Visit this page to stay up to date with the latest recordings in the Slovenian, Cleveland-Style Polka field. We will list the recordings we are receiving and airing on our show (sorry you won't hear Polish, Dutchman styles, etc.). Some may be new to us, but not a latest release. We will also give you information as to how to contact the bands or musicians so you can get your own copy from them. If you have any CD's of the Cleveland-Style genre you would like played on the air, go to our "SHOW FACTS" page and get in touch with us at slovenianmelodies@yahoo.com
This page was last updated: February 27, 2010
HG Studios in Wisconsin is one of the best known Polka recording studios in America, and has been for 25 years. To commemorate this anniversary, Don Hunjadi has put together a CD of bands that have recorded there, including: Steve Meisner, Kenny Brandt, Don Gralak, Russ Allen, Bob Doszak, Joey Klass, The Sidemen & more. To get your copy, get in touch with Don by email at donh@wisconsinems.com, or by regular mail at: HG Studio, 21332 7 Mile Rd., Franksville, WI 53126. Get this one today.
The Singing Slovenes sent us their third CD release, "Zivio, Cheers". This group is from Minnesota and they are dedicated to the preservation of Slovenian music and cultural heritage. The disc contains 19 tunes (many which you will recognize) with excellent Slovenian and American vocals. To get your copy, contact director of the group, Frank Bucar at 1-218-626-1928 or by email at: fbucar@charter.net ENJOY!!!!
It is always a plus to receive new CD's in the mail. However, getting four at a time keeps us busy listening for new material for our show. Thanks to Joe Zupanchick for sending us the discs. Three are by Joe: 1. "Now and Then", 2. "Button Boy Polkas", and 3. "Button Box Christmas". Joe also sent us one he re-mastered by Jerry Intihar, with 24 tunes, titled, "24 Polka Classics". These are all formerly released on LP and re-mastered onto CD. To get your copies, contact Joe at JoeZoneMusic@aol.com. Enjoy!
Much to our surprise, we received a new CD we didn't know was being release. It is called, "The One and Only" by Frank Culkar and the Culkars. It contains 20 great polkas and waltzes, some that are originals of Frank's. This five piece band has a great sound that you will really enjoy. Also included are some great tunes that have not been recorded for a while and will bring you back to many past polka memories. To get your copy, write Frank at 9933 Ridge Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44133, or by phone at 440-582-3290, or email Anthony at culkar@hotmail.com
The Mikey Dee Polka Band gives our latest new CD into the Slovenian Melodies mailbox. The CD is titled "BANG!" and it is 14 tunes of some swinging music. Some originals from Mikey Dee, along with tunes from Pugliano and Vadnal, to name a few. To get your copy, contact Del Sinchak at Peppermint Records at 803 E. Indianola Ave, Youngstown, Ohio 44502, or call Peppermint at 330-783-2222.
Ron Pivovar, button box guru, has sent us 5 CD's that are new to us. Four are from the "Otter Creek" series and one is his latest release, "Fresh Stuff from Otter Creek". This CD features Ron on the button accordion along with sidemen, John Gerl, Dave Lawrence and John Ross. This is a great new CD you need to pick up. Contact Ron at 10 Henry Road, Greenville, PA 16125 or by phone at 724-588-3786. CD's are $15.00 plus $3.00 shipping.
Gaylord Klancnik was the man that brought the Slovenian-style polka to Michigan, and later took his music all over the world. Unexpectedly, Gaylord passed away in a car accident and his life, and polka career, was cut short. A few months before his passing, his son Ed set up a microphone in the basement and recorded his dad on accordion playing songs that made Gaylord so popular. The result is this CD, titled "Klancnik" and the music on here is smoking hot. 19 tunes are on the disc, with many musicians added to the mix after Gaylord's accordion was recorded. To find out how to get your copy, contact Ed at info@ranchrecordings.com This CD is a keeper.
Whenever one hears Joey Tomsick and the JTO, it is always a polka funhouse. So what a great name for Joey's new CD release, "Polka Funhouse". We have been looking forward to this disc that contains sixteen tunes, including vocals, instrumentals and button box songs. Ron and Patty Sluga also contributed the song "Someone" that features Ron's premiere recording on the button box. To get your copy, contact Joey at joeynow@yahoo.com or by phone at 440-639-1963, or print off an order form from Joey's website at www.joeytomsick.com . It will be worth the time to get this recording that won many awards at Awards Show 22 at the Polka Hall of Fame Show.
