09/24/2026
AL CAPONE’S WALTZ will be played at Nordic Folk Music Jam under the Astrakan apple tree at the Karl Oskar House SUNDAY – SEPTEMBER 27, 1.30 - 3.30 PM
A friend in Sweden has sent me information about Al Capone’s waltz and its connection to Nordic folk music. He writes this: (translated to English by Google and me):
Ivar Andersson came from Ulvaboda, located in Blekinge near the border with Småland. All the children in the family emigrated to America. In the early 1920s, Ivar and one of his brothers worked as laborers on the railway in the Iron Range in far northern Minnesota. (We visited his brother's grave in Aurora last year.) From the late 1920s onwards, he worked as an iceman in Chicago, delivering ice by horse and wagon to private homes, bars, and restaurants. One day, after delivering ice to a bar, he noticed an accordion there; he picked it up and played a few tunes. One of the owners heard him play, was impressed by his skill, and asked him to return that evening, as the boss might be visiting.
He returned that evening and was shown into one of the back rooms, where Al Capone was sitting. Capone asked him to play a few tunes, which he did. Capone particularly liked one waltz and asked him to play it again; Ivar later came to call it "Al Capone's Waltz." He has recounted this story himself in several recordings.
In the late 1930s, Ivar returned home for what was intended to be a short visit, but the outbreak of World War II intervened, and he never went back. Ivar was a talented accordionist and a gifted storyteller. Many people visited him to record his music and stories, and he appeared on both radio and television, sharing tales of his adventures in the USA. Local folk musicians picked up several of his tunes—including "Al Capone's Waltz"—and began playing them, helping the music spread further. I have been collecting material about Ivar for several years and own a number of books both about him and written by him. What’s more, I have at least 20 hours of recorded music and stories featuring him. I have never met him myself, but my parents have. He is a relative of ours, and my father was an accordionist too.
I think you’re going to have a wonderful day on Sunday.
Two pictures of Ivar below a s ice carrier in Chicago and playing accordion in his kitchen in Blekinge.
Here is a link to Al Capone’s waltz
https://www.google.com/search?q=youtube+al+capones+waltz&oq=&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgAECMYJxjqAjIJCAAQIxgnGOoCMgkIARAjGCcY6gIyCQgCECMYJxjqAjIJCAMQIxgnGOoCMgkIBBAjGCcY6gIyCQgFECMYJxjqAjIPCAYQABhCGLQCGOoCGNsFMg8IBxAAGEIYtAIY6gIY2wXSAQkyMzc2ajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBXJxIMUY2zPZ&sourceid=chrome&source=chrome.rb&ie=UTF-8 =ive&vld=cid:aae2a6da,vid:zHyHPYFirJs,st:0
