polka music and steel guitars

Joe Yednasty · Post by **Joe Yednasty** » 4 Oct 2004 4:57 pm

Has anyone ever heard a steel guitar playing in a polka band? For some reason, I can hear similarities to some older honky tonk songs. I'm not sure if its the beats or the actual notes, but one reminds me of the other in certain songs. Anyone who knows both types of music, let me know what you think.

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"Eskimo" Joe Yednasty
Emmons P/P S-10
Peavey Session 500

Perry Hansen · Post by **Perry Hansen** » 5 Oct 2004 5:21 am

Joe. The band I'm with play a lot of oldtime waltzes and Polkas. Polkas are fun to work with. The best finger and mind Twister I have found is the Clarinet Polka.

Paul Graupp · Post by **Paul Graupp** » 5 Oct 2004 5:29 am

I don't know if it's a polka but Under The Double Eagle has been a favorite of bands for as long as I can remember. We would sometimes do a cluster of polkas during a square dance and Beer Barrel and Pennsylvania Polkas were always in the mix. I found them to be fun to play on a steel and very effective voicings if I may say so.

However, I have never seen a steel as an instrument in any polka band.

Regards, Paul[This message was edited by Paul Graupp on 05 October 2004 at 06:30 AM.]

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 5 Oct 2004 5:48 am

When I was a teen ager, I played in a band that had 4 accordion players and would be considered a polka band. I could whip out a pretty good arrangement of "Clarinet Polka" on the A, high bass, neck of my T-8 Stringmaster.
However, it was during this time that I bought a Fender Precision bass and that really made playing with this group a lot more enjoyable. I still have that bass and I think that $150 hunk of wood and wire is now worth approx $5000. At least that's what I have been offered for it so far.
Erv

Joe Yednasty · Post by **Joe Yednasty** » 5 Oct 2004 3:22 pm

Oh yeah, I know how fast that Clarinet Polka can go. Anyone who can play along with that gets a lot of respect. The reason I thought of the steel guitar with polkas is because I was listening to the Polka Family Band and I was just wondering how a steel guitar would sound in the mix.

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"Eskimo" Joe Yednasty
Emmons P/P S-10
Peavey Session 500

Herb Steiner · Post by **Herb Steiner** » 7 Oct 2004 6:12 am

I played a gig with Hank Thompson a couple of weeks ago, and the band was Gil Baca's (BAH-cha) polka band. We did some country also, and I played "Sleepwalk," but when the polkas were happening, I left the work to the saxophones and trumpets.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 7 Oct 2004 9:13 am

While at Scotty's Convention this year I bought some rhythm tracks to practice with. On a CD I got from Billy Phelps it had a version of Beer Barrel Polka. I've been having some fun with that. On Polkas you can get away with doing some of those old Tex Jinx Carmen type licks. Yumpin' Yimminy Ole............JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

[This message was edited by Jerry Hayes on 07 October 2004 at 10:14 AM.]

Joe Yednasty · Post by **Joe Yednasty** » 9 Oct 2004 9:21 am

One thing about playing polkas live is that you know your audience will be more than lively.

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"Eskimo" Joe Yednasty
Emmons P/P S-10
Peavey Session 500

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 9 Oct 2004 10:20 am

I did an album,back in the early '60's, called,"Wine And Dine The Polka" on the "Glo" label,w/ an artist named Whitey Bernard.(real name:Frank Sumowski) There's a song on it called,"The Hawaiian Polka".

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Joe Casey · Post by **Joe Casey** » 10 Oct 2004 12:24 pm

One thing about Polka music ,It is the same as it was 50 years ago and New York execs haven't been able to ruin it.Maybe thats the steel guitar music of the future. Jimmie Sturr has used Steel and Fiddle.

Joe Yednasty · Post by **Joe Yednasty** » 11 Oct 2004 9:22 am

Joe,
I know Jimmie Sturr gets all of the spotlight in the polka genre. He's basically the only one people can name, so they assume he's the best. The Polka Family is a great band, agreeably the best polka band, and they deserve the attention that Jimmie Sturr gets. But you are right about it being how it was 50 years ago, its as down to earth as you can get.

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"Eskimo" Joe Yednasty
Emmons P/P S-10
Peavey Session 500

Gene Jones · Post by **Gene Jones** » 11 Oct 2004 9:38 am

Southwestern swing bands playing a dance, would play one "polka", one "schottish", one "put your little foot", and one "square dance" before intermission....no more! If they couldn't avoid it, they would repeat those four numbers once after intermission.

www.genejones.com

David Phillips · Post by **David Phillips** » 11 Oct 2004 11:28 am

Hey Joe,
I have recorded and played pedal steel with Big Lou's Polka Casserole for the past three years.
We alternated sets with Jimmie Sturr for two days at Polish Fest in Milwalkee a couple years ago.
Response to the steel has been extremely positive.
We are now in the midst of Oktoberfest events in the Bay Area.
Big Lou's Polka Casserole web site http://accordionprincess.com/ [This message was edited by David Phillips on 11 October 2004 at 12:30 PM.]

Bill C. Buntin · Post by **Bill C. Buntin** » 14 Oct 2004 1:40 am

Dang it Herb! You get to have all the fun!!

Glyn Bone · Post by **Glyn Bone** » 14 Oct 2004 3:17 am

Didn`t Buck Owens and the Buckaroos do an instrumental polka on one of their albums? cannae recall the name of it offhand also not sure if it was done on the steel or the tele....be interested to know though as I`ve often considered having a `bash` at it ....( when I get my steel that is

)

Glyndwr.

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 14 Oct 2004 4:03 am

That'd be "Buck's Polka" but I don't know if it had steel on it. Buck played the lead guitar on that one....JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Joe Yednasty · Post by **Joe Yednasty** » 14 Oct 2004 9:36 am

Actually, they have a song with Tom Brumley called "Steel Guitar Polka" from one of their live albums, I think its the Live album from Japan.

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"Eskimo" Joe Yednasty
Emmons P/P S-10
Peavey Session 500

David Phillips · Post by **David Phillips** » 14 Oct 2004 10:49 pm

Here are two albums that feature polkas by Mr. Buck Owens

Album : The Guitar Player (1969)
01. Guitar Fandango
02. Raz-Ma-Taz Polka
03. Gaucho Came Riding
04. Mexican Polka
05. Turkish Holiday
06. Tokyo Polka
07. Buck's Polka
08. Things I Saw Happening at the Fountain on the Plaz
09. Country Polka
10. Mexican Jumping Bean
11. Jolly Christmas Polka (Instru.)

Album : The Instrumental Hits of Buck Owens & His Buckeroos (1965)
01. Buckaroo
02. Orange Blossom Special
03. Raz-Ma-Taz Polka
04. Faded Love
05. Bud's Bounce
06. Country Polka
07. Bile 'Em Cabbage Down
08. Steel Guitar Rag
09. A Maiden's Prayer
10. Buck's Polka
11. Country Rag
12. Mexican Polka
13. Act Naturally (Instru. Vs.)
14. I've Got a Tiger by the Tail (Instru. Vs.)