Peanuts Hucko - R.I.P.

Peanuts Hucko, one of the strongly Benny Goodman influenced clarinetists has died at 85. Peanuts could sound so much like Goodman that passing a "blindfold test" of which was playing could be a challenge.

Peanuts had played with just about all the groups of his era, including the Miller Army Air Force Band of WW2, the Louie Armstrong All-Stars, even with Goodman himself.

He was even married to one-time Goodman vocalist Louise Tobin.

Living to 85 may not compare with another clarinetist named Artie Shaw, now in his 90s, or the late clarinetist Abe Most, but it sure beats the life span of most of his comtemporaries.

RIP Peanuts, I loved your playing.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Sad to hear. Peanuts was a major player on the first lp I ever bought, "Louis Armstrong Town Hall Concert 1947," an album I got almost 50 years and still love and play to this day. R.I.P.

[shrugs]

Sorry to hear this. I didn't even know he was still alive. His association with Eddie Condon should be mentioned as well. Those early 50's Columbia sides are spot on.

RIP

[mke]

Never heard of him before, but they sure don't make names like that any more!

[Zephyr]

MKE, visit the below site

http://www.landing.com/profiles/hucko.htm

[clinthopson]

For a while in the 80's, Peanuts played in a spot in Palm Springs. We caught him several times and always enjoyed his Benny influenced playing.

Steve, are you certain about Peanuts being on the Satch Town Hall Concert? I believe it was Barney Bigard.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally posted by clinthopson

Steve, are you certain about Peanuts being on the Satch Town Hall Concert? I believe it was Barney Bigard.

It was Peanuts, not Barney. Maybe you're thinking of the Carnegie Hall concert of the same year.

Here's the lineup, from the liner notes:

Louis Armstrong
Jack Teagarden
Peanuts Hucko
Bobby Hackett
Dick Carey
Bob Haggart
George Wettling
Big Sid Catlett

[clinthopson]

Steve,

My mistake, I was thinking of the Symphony Hall concert.

SdcSteve: "Here's the lineup, from the liner notes:

Louis Armstrong
Jack Teagarden
Peanuts Hucko
Bobby Hackett
Dick Carey
Bob Haggart
George Wettling
Big Sid Catlett "

Wow! Every name but Dick Carey brings back so many memories to me, Dick doesn't ring a bell, but must have been on piano by default.
What arouses my curiousity Steve, is that Wettlling and Big Sid both being drummers, and top notch ones at that, imply that maybe two different groups on the bill. Anything in the notes about that?

And with Bobby (Big Noise From Winnetka/Whats New) Haggart on bass, the only "Young Lion" bassist I've heard to compare with him is McBride. This was a top o' the heap lineup.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Originally posted by FredC
SdcSteve: "Here's the lineup, from the liner notes:

Louis Armstrong
Jack Teagarden
Peanuts Hucko
Bobby Hackett
Dick Carey
Bob Haggart
George Wettling
Big Sid Catlett "

Wow! Every name but Dick Carey brings back so many memories to me, Dick doesn't ring a bell, but must have been on piano by default.
What arouses my curiousity Steve, is that Wettlling and Big Sid both being drummers, and top notch ones at that, imply that maybe two different groups on the bill. Anything in the notes about that?

And with Bobby (Big Noise From Winnetka/Whats New) Haggart on bass, the only "Young Lion" bassist I've heard to compare with him is McBride. This was a top o' the heap lineup.

Fred: One group, but Big Sid plays on the first 16 cuts, Wettling on the last 5.

A possible reason for including Dick Carey: the liners mention that Carey knew everything in Pop's repertoire and that he led the rehearsals for the group. (With Hackett playing Pop's parts.)

Sidney Bechet was hired for the concert, but called in sick. It was later discovered that had taken another gig, at Jimmy Ryan's!

This concert helped rejuvenate Pop's career. Prior to this he was doing one-night-stands for $350-$650 for a 16 piece band!!!

[hermann]

Found this article at jazzhouse.org :

Swing clarinet star
by Todd S. Jenkins
Copyright © 2003 Todd S. Jenkins

Peanuts Hucko was born Michael Andrew Hucko. The swing clarinettist's lifelong nickname stemmed from his childhood love of peanuts. In 1939 Hucko came to New York City, where he began playing tenor sax with the bands of Will Bradley, Joe Marsala, Bob Chester and Charlie Spivak.

He served in Europe with Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band until the leader's disappearance in 1944. After Hucko began concentrating solely on clarinet he was featured in the trombonist's Dixieland combo, the Uptown Hall Gang. Fats Waller's hot-and-heavy "Stealin' Apples" became Hucko's signature tune, remaining in his repertoire from then on.

Following the war, Hucko did studio work for ABC and CBS while making the rounds of major jazz bands: Benny Goodman, Eddie Condon, Ray McKinley, Earl Hines, Jack Teagarden, the Louis Armstrong All-Stars. The clarinetist led his own combo at Condon's club in the mid-60s, then joined what evolved into The World's Greatest Jazz Band for annual gigs at Dick Gibson's Colorado Jazz Party. Hucko fell in love with Denver, opening his Navarre nightclub there in 1974. The club's featured performers included pianist Ralph Sutton and Hucko's wife, singer Louise Tobin (the ex-wife of Harry James).

In the 1970s Hucko's time was largely split between leading the Glenn Miller Orchestra on world tours and appearing on the Lawrence Welk Show. The 80s brought a career revival as Hucko worked regularly with his Pied Piper Quintet. He and Tobin later settled into semi-retirement in Denton, Texas. His last recording was 1992's Swing That Music (Star Line) featuring Tobin, trumpeter Randy Sandke, and pianist Johnny Varro.
Todd S. Jenkins
Todd S. Jenkins is a member of the JJA, and a contributor to Down Beat and other publications.

"Sidney Bechet was hired for the concert, but called in sick. It was later discovered that had taken another gig, at Jimmy Ryan's!"

The more things change, the more they stay the same. ;-)