Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center Honors Sodek, Ellinger Combo

The Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center (TCHCC) in La Grange hosted its annual gala on Saturday, Dec. 5. During the gala, TCHCC honored polka DJ Larry Sodek and the Ellinger Combo.

Larry Sodek

When famed disc jockey, musician, and polka promoter Lee Roy Matocha passed away in 2003, it left a big polka hole within the Fayette County radio broadcast area. Within several weeks of Matocha’s passing, Larry Sodek, stepped up to plug the hole. Lee Roy had been doing a polka music show for over four decades and many radios got switched to La Grange’s KVLG-AM when his show came on.

Larry Sodek, a member of the Lee Roy Matocha Orchestra, a founding member of the Ellinger Combo, and leader of the Central Texas Sounds has been raised on the Czech language and music in Matocha’s hometown, Fayetteville. Larry’s extensive record and CD collection and later access to Matocha’s music and equipment enabled his show, Polka Party, to follow the successful format of playing Czech and German records.

His introduction in Czech and pronunciation of the song titles enforced the authenticity to the new listeners and warranted appreciation from those who still understood their native tongue. The Polka Party show is recorded in his home studio just prior to his thrice weekly broadcast.

Larry’s theme song is the Hill and Dale Polka and his personal favorite song to share with listeners is Beautiful America, both the Adolph Hofner and Vrazel Polka Band versions. Thanks to Larry Sodek that music that defined Fayette and surrounding areas is still bringing new fans to the polka world and satisfying old fans.

Ellinger Combo

Ellinger, Texas is a small community in eastern Fayette County near the railroad where early Czech settlers got off the train to start a new life in Central Texas. Among other things Czech it is the hometown of the Ellinger Combo. The name implies the sound of a jazz group playing in a cocktail lounge, but the band is far from that. To define the group, here is an abridged version of the liner notes from the Ellinger Combo’s very first album From Ellinger With Love which was produced and recorded at the Ray Doggett Sound Studio in 1968.

“This fine band with the unusual name, but the smooth dance music, has won many fans with their unique style of playing.”

“Although the Ellinger Combo (EC) is small in number, it is large in musical ability and spirit. This is due to the six very talented musicians who combine to perform all types of music; from snappy polkas and waltzes, to mellow modern music, to a bouncy bossa nova.”

“The leader of the EC is Henry Adamek, from Ellinger, who plays saxophone, and is the band’s manager and chauffeur. Danny (Denny) Marek is the newest member of the band. Danny is a triple threat, he plays trumpet, saxophone, and does many English and German vocals. The flash from Fayetteville is Larry Sodek. Larry plays trumpet and bass guitar and has won much acclaim for his Czech vocals. Ludwig Krause, known to many as the “big L” hails from Giddings. He plays with a unique style of the accordion, a product of a lifelong interest in that instrument. Bennie Trlicek, from Ellinger, puts the drive in the rhythm section as he plays bass guitar, rhythm guitar, and lead guitar [along] with many of the western vocals. Filling out the rhythm section and arranges some songs, is the big drummer, Dale Meyer, who hails from Columbus.”

The Ellinger Combo was the brainchild of Henry Adamek and Ralph Wavra, both mechanics at a car dealership in Columbus. It was kind of a “hey, we both like music, let’s start up a band” beginning. They began assembling the band, practicing at a private residence with Ignatz Zaskoda, an old time musician, guiding them through their rehearsals. The EC was quite literally a new band meaning none of them had ever played as a full-time member of a previous band. Their very first performance at the Ellinger Picnic. Overall, for a first-time public performance AND in front of their friends and family (no pressure there), things worked out well. They realized they had what it takes and began accepting bookings in the area. Unfortunately, Ralph had to drop out due to health reasons. One of their early dances was a double dance in 1967 at East Bernard’s Riverside Hall alongside the Joe Patek Orchestra. After two years finding their groove the Combo headed to Ray Doggett’s recording studios to cut their first record, From Ellinger With Love. This was very exciting, particularly for Larry as he was still in high school. Once in the studio under Doggett’s direction things were not quite the same as practicing at home or playing a wedding. Doggett ran a tight ship, and the musicians had to get used to being stopped while playing a song and to start over, but they got used to it and went in the studio three more times.

