Polka Stars Salute Collinwood Bandleader Eddie Habat, Sunday, August 7

Celebrate the music of the late polka legend and Collinwood native Eddie “Hambone” Habat as the Jeff Pecon Orchestra appears with guest accordionists Fred Kuhar and Walter Ostanek, Canada’s Polka King, at SNPJ Farm in Kirtland, Ohio, Sunday, August 7, 2016.

Enjoy an all-star salute to Eddie Habat, one of the Cleveland-Style Polka’s top accordionists and bandleaders. Fr. Frank Perkovich arrives from Minnesota to start the day with his popular Polka Mass at 1:00. Jeff Pecon strikes up his orchestra at 3:00 for four hours of dancing, featuring 3-time Grammy-winner Walter Ostanek and Polka Hall of Famer Fred Kuhar. Drummer Mark Habat, Eddie’s son, joins the fun.

Eddie Habat (1926-2005) was one of the major stylists of the Cleveland Polka sound. The Colliwood-born accordionist and his orchestra performed for Decca Records and hosted radio and television polka shows. His hard-driving rendition of "Go Man Go" brought him national attention in 1953. Eddie’s bouncy original tunes include “Hambone Habat Polka,” “Hi-Lee, Hi-Lo,” and “Riverboat Polka” – all polka standards today.

Before and during the dance, treat yourself to home-style dinners and sandwiches and refreshments. Admission is $8 for the dance and Polka Mass. Your hosts are the members and friends of SNPJ Charter Lodge No. 5, Naprej, along with the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum in Euclid. SNPJ Farm is just off Chardon Road (Route 6) at 10946 Heath Road in Kirtland, Ohio, three miles east of Route 306 and six miles west of Route 44. Contact Karen Tomsic, 216-481-1379 for details. 

Joe Valencic

Joe Valencic is a North Collinwood resident and President of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum.

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Volume 8, Issue 7, Posted 12:36 PM, 07.10.2016