KB-60 - NORTH STAR 2009

MARV’s OAKDALE DUTCHMEN, Marv Masterman, Gay Zarth

55

KB-60A – Es Gehts Sar Gut (It Goes So Good) (BMI Oompah Pub.)

KB-60B – Sunset Schottische (BMI Oompah Pub.)

NORTH STAR 2009

1936 University Ave, St Paul, MN

KB-59 - NORTH STAR 2004

Joe Plumer and Orchestra

55

KB-59A – Summer Paradise   (BMI)

KB-59B – Dance Of The Blue Fox   (BMI)

NORTH STAR 2004

1936 University Ave, St Paul, MN

KB-57 - SOMA 1037

SLIM JIM

55

KB-57A - Jan Johnson’s Wedding   (No Publ.)

KB-57B - Flikken Paa Belmon’s Roe   (No Publ.)

SOMA 1037

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

The Norwegian American brothers Ernest "Slim Jim" and Clarence "the Vagabond Kid" Iverson were born, respectively, in 1903 and 1905 near Binford, North Dakota.  After their mother's death in 1910, their father hired Molly Ruud, a Norwegian immigrant, to keep house.  Fortuitously for the boys, she was a guitar player with a large repertoire of Norwegian songs, and the boys learned songs and the rudiments of guitar-playing from here.  Ernest dropped out of high school to play guitar with a traveling wild west show, where his lanky 6'4" frame earned his lasting nickname.  Performing sometimes and sometimes working as an oil field hand in Texas boomtowns, he was convinced by an injury on the job to follow a career in radio.  After stints in Wichita Falls and Omaha, he returned to the Upper Midwest in the early 1930s where he and his brother Clarence became stars on the Minneapolis radio station WDGY.  Combining a daily radio show with regional performances, the pair entertained listeners with cowboy songs, sentimental recitations, comic novelty numbers, and hymns in English, along with occasional ballads, seasonal songs, and paeans to mother and home in Norwegian.  Perhaps most popular of all were their comic performances of "Scandihoovian" dialect songs like "John Johnson's Wedding," and "The Whistling, Drifting Snow"--classic performances that continue to be sung throughout the Upper Midwest. Clarence ceased performing in public in 1948, but in the 1950s Ernest Iverson made a series of recordings as Slim Jim on California's FM label, including the popular song, "I Just Don't Give a Hoot."  After his death in 1958, the SOMA label of Minneapolis released an LP, Slim Jim Sings Nikolina And Other Favorites, comprised of studio performances, some of which included the Vagabond Kid.

Source: Norwegian/American Folk Music Portal.

Source: Unknown

Source: Derik Olsen

Source: Derik Olsen

KB-56 - SOMA 1036

JOLLY LUMBERJACKS

55

KB-56A - Deutschland Medley Waltz  (No Publ.)

KB-56B - Sylvia Schottische   (No Publ.)

SOMA 1036

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

KB-55 - SOMA 1035

CLEM BRAU and His Soma Serenaders

55

KB-55A - Josephine   (No Publ.)

KB-55B - Bubbles In The Wine   (No Publ.)

SOMA 1035

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

Clem was also a member of the Jolly Lumberjacks Band. Clem is also slightly famous for being in the band that played at the Surf ballroom in Clear lake, IA the day after Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper played and subsequently  died in a plane crash after the gig. Apparently, Clem told his brothers daughter that it was the saddest gig he ever played.

KB-54 - METRENOME 110

KUHFUSS BROTHERS

55

KB-54A - Simple Life Waltz  (No Publ.)

KB-54B - Dutch Frolic Polka  (No Publ.)

METRENOME 110

29 8th St, Rochester, MN

(Div of Be Beau Recording Co.)

KB-53 - METRENOME 109

KUHFUSS BROTHERS

55

KB-53A - Bunny Hop Schottische   (No Publ.)

KB-53B - Hired Hands Waltz   (No Publ.)

METRENOME 109

29 8th St, Rochester, MN

(Div of Be Beau Recording Co.)

Wabasha County Herald, Wabasha, MN, April 18, 1990

GARFIELD KUHFUSS

Garfield George Kuhfuss, 69, of Wabasha, formerly of Rochester, a longtime area musician and a retired former Rochester State Hospital employee, died Saturday, April 7, 1990 of an apparent heart attack at his home. He was born October 9, 1920 in West Albany, MN and married Esther L. Larson on August 9, 1939 in Rochester. Mr. Kuhfuss was a rehabilitation therapist at the former state hospital for 28 1/2 years. He was a musician and played with the Kuhfuss Brothers Band and the Gardy K. Band for many years. Mr. Kuhfuss was a member of the Rochester Eagles and Elks lodges and the Rochester Musician's Assn. Mrs. Kuhfuss died on Dec. 12, 1983. Survivors include two daughters, Patricia (Mrs. Ted) Bulaga of Mantorville and Carol (Mrs. James) Stocker of Jacksonville, FL; two sons, the Rev. Kim of LaCrosse, WI and Mark of Minneapolis, 11 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren. A brother preceded him in death.

