DyVersaCo

DyVersaCo plays a wide variety of music from polkas, waltzes, and schottisches to cajun and country.

Craig Ebel plays concertina with DyVersaCo and is the band's leader. Craig has been involved in music all his life with his mother, LaVay, singing and playing guitar in country western bands and his father, Elhart, building and operating the Bel-Rae Ballroom from 1964 to 1971. The Bel-Rae became one of the most popular dance spots in the upper Midwest and a great influence on Craig's musical career, which has spanned over 30 years. Craig has played drums, concertina, and keyboard in all styles of music including rock, country, big band, and polka. He has performed with "America's Polka King" Frank Yankovic, Grammy Award Winner Walter Ostanek, Myron Floren, Dick Contino, Karl & The Country Dutchmen, Roger Bright, Joey Miskulin, and countless others. Craig is also the host of "It's Polka Time!" a syndicated radio show heard across the United States and over the Internet. His knowledge of the music makes him the perfect person to front the band.

Lori Ebel, Craig's wife, distinguishes DyVersaCo from other bands with her fun fiddle playing and solid trumpet tones. Originally from New Ulm, Minnesota, a city famous for generating renowned Dutchmen-style polka bands, she grew up in the midst of legendary polka musicians such as Whoopee John, Harold Loeffelmacher, Elmer Scheid, and Fezz Fritsche. With over twenty years of playing polka music with her parents' band (The Marv Nissel Band), Lori brings great enthusiasm and diversity to the band.

Chuck Burak provides the steady rhythm for DyVersaCo on drums. As an original member of the Dobosenski Brothers & The Cavaliers and a long time member of the Mrozinski Brothers Aleatoric Ensemble, Chuck is no stranger to the polka music scene. In addition, Chuck has performed with and engineered sound for many styles of music including rock, country, and big band. His expertise of audio equipment assures the band sounds first-rate at every performance.

Gary Jasicki contributes to DyVersaCo's unique brass/reed sound by playing clarinet and tenor saxophone. He is an original member of the Jolly Jokers and has also performed with The Polka Padre (Father Kapoun) & The Ambassadors, Billy Jasicki & Polka Joy, and John Filipczak & The Classics. Gary's countless years of experience in the polka field gives him the ability to improvise and provide perfect harmonies for the band's arrangements.

Mike Cielecki fills in with DyVersaCo on trumpet and accordion. Mike is an acclaimed musician being a long time member of Ray Dorschner's Rainbow Valley Dutchmen as well as Karl & The Country Dutchmen. He also had his own band for a number of years called the Polka Chips. Mike's musical background and talent makes him the perfect "fill in" to the brass section, and contributes to the Cajun sound of the band.

Marv Welinski is featured on bass with DyVersaCo. His musical career spans over forty years, starting with his parent's orchestra, the Eddie-Renne Band. Through the years, Marv has played with many bands including the Jolly Brothers, the Jolly Jokers, Joe Tomaszewski's Polish Show Band, and John Filipczak & The Classics. Marv's amusing personality ensures that the band has fun at all times.

As seen, the musicians who make up DyVersaCo have quite the experience of performing in not only different types of music, but also in different styles of polka music. Polka music is just that - polka music!! Division based upon ethnic backgrounds only stands to weaken the polka music industry. Therefore, DyVersaCo urges you to support all styles of polka music. Whether you listen to it on the radio or regularly go polka dancing, promote the music proudly and encourage others to do the same.