Extreme Polka: Grammy Awards Corrections

Looks like I made a mistake, Jimmy Sturr was not nominated this year for a Grammy Award. I was in a hurry and thought I had a list of this year's nominees but as Gregorie and Action Jackson pointed out to me-- I had last years list. So let me just say "oops!!"
In this case I am actually glad a made a mistake, as someone in the Grammy world has finally realized what a damn hack Jimmy Sturr is, and has decided to nominate a TRUE POLKA BAND: Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, and I am extra happy today to find this out because they are a hometown band.
So let me just apologize one more time for the Grammy Mix up and also let me say congrats to Eddie.
Now if those Grammy jerks would just recognize The Polkaholics@

So with all of that said- and once again thanks to Action Jackson for this article.

Polka artists float Grammy hopes
Sunday, December 12, 2004
By John Sinkevics

The Grand Rapids Press

Maybe the 18th time is the charm.
If so, break out the accordions to celebrate, because amid all the glitzy pop, R&B and rock icons grabbing headlines -- Alicia Keys, Kanye West, Ray Charles, Green Day -- a pair of Grand Rapids polka gurus has high hopes for achieving two-step glory at February's Grammy Awards.

For the 18th time, the Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences has nominated Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones, a Chicago band featuring local musicians Gerry Kaminski on trumpet and David "Nigel" Kurdziel on bass, for polka album of the year for the CD, "Highways;Dancehalls.

Wide open

And this time around, longtime polka rival Jimmy Sturr, of New York, who's won a record 14 Grammys and the last four in a row, is missing from the nominees' list unveiled last week. Could that open up the dance floor for the Versatones?

How sweet it is

Although they got a chance to attend last year's ceremonies when the Versatones' "Versalicious" was nominated (only to lose to Sturr), snagging a Grammy come Feb. 13 in Los Angeles would be especially sweet. Still, Kurdziel said getting any attention at all for playing polkas -- records often relegated to the "Miscellaneous" bin -- is reward enough, even if it's listed as "Category 73" out of 107 award divisions.

"It's a great feeling to know that ... polka music is still being recognized by people almost in the mainstream a little bit," he said. "It's just been great to be nominated."

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