[Editor's Note: As published by ABCNewspapers.com]

Wednesday, 14 January 2009

by Elyse Kaner

Staff writer

A bevy of concertina aficionados will descend upon Blaine at the end of this month to renew friendships and play and listen to good, old-fashioned concertina music.

But don't be expecting to hear "The Beer Barrel Polka" or "The Pennsylvania Polka" for that matter.

Blaine/Coon Rapids Knights of Columbus presents the 31st annual Concertina Bowl Jan. 31 at Blainbrook in Blaine.

The bowl will feature Gilly Maus & the Country Polkateers starting at 6 p.m. The group was named band of the year by the Minnesota Ballroom Operator's Association.

"It's just a nice, warm spot in the middle of winter," said organizer and co-founder Art Ohotto of Fridley.

The 12-hour event usually attracts about 600 to 700 people nationwide. Some hail from Canada.

It's a day-long extravaganza filled with live music of German and Polish polkas, waltzes and old-time favorite songs.

Some come to listen. Others come to play. There's dancing and singing. Participants at all playing levels have the opportunity to prove their squeezebox virtuosity, either solo or in a group.

A back-up ensemble will accompany players on the sax, trumpet, clarinet, tuba and drums.

Not an accordion

A concertina is an accordion-like instrument with a bellows but with no keyboard. Instead, the player pushes buttons.

Each button sounds a single tone, and unlike an accordion in which one key plays a chord, the concertina player must push two or more buttons simultaneously for a chordal tone.

The full-sized instruments weigh about 15 pounds, while the smaller ones weigh about 10 pounds.

Once in a while an occasional accordionist shows up for the bowl, but the focus on this outing is the reedy-sounding concertina.

"The first time I heard it, I guess I fell in love with the sound," said Ohotto, a self-taught player, who has been inducted into the Hall of Fame by the World Concertina Congress for his work with the Concertina Bowl.

Ohotto co-founded the bowl with three others, the late Leroy Lewandowski, Donnie Andersen and Chester Gapinski.

Started in 1978, about 200 showed up for the first bowl, which was held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Coon Rapids.

After 10 years, the event moved to the Fridley Knights of Columbus Hall, where it remained for nine more years.

In 2000, the bowl was moved to Blainbrook where it can comfortably house more than 600 guests.

A variety of ages

Ohotto, who has played the concertina since he could afford one at the age of 23, has attended all 30 concertina bowls.

Although some young folks show up, the average age is getting older, Ohotto said.

Ages of participants range from the early 20s to 85 years old.

Not only has Ohotto noticed a major spurt in attendance throughout the years, he finds that people with less ability, years ago, were more willing to play in front of an audience.

In addition to concertina performances Jan. 31, Bob Novak of Lake Elmo, builder of the Echo concertina, will be on hand with a concertina display.

The day is a reunion of sorts and a time to meet new people. Door prizes will be awarded. Food and snacks and a cash bar will be available.

Proceeds from the bowl will go to local charities.

"I can honestly say it's been a life-long love affair," Ohotto said about playing the concertina.

Elyse Kaner is at elyse.kaner@ecm-inc.com.

02/2009 - Back to Top

[Editor's Note: As published by the Wausau Daily Herald]

January 30, 2009

TOWN OF TEXAS -- Dan Gruetzmacher was 9 years old when he made the fateful decision to play the concertina.

His father told him and his six siblings they each could pick an instrument to play. Gruetzmacher chose the concertina because he liked a player he heard on the radio and because it was a small instrument, easy to handle.

From that day forward, a concertina never has been far from Gruetzmacher, now 75 years old. His passion for the instrument helped pave his way through life.

"I played all over the world -- Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Honduras, Mexico, Branson, Mo.," he said. "I play all styles, German, Bohemian, Mexican. I have 700 numbers in my head."

He has played for bands across the region too numerous to mention. His love for the instruments led him to learn how to build, fix and restore them. It led him to begin teaching others how to play, and he estimates that about 150 people now play the squeezebox thanks to his lessons.

In 1979, he was inducted into the World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame, and recently two of his students joined him in that honor. He's now the president of the organization.

He has quit jobs because of the concertina. Gruetzmacher left a good factory job because it conflicted with his performance schedule.