KB-52 - METRENOME 108

KUHFUSS BROTHERS

55

KB-52A - Out Of Tune Waltz   (No Publ.)

KB-52B - Eleen Polka   (No Publ.)

METRENOME 108

29 8th St, Rochester, MN

(Be Beau recording Co.)

Wabasha County (MN) Herald 3 March 1977

Verniel Lindy Kuhfuss, 49 of rural Wabasha, a former Rochester dance band arranger and drummer and a retired electronics scientist, died Saturday at the St Elizabeth Hospital emergency room in Wabasha. He was born May 22, 1927, in Red Wing, and married Ruth Wheeler here on June 17, 1950. He lived in Rochester from 1937 to 1955, working as an arranger and drummer for the Kuhfuss Brothers Dance Band. He also arranged music for Bennett and Greten band, Skippy Anderson, Lynn Kerns, Al Moehnke and the Six Fat Dutchmen bands.

He moved to Palo Alto, Calif., in 1955, working for the Varian Co. The family returned to this area in December. He was a World War II Navy veteran.

Source: https://www.discogs.com/Kuhfuss-Brothers-Out-Of-Tune-Waltz-Eleen-Polka/release/14505033

KB-51 - METRENOME 107

Kuhfuss Brothers

55

KB-51A – (No Info)

KB-51B – (No Info)

METRENOME MT 107

Be Beau Recording Co, 29 8^THStreet, Rochester, Mn

(According to one family member, this issue was probably by the brothers.)

KB-50 - METRENOME 106

KUHFUSS BROTHERS

55

KB-50A - Lamplighter Waltz   (No Publ.)

KB-50B - Happy Heine Polka   (No Publ.)

METRENOME 106

29 8th St, Rochester, MN

KB-49 - NORTH STAR 2006

THE LITTLE FISHERMEN (Norm Wilke's)

55

KB-49A – Kiss Waltz  (BMI)

KB-49B – North Star Schottische  (BMI)

NORTH STAR 2006

1936 University Ave, St Paul, MN

More polka from the Little Fishermen.

KB-48 - SOMA 1034

JERRY DORSTAL And His Orchestra

55

KB-48A – Horse Gate Polka (Vitak Elsnic)

KB-48B – Snowflake Waltz (Vitak Elsnic)

SOMA 1034

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

More polka for the Minnesota masses!

KB-47 - SOMA 1033

JERRY DORSTAL And His Orchestra

55

KB-47A – You Promised Me   (Vitak Elsnic)

KB-47B – After The Morning   (Vitak Elsnic)

SOMA 1033

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

Jerry was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in 1997. Here is the brief bio recorded on his page:

"Jerry Dostal, known as “The King of Bohemian Music” startedentertaining in the early 1930s and started his own eight member band.
The band entertained in many states and all over Minnesota, with the longest stint of playing every night for three months.
Jerry believes he was the first old-tyme band to use a sleeper bus, which he had built by a company in Chaska.
The Dostal Band did live broadcasts on many stations over the years and the band’s first recording, “PlaMor Waltz” was recorded in 1948.In 1940, Jerry and his wife, Ethel purchased the Swan Lake Pavilion on Silver Lake and later renamed it the Pla-Mor Ballroom.

Jerry played with many other area bands over the years and considers himself fortunate to have had such dedications from the musicians he played with."

KB-46 - KAY BANK 46

THE FOUR LORDS

55

KB-46A - The Day Isn't Long Enough   (No Publ.)

             So Long   (No Publ.)

KB-46B - Blue Moon   (No Publ.)

             Sh-Boom   (No Publ.)

KAY BANK 46

Minneapolis, MN

(The Four Lords Are: Bob Boylan, Dodd Wilson, Tom Roden, Paul Westmiller, Pat Barsness-Piano)

Source: https://www.45cat.com/record/kb46

KB-39 - NORTH STAR 2005 (Updated 02 Aug 2014)

NORM WILKE’S LITTLE FISHERMEN

55

KB-39A - Red Wing   (BMI)

KB-39B - The Chicago Waltz   (BMI)

NORTH STAR 2005

1936 University Ave, St Paul, MN

(From Oktoberfest Website - a festival of Polka and Big Band Music)

Little Fisherman Orchestra 
The Little Fishermen Orchestra was originated by Mr. Norm Wilke from Le Sueur MN. Wilke operated the band for around twenty years before retiring the library in 1968. This Library remained in the Wilke basement for thirty years before it was purchased by myself, Gordy Prochaska. I now operate the band and play in South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, Arizona and Minnesota. The Little Fishermen consist of eight band members. Concertina, drum, bass, two trumpets, and three sax and clarinet... Our specialty is old time md big band music. After obtaining the Wilke Library in 1998 we have produced eight old time cd's and a Christmas cd, and I am now working on our tenth old time cd. The Little Fishermen is one of the few bands still in operation that offers the great high quality sound of polka music as it was played in the hay day of old time music. The Little Fishermen orchestra has the privilege of having four band directors as members, and at times six. This makes things a whole lot easier for me. I hope you enjoy our music as we like playing it and I look forward to meeting you at some upcoming engagements, Gordy Prochaska, bandleader of the Little Fishermen.

