Today, we wrap up our look at the “Best Polka Album” nominees with another Chicago polka legend, Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones. We profiled the Blazonczyks last month, discussing the challenges that Eddie Jr. has faced since taking the reigns from his father.

Despite those challenges, the Versatones have remained one polka’s top bands. Formed in 1963 by Eddie Sr., the six-piece Versatones helped modernize polka by incorporating rock, country/western, Cajun, and Tex-Mex influences. Now with “Junior” handling the vocals and playing concertina, the band continues to promote polka through a rigorous schedule of touring and recording.

Batteries Not Included is the 18th Grammy-nominated album for Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones; they won once, back in 1987, but shared that award with (guess who?) Jimmy Sturr. If you enjoy uptempo, Chicago-style polka, this album won’t disappoint. Even traditional waltzes like “Chlopak” and “In the Oak Grove” are played at a pretty fast clip. And goofy numbers like “The Wife You Save” and “My Misery” show off Blazonczyk’s sense of humor.

Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones: My Misery (MP3 sample)

Buy Batteries Not Included by Eddie Blazonczyk’s Versatones

Polka definitely isn’t the only genre where you can find Grammy-nominated accordionists. Rolling Stone has a brief interview with one of those nominees: Weird Al Yankovic, who’s up for “Best Comedy Album” and “Best Surround Sound Album” for Straight Outta Lynwood. Even he still gets excited about the Grammys:

“It’s hard to compete with the first time you win a Grammy because after that, you can legally affix the phrase “Grammy Award-winning” to the front of your name. But trust me, it never gets old. I promise to be extremely excited every single time I ever win a Grammy.”

This week, Rolling Stone also wrote about another one of our favorite accordion-toting artists — DeVotchKa. They’re nominated for their work on the soundtrack to the Oscar-nominated film Little Miss Sunshine.

You can’t talk about polka and the Grammys without mentioning Jimmy Sturr. Since the Grammy for “Best Polka Album” was first awarded in 1986, Sturr has won an astounding 15 out of the 20 awards given. While this has engendered jealousy among a few in the polka community, Sturr had no apologies during our exclusive interview back in October:

“I know there are people who are always knocking me; for instance, I read in the paper the other day where someone said ‘Jimmy Sturr should step down.’ (laughs) I will when the New York Yankees do.”

There’s no argument, though, when it comes to his work as a polka promoter; few have tried harder to bring polka to a wider audience than Jimmy Sturr. He has recorded over 100 albums, plays over 150 dates a year (including non-polka venues like Farm-Aid and the Grand Ole Opry), and has a regular show on RFD-TV. In addition to his own excellent band, he has recruited an impressive list of guest artists to record with him. Names like Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, the Oak Ridge Boys, Arlo Guthrie, and many more.

After a pair of rock-oriented polka albums (Rock ‘n’ Polka and Shake, Rattle, and Polka), Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra get back to basics with Polka in Paradise. And, as usual, Sturr brings some guests along for the ride: the “Polish Prince”, Bobby Vinton, guests on the title track and The Jordanaires contribute vocal harmonies throughout.

In a big band like Sturr’s, the accordion can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. That’s not the case, though, on this Polka in Paradise track featuring dueling accordion solos by Steve Swiader and Al Piatkowski:

Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra: Accordions on Fire (MP3 download)

Buy Polka in Paradise by Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra

As our “Polka Grammy Preview Week” winds down, it’s worth asking: how important are the Grammys? What doors can a Grammy nomination (or win) open for an artist? Today’s issue of the The Tennessean poses that very question to some Grammy nominees, including polka nominee LynnMarie:

“I don’t even know where to begin. Because we don’t have radio, a Grammy win takes us to that next level of recognition. It opens up PR opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise get. I saw the jump when we were first nominated (in 2001). The phone started ringing off the hook and we were on the Tonight Show. Winning would do the same thing.”

Lo Zen e l’arte dell’organetto (Zen and the Art of the Organetto?) is a new blog on diatonic accordion music written by Gianni Ventola Danese, founder of the Diatonic Accordion Academy. While it’s best enjoyed by someone who understands Italian, there are plenty of excellent photos and videos that need no translation. Fisarmonica fantastica!

Lenny Gomulka is no stranger to the Grammys, having racked up 12 nominations (but no wins) since the award’s creation in 1986. A talented multi-instrumentalist (trumpet, clarinet, and sax), Gomulka grew up playing with the biggest names in Chicago polka: Marion Lush, Li’l Wally, and Eddie Blazonczyk.

In 1980, Gomulka left Blazonczyk’s Versatones and started his own band, Chicago Push. Their style is heavily influenced by the Polish-style polka music that Gomulka grew up with, but with modern arrangements and plenty of Gomulka-penned originals. After moving to New England in 1990, Gomulka wasted no time spreading the polka gospel there; he even wrote the official Massachusetts state polka (“Say Hello To Someone In Massachusetts”).