He has landed jobs because of the concertina. When he applied for a position at Kraft Foods in Wausau, he was recognized as a musician by the man who eventually hired him. The job fit well with his music playing, and he ended up staying there for 27 years before retiring.

You'd think that after 66 years of pushing the buttons, Gruetzmacher would have done it all with the concertina and would be ready to put it down. But he's not anywhere near finished with the instrument.

"You never stop learning," he said. "I'm still learning."

Gruetzmacher doesn't play in bands as much anymore, but he spends plenty of time soloing for folks living in senior housing facilities across the Wausau area. He also performs for occasional wedding and anniversary parties and other festivals.

But even if he never played in front of another person again, it would be impossible for him to leave the concertina behind. It's just too much a part of him.

"I could sit and play here for two or three hours," Gruetzmacher said. "When I'm playing, all the problems of life melt away."

02/2009 - Back to Top

We have added twenty-one audio recordings made by our good friend and super concertina talent, Tadziu Kiewicz. Tadz is a chemnitzer concertina legend, known for his great Polish-style sound. He has performed for a number of famous bands over the years, including Jimmie Mieszala's Music Explosion, 47th Street Concertina Club, Chet Lasik's Concertina Jamboree, Dial-A-Tones, Chicago's Milwaukee Ave, Little Richard Towalski, Chicago Polka Gents, Stas Bulanda's All-Stars, Joe Walega's Happy Hearts, Ed Klish and the Midnighters, and Chet Kowalkowski's Polish Carolers.

Here's the story behind the recordings as told to us by Tadziu.

Beginning in 1975, Tadz was playing at Club 505 in Chicago, Illinois (then owned by Wally Mlynarczyk) 4 or 5 times a month. There was a long-time customer by the name of 'Wally Cudzilo' who was a big fan and friend of Maly Wladziu.

Cudzilo liked Tadz's style of concertina playing and on each break he would have a shot of Jezynowka with a glass of Stroh's beer waiting for Tadz. Before the final set he would ALWAYS break out a cigar and have it lit and waiting for Tadz to enjoy.

When the band played Cudzilo would stand up, clap loudly, wave his arms, and request that Tadziu play the 'box up in the air or over his head! It soon became a tradition for both the 47th Street Concertina Club and Jimmie Mieszala's Music Explosion to end the night playing Zielona Traweczka with Tadz playing the 'box over his head.

When Mlynarczyk told Cudzilo that he was ready to sell Club 505, Cudzilo asked Tadz to record a tape for him. Cudzilo was getting up in age and was fearful that he would not see Tadz play too often after that point. Kiewicz was very thankful that Cudzilo asked for a recording because he never took the time to make any other solo recordings of himself.

Be certain to listen to the recordings, we are certain that you will enjoy Tadziu's performance. You can find them all listed in the Audio and Video feature. These classic songs are a real treat and we thank Tadz for allowing us to publish them.

02/2009 - Back to Top

Question

I am curious to know what a Super Star Concertina is? One is advertised for sale on eBay and the Seller states that it's made by the Borsini Accordion Co. This question has arisen amongst my fellow concertina players amounting to a friendly debate over whether Star made these. I've always said no, that Star primarily made the Beauty and Streamline 'boxes. This one oddly carries the Streamline look. Could you please clear this up?

Answer

The concertina was manufactured by Star Concertina and Music Company, and is actually known as a 'Super Streamlined' model. It looks like a Streamlined because it is a standard Streamlined concertina made by Star (quad, waxed reeds, 104-key, etc.) with the exception of having seven shifts on the right side and two shifts on the left side. The multiple reed shifts are what give the concertina its 'Super' designation.

Super Streamlined models are unusual, but not rare. Star seems to have made quite a few of them, mostly in the 1960s. The auction listing does not provide a serial number, so I can not date it more accurately than that.

Star also manufactured a Super Beauty model. These concertinas had the same seven / two shift arrangement.

Borsini is an Italian accordion manufacturer who is not known to have ever made a concertina. The mention of Borsini Accordion is likely in regards to the retailer who likely sold this concertina as a used instrument. Maybe the name Borsini was on the case, or an old receipt or something. It could also just be that the eBay seller is ignorant and naive about these types of instruments, which I find is usually the case.

02/2009 - Back to Top