KB-37 - SOMA 1032

LEO AND HIS PIONEERS

(Vcl - Norb Shorty Pudil, Dick Harvey and Karl Rusty Wagner)

55

KB-37A - Chicken Reel  (Robbins Music)

KB-37B - You Tell Me Your Dream   (Chart Music House Inc)

SOMA 1032

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

Another 45 from this popular outfit. Probably released at the same time as Soma 1031 (which makes me wonder why they didn't issue all 4 sides as an EP.)

3rd August 2011

LONGTIME WMT RADIO HOST LEO GRECO DIES AT AGE 89

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Leo Greco, whose “Variety Time” radio show entertained generations of radio listeners on WMT-AM, has died, according to a posting on WMT Radio’s Web site. Greco, 89, passed away Tuesday, according to the station.

Greco was best known for leading the Leo Greco Band in the ’50s and ’60s and hosting the “Variety Time” radio show on 600 WMT-AM since the early 1970s.

Greco, who grew up in Oelwein, started playing accordion when he was 10 and joined his first band at 15. In 1939, he moved to Cedar Rapids and joined Don Sievert and the Texans. After playing in several bands, he joined the Navy in 1942 during World War II. On May 4, 1945, his ship, the USS Luce, was struck by suicide planes about 60 miles from Okinawa. After returning home safely, he married his sweetheart, Louise Dugger, a few months later.

“I promised my wife I wouldn’t get back in the music business,” he said in a 2010 interview.

Then Tom Owens asked him to play accordion in his band. Louise, he says, knew how happy music made him and let him break his promise.

“Thanks to my lovely wife and the good Lord, I got in the music business,” he said in 2010.

He played with the Tom Owens Band until 1948 when he left started his own band, Leo and the Pioneers, which eventually became the Leo Greco Band. The band toured the Midwest for more than 20 years. “Kent Seeds presents the Leo Greco Show” was aired on six television stations in Iowa and Illinois and 23 radio stations.

While he was on road, during the band’s heyday, Greco’s wife stayed home with the couple’s five children.

After giving up the band in 1969, Greco went into radio, starting in sales at KCRG-AM. He joined WMT-AM (600) in 1971 and began “Variety Time” a year later. Although he “retired” in 1988, he continued to host “Variety Time” on WMT every Sunday morning.

Even into his 80s, Greco brought in a large audience and helped Eastern Iowans make a connection to the station, Randy Lee, WMT’s program director said in 2010. “He really fits the mold of the purpose of radio.”

As well as entertaining people with his music, Greco was involved with several local non-profit organizations.

Service to others, he says, was instilled at an early age. “My dad told me when I was a kid, ‘We’re living in the greatest country in the world, you have to give back,’” he said in 2010.

One of his favorite organizations was Camp Courageous in Monticello, with the camp getting frequent air time on Sundays.

Greco also collects pop can tabs for the Shriners Transportation Fund. Last year he set a Shriners record by collecting more than 13 million tabs through his radio program.

“He a great ambassador for the station,” WMT’s Lee said. “He’s touched so many people in Eastern Iowa in so many ways.”

Greco’s biggest fan, his wife, Louise, died nearly about three years ago.

Source: Derik Olsen

KB-36 - SOMA 1031

LEO AND HIS PIONEERS

55

KB-36A – Johnson Rag   (Robbins Music)

KB-36B – Prune Song   (Vitak-Elsnic)

SOMA 1031

119 North 9th St, Minneapolis, MN   (Amos Heilicher)

Leo Greco and his band were very popular around the Mid-West area with their infectious brand of polka, waltzes, country and Old Timey Music.

KB-35 - KAY BANK LP 35

CHURCH CHOIR IN PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH - “Anthems”  (Feat Arthur B Jennings)

55

KB-35A - Spring In The Desert   (No Publ.)

              The Message To The Stars   (No Publ.)

              When To The Temple Mary Went (sic)   (No Publ.)

KB-35B - The Beatitudes   (No Publ.)

              The Good Shepherd   (No Publ.)

              Benedictus Es, Domine   (No Publ.)

KAY BANK LP 35

Minneapolis, MN   (Vern Bank)

Another Gospel Lp I've yet to see the cover of. I'm guess it came with one originally. Located on the southern edge of Minneapolis.