Ken Novak is helping us with our problem of not having anything new in the Slovenian field CD's in the last couple of months. Ken has sent us his latest release, "Polkas and Waltzes Galore", and as usual, this recording does not disappoint. Twenty-three tunes keep you listening or dancing for a long time. He also sent us one we didn't have in our collection entitled "What's It Gonna Take?". This CD has a variety of tunes from different styles, amongst the 16 on the disc. And finally, Ken sent us one entitled "Girls, Girls, Girls". This polka and waltz release from 2003 is new to us with all songs having girls names as a title. Another new one he sent us is "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed". This may be our favorite one. To get your copy of any of his releases, get in touch with Ken through his email at kennovak@cox.net. Or write to him at: Write: Ken Novak, 344 E. Calle Aspa, Green Valley, AZ, 85614 ENJOY!!
Lifetime Achiever, Verne Meisner, passed away a few years ago, but his son, Steve has released this CD featuring his dad, titled "Wanted: Verne Meisner's Lost Gold". This CD (which actually looks like a mini LP!!!) contains 32 tracks of polkas, waltzes, "pop" music and some talking tracks, as well that were recorded but never released, in the 1960's. It is a great blast from the past brought up to today's standards. To get your copy, contact Steve Meisner at www.stevemeisner.com or by mail at: N7547 W Lakeshore Drive, Whitewater, Wisconsin, 53190.
August comes to us with a new CD from a very talented young man, Alex Meixner. This new disc by Alex, titled "Stay All Night" is full of energy. The selections on this CD feature many different styles of music, including Slovenian-style polkas. This disc will be a must-have for fans of many different styles. Not only is Alex a talented musician, playing a multitude of instruments, he includes two Cleveland-style "sidemen" in Eddie Klancnik and Brian O'Boyle, on this recording. You will want to pick up your copy, for sure. To do so, contact Alex at www.alexmeixner.com or by calling him at 610-597-2180. Get a copy of this hot CD!
Joe Godina has been so kind as to send us four CD's that are "New to Us". The first is by Bob Turcola and is a great compilation of 23 songs. The second is a polka mass CD by Fred Gregorich. The third is from 2008 Lifetime Achiever, Frankie Mullec (who passed away earlier this year). And finally we have one that is a great one we have never heard with a group of polka All-Stars, headed up by Fred Gregorich. So much thanks goes out to Joe for supporting Slovenian Melodies. For any ordering information, contact Joe Godina at jgodina@verizon.net
There has been a bit of a lull in new polka recordings, but Al Meixner took care of changing that for us. These are more "New to Us" recordings, ones that we never had in our polka library. Al sent us CD's from: Himself, the Al Meixner Trio, Kathy Hlad, Don LIpovac, Al Morouse, Classic Button Box (Meixner, Hlad, Luznar, Otzel and Prince), and Darlene Balog-Fejka (With Al Meixner). To order these, or any other releases in his polka catalog, contact Al at 610-261-3881 or by email at Al@almeixner.com, or look at his website for all kinds of great polka information at www.almeixner.com
Thanks to Bob Kravos and Kravos Recording, we are pleased to receive a new CD called "Jammin'", by the Fairport Jammers button box group. This talented group of button and piano accordianists are surrounded by some good sidemen (and one sidewomen) to make this a top notch recording. We enjoyed hearing many of the old favorites (instrumental and vocals) by this button box group. For ordering information, contact Bob Kravos by phone at 440-286-5556 or by email at bkboysintheband@aol.com
Ronny Setnikar from the Minnesota area, has sent us 6 recordings that are "new to us". One of those six, "Tradition: Vintage Iron Range" is a new release by Ronny and his two daughters. One is a 45 vinyl release (yes, 45 RPM record) from the Netherlands with two songs on it. The other four are: "Buttons and Bellows" by The Polka Chimes Orchestra, featuring Ronny; "That Button Box Touch", "Button Box Showcase", and "Ronny Setniker plays Snappy, Happy, Polkas and Waltzes". These are great button accordian recordings by an Iron Range Hall of Famer. We look forward to playing all of them on our upcoming shows. To get your copies of any of the six, contact Ronny at: PO Box 443, Biwabik, MN 55708, or by phone at: 1-218-865-6651, or by e-mail at buttonbox@mchsi.com Enjoy these button box stylings!!!
