David “Nigel” Alan Kurdziel was born on May 2, 1963, in Buffalo, NY. He was first exposed to polka music at church picnics and from polka shows. Nigel’s cousin, Gino Kurdziel, played for the renowned G Notes. His older brother Mike was a drummer, and his younger brother Kevin played accordion. Nigel started playing guitar at the age of 11 and joined his first band, The Melody Men, at age 12, playing bass with his…
The back story on the Krew Brothers Band is that it was established in 1958 as a three-piece combo with members Tony, Don, and Gary. The year was 1967 when Allen and Dennis joined the group, and just two years later, the band recorded its first album. “A Lively Polka Session.” It did not take long for the band to be recognized in the polka community, as the bookings were coming in from all…
Born on June 5, 1945, in Buffalo, New York, Stephen w. Krzeminski was destined to make his mark in polka music. Standing tall at 6 feet, 3 inches by the time he was 16 years of age, the charismatic accordionist first led Big Steve’s Orchestra and later Big Steve and the Bellares until 1995. For over three-and-a-half decades, steve toured throughout the U.S. northeast and midwest and performed in Hawaii, Canada, and the Caribbean. His…
Edward Chester Kutas Sr. was a well-known and important promoter of polka music in Buffalo and Western New York. He was the owner and operator of the historic Warsaw Inn on Broadway in the heart of the Polish East Side. For many years, Ed had a vision for a polka convention to be conducted in Buffalo and urged his friend Johnny Hyzny of Chicago to bring his International Polka Convention to the Nickel City. …
Randy Koslosky has made significant contributions to the polka industry as a performer, songwriter, studio musician, producer, and creator of unique polka productions. Born in Pittsburgh in 1962, Randy has been actively performing polka music since 1976. He started with a band formed along with his brother that later became known as Energy. He also performed regularly with The Sounds and later joined Henny & the Versa J’s. With these bands, he has been…
Johnny Krizancic was born March 31, 1929, and at the age of eight years old he started his musical career with the area tamburitzans. After serving in the Air Force and attending college, he married Martha Dzurinda and performed with many musicians. In 1960, Johnny and his wife established Marjon Records, which produced over 350 LPs for various music labels. For over 50 years, he promoted Cleveland style polkas, tamburitza, Polish, German, Czech-Slovak…
Freddy “K” Kendzierski has been a fixture in the polka scene for over thirty-five years. He was born in the Bronx, New York, which was then a mecca for polka music with greats like Bernie Witkowski and Regina Kujawa. At the age of seven, Fred decided he wanted to play the accordion and started taking lessons from Bernie Witkowski’s cousin Walter. In the early 1960’s, when the neighbors started to move out of…
Thomas Anthony (Tommy) Karas was born March 28, 1946 in Buffalo, New York. He was the eldest of four children born to Anthony J. and Carrie M. (Bieniek) Karas. Both sets of grandparents were Polish immigrants. His father was a steel worker at Bethlehem Steel and his mother was a stay-at-home mom caring for the children, John, Karen and Donna, who followed him in birth order. Tom and his siblings were raised…
Johnny Karas, lead vocalist and tenor saxophone for the Jimmy Sturr Band, has regaled audiences with his virtuosity for over forty years. His intensity, versatility and creativity on the tenor sax have resulted in most observers describing him as one of, if not the best saxophonist ever in the polka field. His unique vocal styling and phrasing have afforded him the recognition of being one of the finest vocalists in the industry. Bobby Vinton…
Few can equal the contributions made by Eddie Korosa in popularizing polka music. Eddie has left his mark across the entertainment spectrum, inspiring new generations of polka lovers along the way. Eddie Korosa was born in the Southwest side of Chicago in 1918; a first generation American of Polish and Slovenian heritage, and 1 of 7 children. He attended St. Blaze’s grade school in Summit, and Argo High School. His father, Joseph, an…
With the unique sound of an accordion and the oom pah pah of the tuba, “Abie”, Nebraska’s Ernie Kucera and his band has been entertaining people with polka music for the past fifty years. Kucera first started playing drums in his brother’s band, The Kucera Accordion Band in 1938. When war broke out many of the musicians were drafted, and Kucera reorganized the band in 1942. “Since the war took most of the…
Destined to be a prominent figure in the polka circuit, Chet Kowalkowski began his musical career with the accordion at the age of eight. At twelve, he already won his first merit of achievement for the accordion on the John Nieminski WOPA Polka Show. After entering high school, he became fascinated with the trumpet. His expert ability with this instrument earned him the first chair in the school’s concert band and shortly after…
Bruce Kryger has been playing with his own band since 1954. In 1962 he joined with his brother Lucian and formed what became known as the Kryger Brothers Band. Bruce played the cordovox accordion and composed many of the arrangements for the band. The band had several hit recordings including “The Bridal Dance,” “The Boys from Wilkes-Barre” and “Mary on a Bike.” Bruce was a partner with his brother in the Kryger Music…
As a teenager Lucian Kryger had recorded several 78 RPM recordings with his father’s orchestra (Brunon Kryger) on the Harmonia Label of N.Y. In 1951 Lucian, Jerry and brother Bruce recorded two 78 rpm recordings for Polo Records. One of the hit sides was entitled, “Little Boy Oberek.” Lucian started recording for RAVE Records of Bethlehem, Pa., in 1962 and later recorded for Starr Records of Florida, N.Y. The personal appearances of…
Leon J. Kozicki was born on July 4, 1930 in Chicago. He attended grammar school at St. Peter and Paul’s at which time he first became exposed to music when his father presented him with a button accordion one Christmas. As a youngster he became ill with pneumonia and upon recovery the doctor recommended a wind instrument to help develop and strengthen his lungs. He tried the trumpet but settled with the clarinet on which…
Brunon Kryger was born in Lodz, Poland in 1899. From early childhood his ambition was to be an entertainer. The outbreak of W.W.I. dampened his career for a short time for he had to serve 3 years and 4 months in the Polish Army. After his discharge he studied at the Poznan Conservatory of Music, and upon completion of his studies in 1923 he toured Poland with leading musical shows as on entertainer and M.C.,…