The following people were inducted into the World Concertina Congress Hall of Fame on September 18, 2009. We are pleased to introduce you to them and their accomplishments.

Brian Brueggen, Cashton, Wisconsin
Brian has been playing the Concertina with his band Brian and The Mississippi Valley Dutchmen since 1985. In 1987 he received the Minnesota Ballroom Operators Band of the Year Award, and in 2006 Brian played his concertina on The Grand Ole Opry. It is believed that this was the first time a Concertina was played on stage at the Ryman Auditorium. Brian has composed songs for the Concertina and continues to entertain at Polka fests. He teaches the Concertina and has thirteen recordings.

Doug Dickover, Brainerd, Minnesota
Doug is an excellent Concertina player having played in his band, the Jolly Tyrolers, Art Fenske's Jolly Coppersmiths Band and on The Prairie Home Companion Radio Show. Doug has also built four Tyroler Concertinas. He has four recordings, repairs Concertinas and teaches Concertina.

Johnny Gag, North Mankato, Minnesota
John has entertained on stage 53 years. He has played with bands such as, Norm Wilke and the Little Fishermen, the Katzenjammers and the Six Fat Dutchmen. John continues to entertain at nursing homes, Polka Masses and other social events. John can be heard playing on his eight LP recordings.

Larry Novotny, Montgomery, Minnesota
Larry began playing the Concertina in 1960. In 1961 he played in the Novotny Band. In 1985 he started his One Man Band where Larry plays the Concertina, Bass horn and Drums. Larry continues to entertain with the Novotny Trio and his One Man Band. He teaches the Concertina and has thirteen recordings.

Dave Sowada, Blaine, Minnesota
Dave is a self taught musician. He has been a band leader for his band, Dave Sowada & The Sheratons for 37 years. He started playing in his late teens and has been a dedicated Concertina player. He has five recordings.

Rhienhard (Riene) Motschke, Waite Park, Minnesota
Riene, as he was known to his friends and family, loved the Concertina. His unique style of playing influenced many players. His band was Riene's Concertina Band and he co-directed the Graniteers Band. He wrote the Granite City Waltz and the Betty Lou Polka. Although Riene has been gone several years, his style of music lives on in those players he influenced and those of us who still enjoy his recordings.

10/2009 - Back to Top

Question

Who makes the GEM Concertina and how can I contact them?

Answer

The GEM brand chemnitzer concertina is an Italian import introduced to the United States in the 1950s to compete with the popular domestically produced brands. The idea was to provide musicians with an affordable alternative to the more expensive American made instruments.

The GEM was manufactured in the same design as the other Italian-made instruments, such as Grand, O.R.A., Parker, Star Jet, Stradivarius and others. The GEM brand was available in the United States into the 1980s, but is no longer being produced. There is no known contact information for the manufacturer.

10/2009 - Back to Top

[Editor's note: This article was originally published in the April 2005 Polish American Journal. It has been reproduced here with the gracious permission from both the author, Mark Kohan, and Lenny Gomulka.]

For Lenny Gomulka, the Return of a Treasured Instrument was the Real Treat

There are few polka fans alive today who have not danced or listened to the music of Lenny Gomulka. With his own band the Chicago Push, or with Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, the Tones, or on any one of the hundreds of studio projects he has recorded, Gomulka's trumpet and clarinet work has defined the Polish American polka sound from the 1960s to the present.

But there's another side to Lenny Gomulka's seemingly never-ending talent: he's a great concertina player.

In the 7th grade, Gomulka taught himself how to play the instrument, a used one his brother Richie bought in an antique shop on Maxwell Street in Chicago.

While he learned his way around the instrument, he didn't realize that it was not a concertina, but a bandoneon, an instrument that resembles but is not quite like a concertina. It wasn't until he picked up a friend's concertina that Gomulka discovered the difference.

For his 8th grade graduation present, his parents took him to Star Concertina, then located on Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, to pick out a concertina. "This was in June of 1964 and I happened to have picked out an Arnold box which was slightly used that cost $350.00. We took the concertina home and I played it happily. Mind you, this was in 1964," said Gomulka.

