The Jolly Huntsmen
Inducted 2023
Out of his love for New Ulm-style polka music, and as a way to direct the talents of his sons Tom and Dan, The Jolly Huntsmen Band was founded in South St Paul, Minnesota by Luverne Retka. With Tom (age 10) on his mom’s accordion and Dan (age 8) on dad’s drums, playing for school PTA meetings and house parties, they began in the late 1950’s under the name The Schuplatters. Neighborhood boys on clarinet, sax, and trumpets were added. In the early 60’s Luverne began to expand the band by adding adult musicians, which strengthened the sound and put local ballrooms into the schedule. By the mid-60’s Luverne had grown the band to seven members and was now called The Jolly Huntsmen. Tom had moved to tenor sax & clarinet and was doing all the arranging. Dan moved to tuba, leaving the drums to Luverne, and Gordy Lehrke joined the band on concertina. Their first album recording, Away We Go from 1965, opened up more gig opportunities and soon the band was playing all the Twin City ballrooms, and from western Wisconsin to central Minnesota. In the late 70’s and 80’s, as the ballroom business started to diminish, Tom, now as leader and booker, dressed the band in lederhosen. They embraced the public concert and corporate gig markets with Oktoberfest-themed polkas and entertainment. Tom returned to the accordion, Dan to the drums & valve-trombone, and brother Dave joined on tuba. The Jolly Huntsmen continue as a three-to-eight piece band playing 30-50 gigs per year: Summer and Fall they are in Minnesota, Wintertime in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Over 80 talented musicians have played with the band over the years, each of them a fine player in their own right. And- while the band has centered on using the talents of Myron Muehlbauer and Jerry Kahle as important sidemen in the recent year- special recognition must go to Tom, Dan, and Dave Retka for keeping polka music and The Jolly Huntsmen active, and in front of audiences for decades.
