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Our Essential Collection this time out finds us greeting one of the greatest cornettists of the 20th Century, perhaps not as universally well known as Bix Beiderbecke but arguably as great a musician.
Muggsy Spanier was born to French and Irish parents in Chicago in 1901 and following his career we can almost trace the history of jazz itself, from New Orleans to Chicago to the West Coast via Dixieland to Big Band Swing and Be Bop to small band units. It was in Chicago that Muggsy heard all the early jazz greats from the legendary Dixieland Jazz Band itself to the New Orleans Rhythm Kings and the mighty King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, soon to be joined by a young trumpet player called Louis Armstrong! It was in fact Oliver’s cornet that appealed to the young Muggsy and he duly took up the instrument he was to go on to make his own. Our superbly re-mastered double CD contains tracks from throughout his career starting as far back as 1924 with the Bucktown Five. We follow him into the Ted Lewis Band where he was the featured hot soloist and then jump ahead to 1936 where we find Muggsy with the Ben Pollack Orchestra. By 1939 Muggsy Spanier’s Ragtime Band was in full cry until the mid 1940’s when musical fashion’s changed and he found himself joining the Bob Crosby Orchestra. The 1940’s continued to see Muggsy switching bands from Crosby to Milt Gabler’s Commodore label band and back to Ted Lewis where the one consistent was the swinging sound of his cornet featuring alongside legends such as Miff Mole and Pee Wee Russell. In the 1950’s he again formed his own band and went on the road playing good jazz standards and popular songs with the inevitable changing line ups. By 1957 Muggsy had moved to the San Francisco area settling down with his wife where he found steady work with the locally based Earl Hines band. He led a relatively quiet life until his death in 1967.
CD1
1. Really A Pain - The Bucktown Five
2. Steady Roll Blues - The Bucktown Five
3. I’ve Found A New Baby - Chicago Rhythm Kings
4. There’ll Be Some Changes Made - Chicago Rhythm Kings
5. The Lonesome Road - Ted Lewis & His Band
6. Dip Your Brush In The Sunshine - Ted Lewis & His Band
7. The Big Butter And Egg Man - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band
8. Someday, Sweetheart - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band
9. At The Jazz Band Ball - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band
10. Relaxin’ At The Touro - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtime Band
11. Down To Steamboat Tennessee - Lee Wiley
12. Sugar - Lee Wiley
13. Little David, Play On Your Harp - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
14. Can’t We Be Friends? - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
15. Chicago - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
16. Hesitating Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
17. The Wreck Of The Old ’97 - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
18. American Patrol - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
19. Two O’clock Jump - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
20. More Than You Know - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
21. Oh, Lady Be Good! - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
22. Riverside Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
23. Rosetta - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
24. The Lady’s In Love With You - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
25. Whistlin’ The Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
CD2
1. September In The Rain - Muggsy Spanier & His Ragtimers
2. Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down - Pee Wee Russell Jazz Ensemble
3. Muskogee Blues - Pee Russell Jazz Ensemble
4. Rosie - Pee Wee Russell Jazz Ensemble
5. Take Me To The Land Of Jazz - Pee Wee Russell Jazz Ensemble
6. I’d Climb The Highest Mountain - Pee wee Russell Jazz Ensemble
7. Red Hot Mama - Pee Wee Russell Jazz Ensemble
8. Pee Wee Squawks - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
9. Sentimental Journey - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
10. Muggsy Special - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
11. You’re Driving Me Crazy - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
12. Am I Blue? - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
13. How Come You Do Me Like You Do? - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
14. Sentimental Journey - Muggsy Spanier & His Orchestra
15. Chicago - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
16. When The Saints Go Marching In - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
17. Blue Turning Grey Over You - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
18. Tin Roof Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
19. Muskrat Ramble - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
20. St. Louis Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
21. Rose Room - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
22. Memphis Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
23. Royal Garden Blues - Muggsy Spanier & His Jazz Band
