Texas Bohemia VOL. I – Polkas Waltzes Schottisches / The Texas Bohemian-Moravian-German Bands

Contained here are 25 field recordings from the strange world of South Central Texas that highlight the deep presence of the Germans and Moravians in the state. All recorded between 1959 and 1993, these are the authentic article, un-messed with by modern hands — except to remaster them for CD, of course. Okay, okay, polkas and waltzes don’t sound that exciting. But the bottom line is that these polkas and waltzes are as thrilling as early rock & roll or early country music — or at the very least, the Sir Douglas Quintet on a good day. Why? Because they rock, that’s why. These tunes are stained through and through with the mark of their home state. This is Texas music first, and German and Moravian music second. It’s American in the same way that Johnny Burnette and the Rock & Roll Trio are American, the same way that Silver Eagle touring buses and Airstream trailers are. This music was recorded at fairs, conventions, drunken BBQ picnics, and, of course, weddings. There are traditional tunes, but then there are polkas and waltzes imbued with Tex-Mex and zydeco, as well as blues and country. There’s no point in mentioning the names of songs or artists because you’ve never heard of any of ‚em anyway, except for maybe the Henry Brosch Orchestra or the Shiner Hobo Band, and there is a killer version of „Cotton-Eyed Joe“ by the Fayetteville Flash (Lee Roy Mattocha’s orchestra from Fayetteville, TX). ~ Thom Jurek