Brave Combo Wins
Denton polka band honored with Grammy
By Lucinda Breeding - Staff Writer

The third time proved to be a charm for Denton's nuclear polka gang, Brave Combo, after the band won Best Polka Album during the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

This year's nomination for the album "Polkasonic" was the third in four years for the Denton group and its first win.

Carl Finch, longtime Denton resident and Brave Combo founder, said his first reaction to news of the win was "complete disbelief.

"It hasn't really even registered yet," Mr. Finch said in an impromptu interview. He talked as most of the band drove to Omaha, Neb., where they'll perform a concert tonight.

Because Wednesday was business as usual for the polka outfit, Mr. Finch said he didn't learn of the win until around 6 p.m. Wednesday.

"I was trying to get on the computer about that time to see what was happening," Mr. Finch said. "Bubba (Hernandez, the group's bassist and tuba stylist) is out there. He actually accepted the award. He's digging it."

"Polkasonic" is Brave Combo's 20th album and features Carl Finch on accordion, guitar, keyboards and vocals; Jeffrey Barnes on woodwinds, harmonica and vocals; Bubba Hernandez on bass, tuba and vocals; Danny O'Brien on trumpet; Alan Emert on drums; and Joe Cripps on percussion and vocals for selected tracks.

The album marks a new direction for the band. On "Polkasonic," Brave Combo forged into pop territory, but held onto its polka roots. Mr. Finch said the album was planned and
recorded deliberately. He and his band mates feel good about the recording, he said. The Grammy confirms that staking out a polka claim in solid rock 'n' roll territory was the right
move.

"When we went into the studio, we tried to play so that the rock 'n' roll power that we get in our live shows would be a big part of the record," Mr. Finch said. "It is a strong album, and some of that is from how we played, and some of it is from the selections we put on the album."

Recorded in Denton, "Polkasonic" was released by Cleveland International Records. Mr. Finch said the band chose the label because Cleveland's executive, Steve Popovich, agreed to let the group have complete artistic control.

"We see the Grammy as the result of Brave Combo and Steve Popovich's efforts," Mr. Finch said. "Steve has been a fan of ours for a long time, and he knew what we wanted to do on this album and backed us up 100 percent. He's blindly devoted to polka in a positive way."

Brave Combo is perhaps on the forefront of a push to give polka a more mainstream ppeal. Hence the band's foray into a more pop/rock sound. Mr. Finch said polka is coming into its own, gaining a younger audience, more radio play and more respect.

"The only thing that holds polka back are peoples' preconceived notions about it. If you can shake that, it might catch on," Mr. Finch said. "That's what we're trying to do. There is a lot of power in this music in a rock sense. That's something we always try to bring out in our shows and I think that's how a lot of people see Brave Combo."

At the same time, delivering smartly packaged polka, complete with pop trimmings, is the band's way of paying tribute to a traditional form they love.

And braiding polka into other forms is really old hat for Brave Combo. Anyone who's seen a live show knows that the band moves seamlessly through Latin, Polish and all-American
accents.

"People who like `Polkasonic' might just explore the roots of what we're doing," Mr. Finch said. "We've seen that happen again and again with the Latin side of what we do. I hope
people will hear the record and then look at what else is going on with polka. It's hard to find, but it is out there."

Brave Combo was up against stiff competition in the polka category for this year's Grammy. Jimmy Sturr, a multiple Grammy winner who usually invites big-name Nashville acts and country artists to record with him, posed perhaps the biggest threat with "Polkapalooza" by Jimmy Sturr And His Orchestra.

Also nominated was Eddie Blazonczyk's Versatones for the album "Smokin' Polkas." Mr. Finch said some consider Mr. Blazonczyk the "Polka King," owing to his straight-ahead
Polish style.

John Gora & Gorale, an ensemble that performs a blend of Polish and Slavinian polka, nabbed a nomination for "Follow Me."

Walter Ostanek, Canada's best-known polka player, was nominated for "Yearning for Polkas & Waltzes."

Mr. Finch commended fellow nominees for helping to make a lesser-known music style as rich as it is.

Brave Combo's next Denton concert will be March 4 at Rick's on Fry Street.

Brave Combo has 21 years of music under its belt: "Polkamania" (1979); "Music For Squares" (1981); "Urban Grown-ups" (1982); "Originals" (1982); "World Dance Music"
(1984); "No Sad Faces" (1984); "Musical Varieties" (1987); "Polkatharsis" (1987); "Humansville" (1988); "A Night On Earth" (1990); "It's Christmas, Man!" (1992); "No, No, No, Cha, Cha, Cha" (1993); "Hokey Pokey" (1994); "Polkas For A Gloomy World" (1995); "Girl" (1996); "Mood Swing Music" (1996); "Kiss Of Fire" (1996); "Group Dance Epidemic" (1997); and "Polka Party" (1998).

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LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at (940) 381-9570. Her e-mail
address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com

Reprinted with the permission of the Denton Record-Chronicle