurkas !

Here's a charming version of the Helena polka from 1923!

WFMU's Dance With Me, Stanley

Here's an archive of WFMU's show Dance With Me, Stanley -
https://wfmu.org/playlists/YN

Lots of eclectic music, including that hard-to-find POLKA variety!

UCSB Cylinder archive

Today's "cylinder of the day" is Under the Double Eagle: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?queryType=@attr+1=1020&num=1&start=1&query=cylinder4869


There are 10,000 recordings available!
http://www.openculture.com/2015/11/download-10000-of-the-first-recordings-of-music-ever-made-courtesy-of-the-ucsb-cylinder-audio-archive.html

Pilsen Polka

In 1930, "Pilsen Polka" was the first record that Romy Gosz played trumpet on, after only six months on the instrument (after switching from piano)! What a great, original sound. Rooted in european folk music but with a contemporary awareness of Duke Elllington and popular music of the day.

Here is a 1946 re-recording of the traditional Bohemian tune, with Romy leading the group:

A more recent version, with Jerry Minar on concertina:

I love a concertina

Especially this concertina! Tippy Tin played by Brian Brueggen:

Ernst Mosch: Stunden die man nie Vergißt

Hours that one never forgets. A lyrical and effervescent album by Ernst Mosch!