Frankie Yankovic's Tv Polkas

The peak years of "America's Polka King" are poorly represented on CD, which makes this two-disc set of Frankie Yankovic's complete Standard radio transcriptions an essential document of his early years as a Columbia recording artist. These studio recordings from the late '40s feature versions of Yankovic's two biggest hits, "Blue Skirt Waltz" (performed here with a male vocal group instead of the Marlin Sisters) and "Just Because," both of which sold well in the pop and country fields. The set is otherwise packed with twin-accordion polkas and waltzes, with vocal numbers sprinkled throughout. The excellent sound quality is comparable to what you would expect from major-label commercial recordings from this period and the performances are impeccable. Recommended.