It’s Friday night and I could use a polka about now. How about you?
Here’s a video I’ve posted before but it’s so good I just can’t resist posting it again. It features Li’l Wally live on the Lawrence Welk show, playing concertina and singing in Polish. When I was a boy, my mom had a little stash of Li’l Wally records, including one in which he sang “blue” tunes in Polish. Whatever he was singing, it made my mom’s face turn beet red and it made her laugh like I’ve never seen her laugh.
Walt Solek, the Clown Prince of Polka, recorded a song I knew as a kid, called Who Stole the Kishka. Here’s a different take on it by the Polkaholix
OK, not to everyone’s taste…here’s Papa Crow with another version…
Finally, here’s the mighty Flaco Jimenez with Max Baca, performing In Heaven there is no Beer, a song that must have come from either the Czech or Dutch sections of San Antonio.
27th Street 