TEXAS DANCEHALL STANDARDS: Lee Ilse Orchestra, v Lee Roy Matocha / Oh! Meadow [Aj, lučka, lučka]

‘Oh, Meadow Polka’ also known as ‘Green Meadow Polka’ is the Czech song ‘Aj, lučka, lučka’ with a peppy beat and playful lyrics.

Aj lučka, lučka, široká, roste na ní tráva, roste na ní tráva,
Aj lučka, lučka, široká, roste na ní tráva, vysoká

The Ilse Orchestra of La Grange, TX, was founded in 1905 by baritone horn player George Ilse with sons Elo on string bass, Arnold on clarinet and Hugo on trumpet; sons Lee on cimbalom (cimbál) and Milton on drums joined later. Lee took over the family band in 1947, changing the name to the Lee Ilse Orchestra. During the 1950s the band recorded over a dozen songs for Bess Records and a few for Humming Bird, many featuring the vocals of Lee Roy Matocha, who joined the group in 1952. When Lee Ilse retired in 1964, Lee Roy formed his own orchestra from the remaining members of the Ilse group.

Lee Roy Matocha was born in Plum, TX, and began playing accordion in his uncle Zbranek’s band in 1947 at the age of 14. He joined the Lee Ilse Orchestra in 1952 as a musician, singer, and later band manager. Starting in 1964 he led his own orchestra which toured and recorded extensively. Matocha also tape-recorded radio shows of polka band music which broadcast on several different radio stations of south-central Texas from the 1960s until his death. Lee Roy retired from performing in 1998 and passed away in 2003.

[Oh! Meadow [Aj, lučka, lučka], Lee Ilse Orchestra, v Lee Roy Matocha, Bess 113-B, recorded 1963, matrix 630818-B]
[This song is Barton & Novak #2: Aj, lučka, lučka (Green Meadow Polka; Oh, Meadow Polka). https://www.oupress.com/9780806168876...]

The flip side of this disk is At the Hill (Na Pankráci):    • TEXAS DANCEHALL STANDARDS: Lee Ilse O...  
http://texaspolkamuseum.com/Matocha.html
https://www.czechpolka.com/lyrics.html
https://www.oupress.com/9780806168876...
Texas Dancehall Preservation: https://texasdancehall.org/
My Polka Playlist:    • Polka Time