Another CD that is "new to us" arrived from Tom Srsen and the singing group, Fantje Na Vasi. The CD is an older release, but as mentioned earlier, new to us, entitled, "Mi Smo Mi". There are excellent vocals on this CD (without music, a nice touch) from this fine Slovenian singing group. To obtain your copy, contact the leader of the group, Tom Srsen at: Fantje na vasi, C/o Tom Srsen 7334 Dawn Place Concord Township, Ohio 44060-7251 TELEPHONE:440-487-6100, E-MAIL:tomsrsen@hotmail.com
Walter Ostanek is always good for one new release per year and this one, "Timeless" has arrived as the calendar is running out of days in 2009. This CD features 22 tunes from Walter, Klancnik and Friends, Bob Kravos, and also The Toasted Western Swing Band. It includes some old favorites and some new stylings. Many of Walter's usual sidemen are performing on this disk including Norm Kobal, Ron Sluga and vocalist, Murray McFadgen. For more information or to get your copy, contact Bob Kravos at bkboysintheband@aol.com
Not since the 1990's have we received a CD with as many great bands on one recording and over Thanksgiving Weekend, we did just that. Bob Kravos has passed along, "Kravos Recording presents...the best of 'Cleveland Style'". This CD has 21 tunes by 7 different Cleveland Style bands, including: Bob Kravos, Tony Fortuna, Fred Ziwich, Joey Bajuk, Stan Blout, Joey Tomsick and Fred Gregorich. That is a bunch of talented musicians, sidemen and vocalists that you want to hear on this new recording. This would make a great Christmas present, so contact Bob Kravos at 440-286-5556 or bkboysintheband@aol.com. You will not be disappointed when you get this disc.
Tom Brusky celebrates his 40th birthday with this fantastic new CD, "The First Forty Years". This disc includes, 3 guest vocalists, button box selections from Kathy Vogt, two of the best sidemen in the business, Eric Noltkamper and Don Hunjadi and a fantastic Cleveland Style Polka Medley, and those are just a few of the highlights. Tom is an accomplished, versatile musician and you want to make sure you get this CD. This one is worth adding to your collection, so make sure you contact Tom at 414-546-3650 or by email at tom@tombrusky.com
We met Hank Thunander at Tony's Thanksgiving celebration and he helped our show by sending us 6 new CD's for use on our show. Guys like Hank doing this really makes us appreciative of the good guys in the polka field. He sent these CD's that are "new to us" and we will be playing them in the beginning months of 2010. If you would like to purchase any of these discs, contact Hank by mail at: Hank Thunander, 188 Valleyside Drive, St. Paul, MN, 55119.
Even though we never met, Kenny Brandt was kind enough to get us all of his CD releases. He and Hank are to be commended on this kindness to us and our show. These releases contain a variety of polkas, waltzes and other great types of music, including a Christmas CD. If you are interested in contacting Kenny, write him at: Kenny Brandt, 5134 Hwy K, Hartford, WI, 53027.
2010's first CD's sent are more "New To Us" CD's and they come all the way from Alaska. We received three new ones from the Alaska Button Box Gang. Those three are: "On Fire", "Our Own" and "Polka Fury". These three cover 13 years of tunes from this group from polkas and waltzes to pop numbers. If you are interested in ordering any of the three discs, go to their website at www.alskabuttonboxgroup.org Listen in the coming weeks to our show for some of these songs.
2010's first new CD that is into our show is from the Vadnal Family. This CD contains 16 tunes done by the Vadnal brothers (Tony, Johnny, Frankie and Richie), with the influence of their mother Anna. The release of this CD is in association with a new Vadnal display at the National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame in Euclid, Ohio. For more information, contact the Polka Hall at 216-261-FAME. This is a must have CD featuring the Vadnals.