PERSONNEL & RECORDING DATE INFORMATION
THE BUCKTOWN FIVE: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Guy Carey (tmb); Volly De Faut (clt);
Mel Stitzel (pno); Marvin Saxbe (bjo, cym)
Richmond, Indiana, 25th February 1924
Really A Pain
Steady Roll Blues
CHICAGO RHYTHM KINGS: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Frank Teschmacher (clt)
Mezz Mezzrow (ten); Joe Sullivan (pno); Eddie Condon (bjo); Jim Lanigan (b-bs)
Gene Krupa (dms)
Chicago, 6th April 1928
I've Found A New Baby
There'll Be Some Changes Made (Vocal By Red McKenzie)
TED LEWIS AND HIS BAND: Muggsy Spanier, Dave Klein (cnt); George Brunies, Harry Raderman (tmb); Sol Klein, Sol Shapiro (vln); Jack Aaronson (pno)
Tony Gerhardi (bjo); Harry Barth (tu); John Lucas (dms)
New York, 10th January 1930
The Lonesome Road (Vocal By Ted Lewis and The Dixie Four)
TED LEWIS AND HIS BAND: Muggsy Spanier, Dave Klein (cnt); George Brunies
Sam Blank (tmb); Benny Goodman (clt, alt); Louis Martin (clt, alt, bar); Sol Klein
Sam Shapiro (vln); Jack Aaronson (pno); Teddy Gerhardi (gtr); Harry Barth (bs)
John Lucas (dms)
New York, 13th April 1931
Dip Your Brush In The Sunshine (Vocal By Ted Lewis)
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIME BAND: Muggsy Spanier (cnt);
George Brunies (tmb); Rod Cless (clt); Ray McKinstry (ten); George Zack (pno)
Bob Casey (gtr); Pat Pattison (bs); Marty Greenberg (dms)
Chicago, 7th July 1939
The Big Butter And Egg Man (Speech By George Brunies)
Someday, Sweetheart
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIME BAND: Muggsy Spanier (cnt);
George Brunies (tmb); Rod Cless (clt); Bernie Billings (ten); Joe Bushkin (pno)
Bob Casey (bs); Don Carter (dms)
New York, 10th November 1939
At The Jazz Band Ball
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIME BAND: As Last Except Nick Caiazza (ten) replaces Billings
New York, 22 November 1939
Relaxin' At The Touro
LEE WILEY: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Jess Stacy (pno); Lee Wiley (Vocal)
New York, 10-11 July 1940
Down To Steamboat Tennessee
Sugar
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Ralph Muzzillo, Frank Bruno, Leon Schwartz (tpt); Bud Smith, Vernon Brown (tmb); Irving Fazola (clt)
Joe Herde (clt, alt); Nick Caiazza, Johnny Smith (ten); Bennie Goodman (clt, bar)
Dave Bowman (pno); Ken Broadhurst (gtr); Jack Kelleher (bs); Don Carter (dms)
Little David, Play On Your Harp
Can't We Be Friends?
Chicago
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIMERS: Spanier, Brown, Fazola, Caiazza, plus rhythm as last. Same date
Hesitating Blues
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Ruby Weinstein, Leon Schwartz, Elmer O'Brien (tpt); Vernon Brown, Ford Leary (tmb); Joe Herde
Karl Kates (clt, alt); Nick Caiazza, Joe Forchetti (ten); Ed Caine (bar); Charlie Queener (pno); Ken Broadhurst (gtr); Jack Kelleher (bs); Al Hammer (dms)
New York, 1st June 1942
The Wreck Of The Old 97 (Vocal By Ford Leary)
American Patrol
Two O'clock Jump
More Than You Know (Vocal By Dottie Reid)
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIMERS: Muggsy Spanier (cnt)
Pee Wee Russell (clt); Ernie Caceres (bar); Dick Cary (pno); Eddie Condon (gtr)
Sid Weiss (bs); Joe Grauso (dms)
New York, 22nd April 1944
Oh, Lady Be Good!
September In The Rain
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIMERS: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Miff Mole (tmb)
Pee Wee Russell (clt); Boomie Richman (ten); Gene Schroeder (pno); Eddie Condon (gtr) Bob Haggart (bs); George Wettling (dms)
New York, 27th September 1944
Riverside Blues
Rosetta
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS RAGTIMERS: Muggsy Spanier (cnt);
Lou McGarity (tmb); Pee Wee Russell (clt); Gene Schroeder (pno); Eddie Condon (gtr)
Bob Haggart (bs); Joe Grauso (dms)
New York, 7TH December 1944
The Lady's In Love With You
Whistlin' The Blues (Whistling by Bob Haggart)
PEE WEE RUSSELL JAZZ ENSEMBLE: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Vic Dickenson (tmb)
Pee Wee Russell (clt); Nich Caiazza (ten); Cliff Jackson (pno); Francis Palmer (bs)
Joe Grauso (dms)
New York, 28th May 1946
Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down
Muskogee Blues
Rosie (Vocal By Cliff Jackson)
As last except Bob Casey (bs) replaces Palmer.
Take Me To The Land Of Jazz (Vocal by Muggsy Spanier and Pee Wee Russell)
I'd Climb The Highest Mountain
Red-Hot Mama
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS ORCHESTRA: Muggsy Spanier (cnt)
Vernon Brown (tmb); Pee Wee Russell (clt); Nich Caiazza (ten); Gene Schroeder (pno)
Bob Haggart (bs); George Wettling (dms)
New York, 9th September 1946
Pee Wee Squawks (speech by Muggsy Spanier, Vocal By Pee Wee Russell)
Sentimental Journey (Whistling by Bob Haggart)
Muggsy Special
You're Driving Me Crazy
Am I Blue?
How Come You Do Me Like You Do?
Sentimental Journey (Different Take)
MUGGSY SPANIER AND HIS JAZZ BAND: Muggsy Spanier (cnt)
Ralph Hutchinson (tmb); Phil Gomez (clt); Red Richards (pno); Truck Parham (bs); George Wettling (dms)
New York, 4th September 1954
Chicago
When The Saints Go Marching In
Blue Turning Grey Over You
Tin Roof Blues
Muskrat Ramble
St. Louis Blues
Rose Room
Memphis Blues
Royal Garden Blues
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