As Sweet as Candy is a textbook example of the “Push style”: tight horns, driving rhythms, and enough bellows shaking to make you think there’s an earthquake. The album alternates between traditional waltzes and obereks (some, like “Hop Ciuk Oberek”, are sung in Polish) and lively originals like “We’re Gonna Jam” and “She’s Got Nothin’ On You.” Nick Koryluk and Matthew Rosinski handle the concertina and accordion duties admirably.

But will it be enough to give Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push their first Grammy? We’ll find out on Sunday.

Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push: Dyngus Day in Buffalo (MP3 sample)

Buy As Sweet As Candy by Lenny Gomulka and Chicago Push

The Grammy Awards are Sunday, so this week we’re looking at the five nominees for “Best Polka Album.”

The first (and only) woman ever to be nominated in the polka category, LynnMarie Rink grew up in a Slovenian community in Cleveland, listening to her father play accordion at the Slovenian National Home. Now based in Nashville, LynnMarie aims to bring polkas to a new generation, playing high-energy shows that fuse traditional polka with modern rock and country rhythms. And, as her album cover shows, she’s easily the sexiest nominee in this year’s field (sorry Mr. Sturr).

Party Dress is LynnMarie’s fourth Grammy-nominated album and, like her previous efforts, it mixes originals with covers ranging from “Blue Moon” to The Who’s “Squeeze Box.” The Carol Lee Singers (of Grand Ole Opry fame) lend their voices to a cover of jazz hit “Happy Feet” and Ray Benson (of Asleep at the Wheel) guests on LynnMarie’s original “Polka Till the Cows Come Home.” Inspired by her recent, highly-successful tour of Slovenia, the album also includes three tracks influenced by the current direction of polka music in Europe (think Atomik Harmonik, but without the babes in hard-hats).

Party Dress is an incredibly fun, bouncy album that’s both a little bit Nashville and a little bit Cleveland. LynnMarie’s spunky personality shines throughout, and she’s one heck of a button-box player, too. With her energy and drive, I can’t imagine a better spokeswoman for the next generation of polka.

LynnMarie and the Boxhounds: No Beer Today (MP3 download)

Buy Party Dress by LynnMarie and the Boxhounds

Our accordion events calendar has only been live for a week and there are already more than 100 events listed. Here’s what’s happening this week:

• Mexico in Seattle (Saturday in Seattle, WA)
  Celebrate Mexican-American culture with performances by Son de Madera, Los Texmaniacs and Eva Ybarra.
• Merita Halili & The Raif Hyseni Orchestra (Friday in Lawrence, KS)
  Albanian folk queen Merita Halili is joined by her husband, Raif Hyseni, a noted composer and accordionists known for his “speed demon accordion.”
• Joe Vento Tribute Concert (Saturday in Sugar Land, TX)
  Dan and Kim Christian, Mario Pedone, and Sammy Thomas will perform at this tribute to accordionist Joe Vento, who played in The Three Suns and has numerous Hollywood credits to his name.

And there’s much more… including Julieta Venegas in Southern California, the Fishtank Ensemble in Arizona, and a conjunto/tejano accordion jam Saturday in San Jose. Check the calendar for more accordion happenings in your neighborhood.

There’s nothing like a lazy Saturday spent trolling for strange and unusual accordion-related goodies on eBay. Let’s see what the Internet’s biggest garage sale has in store for us this week:

• Accordion-Shaped Bar Set
  Anna and I saw one of these in a Fresno antique store, but couldn’t pull the trigger (they wanted $75!). It includes two bottles, a set of four shot glasses and, when you take out the bottles, it plays a song. Classy!
• Myron Floren’s Disco Polka
  We’ve written about this rare disco/polka mashup before; here’s your chance to own it! How can you pass up disco-fied versions of “How High the Moon” and “Beer Barrel Polka”?
• Accordion Man, Signed by Dick Contino
  Accordion Man is Bob Bove and Lou Angellotti’s 1994 biography of Dick Contino, chronicling his rise (Ed Sullivan shows), fall (indictment for draft dodging), and subsequent return to glory. This copy is signed by Contino himself and includes an autographed photo, too.
• 1966 Western States Accordion Festival Program
  Step back in time with this souvenir from the 11th annual Western States Accordion Festival, held at the Lafayette Hotel in Long Beach, CA. It’s 38 full pages of contest winner and committee member photos, as well as advertisements from the big accordion vendors of the time: Cordovox, Sonola, Titano, Giulietti, Lo Duca, and many more. (There’s one from the 1967 festival, too.)

Happy bidding!