The wide range of styles on their first LP reflects shows EC testing the musical tastes of their audience. A sure winner was the first cut: In Heaven There is No Beer Polka with vocal by Denny in both English and Czech. The twelve-song album has six songs that are polkas and waltzes, with a little country (Ring of Fire) and an old standard (When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again). The standout song is unique in that the EC is probably the only polka band who has recorded the Latin flavored song Blame it on the Bossa Nova (even Brave Combo hasn’t covered it). At that time, it was a popular hit song.

The secret to the Combos success is that when they play a polka, they play a straight polka, and when they play a country song, it is pure country. No country-fried polka and no polka-fried country, they played the real deal. Three guys have hung in there through several personnel changes over the years.

Larry Sodek, was fascinated by the trumpet in his early teens, joined the band in Fayetteville School. He never could learn to read sheet music, it just naturally came to him. The band director once caught him playing quite well, however the sheet music upside down. Larry’s abilities were noticed and he joined Lee Roy Matocha’s orchestra. When the Combo was being formed, he was invited to try out. He passed the test. Over the years Larry’s outgoing stage personality has secured both the EC and later The Central Texas Sounds many die-hard fans. Larry greets many friends and welcomes newcomers from the stage, both during and in between songs making them feel part of the show. Watching him perform brings to mind stories of how Adolph Hofner used to work the crowd and a kind of Czech version of Bob Wills encouraging his musicians, not that they needed it.

When Denny, who was several years older, joined the band a week after Larry, he laid his eyes on Larry and thought “that guy is as skinny as a broomstick, he keep couldn’t hold enough air to blow that trumpet”. Larry quickly proved him wrong and they have been best of friends since then. Denny, from Industry, is a quiet spoken man who expressed himself through his work with the saxophone, trumpet, and Czech vocals.

Spencer Schneider, from the Giddings area, had been a serious country and western drummer for years, but decided to give it up and sell his drum set. On his day job, his co-worker who happened to be Ludwig, EC’s accordionist, asked him if he wanted to audition as they were in the market for a drummer. The lure of playing music worked its way with the retired drummer and he said sure. There was only one problem, no drums, so he borrowed his old drum set back from the guy who bought his drums. EC took off that weekend for a short gig at Lodge 88 in Houston to play with several other bands. This sounds all fine and dandy, except Spencer had never played any polka music in his life or even heard most of the song selections! Apparently, he did okay, for on the way back most of the band said he did fine and it was okay with them if he joined. Henry Adamek, the manager, said “Hold On, he only played for two hours, not the usual four hour gig, let’s see if he can hold up for that long.” Spencer passed the test and became a full-fledged Ellinger Combo musician and began his education in Czech, German, and polka music. He also bought back his drum set. The Combo always let the public know who they were as they purchased a 1968 yellow Dodge school bus to travel to gigs in. Local Fayetteville artist, Pat Johnson, painted Ellinger Combo in cursive along the sides of the bus, and across the front of the bus in big black letters: HERE WE COME, and across the back of the bus, THERE WE GO. Many a fan had their photo taken with the bus. The Ellinger Combo bus was on the road every weekend playing Central Texas from Cyclone Hall to Lodge 88, to New Braunfel’s Eagle’s Lodge and was a favorite in Elgin as well as home halls in Fayette County.

As with all bands, and several other area musicians have been members of the Combo. and when Henry Adamek retired from playing and since he was the only one from Ellinger, the band renamed and restaffed itself as The Central Texas Sounds which continued playing the beautiful music until 2017.