By Peter Lyons Hall
On Saturday and Sunday, October 12-13, 2024, Greenwood Lake Elks Lodge 2067 had invited everyone to stop by their headquarters on 35 Chestnut Street to experience Oktoberfest, the annual celebration of the fall season that featured live music, traditional German food, a biergarten, and skilled games involving ax throwing, log-sawing, and stump nailing.
But the main attraction of the weekend event was the 12-piece orchestra from Florida NY, with the multiple award-winning leader, Jimmy Sturr, who engaged the crowd with his stories about the venues his band had traveled to around the world and the famous musicians that toured with him, like the accordion virtuoso, Myron Floren who performed with Jimmy’s orchestra for 21 years. Floren, a regular on the popular Lawrence Welk Show during most of the 27 seasons that the television show aired, had composed one of the songs that Jimmy’s orchestra played on Sunday, “Champagne Polka.”
Jimmy’s Orchestra is composed of many talented artists who have been with him for many years They are a tight band and can perform any genre of music from big band, rock ‘n roll, jazz, although their repertoire is filled with polkas that guests of his performances find it difficult to withstand the temptation to get up and dance to.
Sturr and his orchestra have over 106 recordings; the excellence of these recordings has been recognized and rewarded throughout the very competitive music industry. The fact that Sturr and his orchestra is on the Top Ten list of the All-time Grammy Awards, has won eighteen Grammy Awards and has received more consecutive Grammy nominations that anyone in the history of musical awards, has made the music industry sit up and take notice.
Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) has awarded Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra its most valued award, the Commendation of Excellence. The only one ever awarded in the polka music field.The band constantly attracts crowds of screaming, adoring fans wherever their travels take them. Their tremendous popularity has resulted in not only numerous Grammy Awards, but also being voted The #1 POLKA MUSIC BAND IN THE COUNTRY for the past ten years. Many great things have happened to Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra, but none has been more exciting than just completing their Fourth recording with country superstar Willie Nelson. In addition they have recorded with other artists such as The Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Daniels, Boots Randolph, Mel Tillis, Brenda Lee, Bela Flek, and Arlo Guthrie.
To learn more about the Elk Lodge, an organization that invests in the communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, meet the needs of today’s veterans, and improve the quality of life, click on https://www.elks.org/who/default.cfm. To follow Jimmy Sturr’s and his schedule and upcoming Christmas Show performance, click on https://www.jimmysturr.com/schedule.
Photo credits: Peter Lyons Hall