He continued to practice that concertina at home and then in 1967, 1968, and 1969, he used that same Arnold concertina on a several songs recorded with Blazonczyk's Versatones.

"I remember doing some recordings with that box on many songs," said Gomulka. "The ones that come to mind are 'Boys From Chicago' polka, 'Stereo' polka, 'Do You Remember' polka, and 'Tatusiu' waltz."

These were all signature tunes for the early Versatones, and are part of what are today considered essential recordings for any polka musician's library. Gomulka and his Arnold concertina are also heard on the solo at the end of Blazonczyk's version of the Wojnarowski classic 'Jedzie Boat' polka.

But that's not what this story is about.

In 1969, at Polonia Grove in Chicago, Gomulka was performing with the Versatones for Blazonczyk's Bel-Aire Days, a festival that showcased bands that recorded on the Bel-Aire label. It was at this festival that Gomulka's concertina was stolen--right off the stage.

The Versatones were done with their set, but decided not to pack their equipment until the next band, Li'l Richard, was done with his portion of the show. When the Versatones began their teardown at the end of the job, Gomulka noticed his concertina was missing from the stage. "Eddie and I realized that my box had been ripped off."

"These were very unusual circumstances, especially at a polka dance," said Gomulka. "I felt terrible about it."

Over the years, Gomulka, his brother Richie, Blazonczyk and other Versatones often talked about the unfortunate incident. Gomulka gave up hope of ever finding the instrument again. But, by accident, he stumbled upon an Arnold concertina on eBay, the internet auction site. Curious, he clicked on the photos of the concertina.

He could not believe his luck. "By sheer coincidence I found that same concertina on eBay. It was without doubt the very same Arnold concertina that was ripped off."

Ironically, the seller of the instrument lived in Chicago. His deceased wife had come upon it at an old antique shop on Chicago's north side about ten years before.

Regardless of where it had been or how it got there, Gomulka decided that his Arnold Concertina was coming back home to its rightful owner regardless of the price tag.

"I proceeded to bid for it and was determined to win the bid," he said.

HOME AGAIN The concertina was delivered to Gomulka's house on Tuesday, February 8, 2005--Paczki Day. Family members were on-hand to witness what could turn out to be a momentous occasion.

Anxious to put any doubt to rest, he tested the number 12 button on the right hand side of the instrument. If it had a fuzzy squeal to it on the draw (when the instrument is pulled out), it would surely be his concertina.

"It sure did!" said Gomulka. "We screamed!"

To be really sure, before the concertina arrived, he told family members of some identifying scratches and marks on the instrument. With pure happiness, he pointed out those blemishes and explained how they got there.

"For instance," he said, "the cloth beneath the concertina's side grillwork has a finger hole poked through it on the left side which I did back in 1964."

That hole was still there.

He also checked to see if the attachment for the microphone pickup he installed the wrong way ("I was just a kid in 1964," he laughed) was still there. And it was.

The concertina also had the same homemade vinyl cover over it, and still maintained its alligator brown case.

"After 36 years, I played this box again and I can't tell you how happy it makes me," said Gomulka.

With his wife and in-laws on hand, the family listened to the Arnold concertina that found its way home. They topped the celebration off with a few paczki "After all, it was Paczki Day," Gomulka said.

He then called his brother Richie and the rest of his family who all knew I was awaiting delivery of this sentimental legend of a concertina.

MAGIC NUMBER Gomulka is still spellbound by the coincidences surrounding the return of the concertina. He found it on eBay on the 12-year anniversary of his father's death, January 22. The sum of the numbers in the date (1/22/2005) adds up to 12. The number 12 button on the right side was the faulty reed identified and Lenny was 12-years old when his parents gave him this gift.

And the owners deceased wife's name? Mary, Lenny's mother's name. Coincidence? You be the judge.

"It's hard to imagine such a strange but true occurrence," said Gomulka. "To have this gift from my mom and dad find its way back to me tells me there is a God. I definitely believe in miracles."

10/2009 - Back to Top