Elroy Berkholtz Orchestra: Old Time Memories

An album recorded on January 12, 1976 at the Club Bil-Mar in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Jan 12, 2024

Back in April 2021, I met a woman named Carol who wanted to give me a bunch of polka records. She heard me on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Central Time and got in touch with me. It’s a story for another time, but her contribution of two huge boxes of polka significantly kick-started my record collection, and my confidence as a vinyl DJ.

Elroy Berkholtz Orchestra’s Old Time Memories on the KL Recording Service record label is one of Carol’s records. I love the Berkholtz sound. Close your eyes and you’re transported to a supper club overlooking a pine-tree encircled lake. Berkholtz started playing music when he was eight years old and had a trick to playing two clarinets in harmony at the same time. Amazing.

Listen to this week’s episode of Polka Time with DJ Shotski to hear “In a Little Grove Polka” from the Old Time Memories album. The show will air live on 98.7 FM WVMO on Sunday, January 14. Tune in on your terrestrial dial in Monona or on Madison’s east side. It will rebroadcast on participating stations the following weekend.

All stations stream on the web at the links below. All times CST.