Polka Beats History

The members of the Christy Thomas & his Polkabeats orchestra where, Christy (dad), on the guitar, Chris (oldest son) on the accordion, Tom (middle son) on the sax and John (youngest son) on drums. They started practicing together in 1965. Chris was 14, Tom was 12 and John was 10!! Chris was all ready playing with his dad in bars around the Youngstown, Ohio area.

My dad’s brother, Emil (Dusty) Thomas, played a big part in our music history. He bought my brother John this first drum! He also took us to play our first paying gig. It was at an auction in Cortland, Ohio in either 1965 or 1966. We played in a barn! We set up in a stall will bales of hay. I remember it well. We all were very shy, nervous, young and intimidated. We made six (6) dollars each. I’ll never forget what Uncle Dusty told us. He said, “ You are now professional musicians because you got paid. You will never be amatures again!” I hear those words like he said them yesterday! Thank you Uncle Dusty!!

After our first paying gig, we started playing for any and every party anyone wanted music at. Dad and Tom did all the lead singing. John and I would sing harmonies. Along with practicing everyday, we played a lot of gigs . When playing that much you get pretty good, pretty fast!! In late 1968 or early 1969, we needed a bass player. Our first bass player and first player outside of the family, was Alan Koss from Sharon, Pa. We all met as members of the Continental Junior Tamburitza Orchestra from Sharon, Pa under the direction of Emil Bossick.

The band immediately started playing for the events and functions the Continentals had. Between those gigs and the parties and wedding, we were playing just about every weekend!   Sometime around 1970-71, we were playing at Pozega’s bar in Girard, Ohio, a bar we would go to after our gigs to listen to the Pozega brothers play Tamburitza music. Dad grew up with these guys and knew them well. The Pozega brothers heard Alan play bass. They told my dad they wanted Alan to play bass with them!! Then, offered him a job playing with them. Needless to say, he went!!   So after our gigs, we would still go to listen to the Pozega brothers and OUR bass player Alan!!

Well, we needed another bass player. We recruited another member of the Continental Tamburitza and a good friend of ours, Jerry Novosel.   Keep in mine we were all still very young. I just turned 20 years old!!   Jerry played with us until he went to college. We then turned to a friend of dad’s named Steve Wolenic to play bass. After a short time, we wanted to play more current music. Steve was not comfortable playing the more modern songs.

We needed a new bass player! So went turned to another Continental Tamburitza musician, and one I taught how to play music, Joe Zdelar! Joe fit right in with us from the get go. He was like a brother to us. Our friendship is still strong today!

The mid 70’s saw some major changes for the Polkabeats. COLLEGE!!! Tom left for Chicago to study chiropractic and John went to Duquene to study Pharmacy and perform with the Duquene Tamburitza group.

We needed a Sax player and a Drummer!! The Polkabeats lost their identity. Tom was the front man, he did all of the lead singing plus he brought that certain stage presents that people loved, enjoyed and would come to see what Tom would do next! He entertained him with his stage presents and charm. John was the guy that kept that timing in check and provided excitement and drive with his drumming. Good musicians like that are hard to find. We quickly learned, that the good ones are all ready playing with other bands. BUT we did find some good ones for replacements. Ron Wasilchak took over the Saxophone duties and John Stanec (our cousin) took the thorn behind the drums! John Stanec was with us a short time until he organized his own Rock n Roll band.

We needed another drummer!! Joe Zdelar took me his cousin Fred Yasnowski played drums so we hired him!. He was a good addition to the Polkabeats. He learned quickly, he remembered well and he brought a voice too!

After a couple of years both Joe and Fred left the Polkabeats to play with a band from New Castle, Pa.

We needed a bass player and a drummer!! Boy will it ever end!!?? So we went out looking angain and found John Trinckles who played bass and Tuba!! Our new drummer would be Dean Bossick, who just happens to in the Continental Tamburitza when we were members.   We also added a button accordion player named Eric Bahor. We moved into that really Ompah sound for a while!

John Trinckles moved to Florida, Guess what? We needed another Bass player! We were fortunate to find John Laudo, who was at the time, between groups! Lucky for us!!   We liked the players in the band and we were still playing alot but the sound just wasn't the same. There was something missing. We lost our identity.

Shortly after John Laudo started playing, Dad decided to retire!! Thank you dad for all those years of music memories!! The Polkabeats disbanded at that point. John Laudo and I stayed together. We formed a band called "Take Five" and moved on!

Tom is playing blues with Cleveland Fats and an occasional Polka gig, Brother John plays when ever he gets a chance. Alan Koss is still playing to this day with the Del Sincak Orchestra. Joe Zdelar is still playing. He is with the Bob Zolka band and sits in with other bands. Fred Yasnowski is still playing today with his own band. John Stanec had a successful band called “Route 66”, he is not playing anymore. Ron Wascelcic and JohnTrinckles are retired, Dean Bossick plays on occasion. Eric Bahor and John Laudo along with our dad are playing in the big band in the sky.

I moved to California in 1982 and started playing with my Uncle Chips (Dominic) Country western band. After abour 4 years I started an oldies Rock N Roll band. I stopped playing music when Dad died 1997. The person I played for was gone. In 1998 I joined the Yeseta Brothers Tamburica Orchestra from Los Angeles, CA.   I occasionally take my accordion out and head to Fontana, CA to play with the musicians out there.

In August of 2005, my brothers and I got together to play one more wedding. It was for a long time friend of ours, Shelly Petrick. He had played for both of her sisters in the 70’s and Dad promised Shelly we would play for her wedding! Shelly never forgot that. Everytime she would see my dad, me or my brothers she would always ask, “You guys are going to play for my wedding right?” Of course we always said yes.   So when she called and told me she was getting married I was happy for her. She then asked if the Polkabeats would play for her wedding! I told her we had not done a four hour wedding gig in many many years! Heck I wasn’t even sure we could remember enough songs to play a four hour gig!! She said the DAD had promised her we would play. So, I called my brothers. I told them what was going on. Tom said “Dad did promise! That is a family contract that we must honor”. John was surprised Shelly still wanted us to play and was a little concern on how we would pull this off. Joe said sure who not! Yeah, this coming from a guy who is playing just about every weekend! But we all agreed to do it! We hired a guitar player and I brought my California brother Tom Yeseta (who met Shelly a few years earlier) with me for back up!   Borthers Tom, John, Joe and I got together for one rehearsal the day before the wedding. We borrowed a keyboard and some sound equipment, loaded up the cars and headed for the gig!   Once we played our first couple of songs, it was like we had been playing all along! Tom took his lead position and controlled the stage and audience. John put down that beat with the excitement and drive we all remembered. Joe thumped the bass with authority. Alan Koss was there and came up and played a set too!! As for me, it was interesting how everything just came back to me and fell into place, well except for the speed of my fingers!! LOL!! It was like old times!!!

My brothers (which includes Joe) and I play music together ever chance we get. Whether it be Polka, rock n roll, old standards, blues or tamburitza music we rarely pass up an opportunity to dust off the cobb webs and bring back that excitement we all were so use to generating.   NOW all most 40 years later we finally decided to make a recording!! Soon to be completed somtime in 2008   “Reflections” IT’S ABOUT TIME!!

And the Band Plays on!!

Playing from the heart!