Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 – June 19, 2003) was an American

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

musician. His primary instrument was the

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

, but he sometimes played saxophone.

Early life and education

He was born in

Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

, United States, and moved to New York City in 1939; he played tenor saxophone with Will Bradley, Tommy Reynolds, and Joe Marsala until 1940. After a brief time with Charlie Spivak, he joined the

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

Army Air Force Band which he served in Europe during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. During this time, Peanuts (the nickname comes from a childhood love of the food) began to concentrate on the clarinet "because we did a lot of marching in sand, which was awkward with the tenor." He was featured in Miller's hard-driving versions of "Stealin' Apples" and "Mission to Moscow".

Post-war period

During the post-war period, Hucko played in the bands of

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

Ray McKinley Ray McKinley (June 18, 1910 – May 7, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader. He played drums and later led the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra in Europe. He also led the new Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1956. ...

, Eddie Condon and

Jack Teagarden Weldon Leo "Jack" Teagarden (August 20, 1905 – January 15, 1964) was an United States, American jazz Trombone, trombonist and singer. He led both of his bands himself and was a sideman for Paul Whiteman's orchestra. From 1946 to 1951, he played ...

. From 1950 to 1955, he was busy in New York as a studio musician for CBS and ABC. This was followed by more work with Goodman and Teagarden, after which he joined the

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

All-Stars from 1958 to 1960. When he visited Tokyo, Japan, as the lead alto saxophone player of Benny Goodman's Orchestra in January, 1951, he listened to clarinetist Shoji Suzuki and his Rhythm Aces. With Suzuki and his band, they recorded the song "Suzukake No Michi", which broke sales records in Japan. Hucko led his own group at Eddie Condon's Club from 1964 to 1966. He became known for his work with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

as the clarinet soloist on

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

's " What Is This Thing Called Love?", which was featured on Sinatra's album '' In the Wee Small Hours'' (1955). In 1964, he opened his own nightclub in Denver, Peanuts Hucko's Navarre, featuring his singer wife Louise Tobin (formerly Mrs.

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band to great commercial success from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947, but ...

) and

Ralph Sutton Ralph Earl Sutton (November 4, 1922 – December 30, 2001) was an American jazz pianist born in Hamburg, Missouri. He was a stride pianist in the tradition of James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. Biography Sutton was born in Hamburg, Missour ...

. From 1966, he was featured regularly at Dick Gibson's Colorado jazz parties where he appeared with the Ten Greats of Jazz, later called the

World's Greatest Jazz Band The World's Greatest Jazz Band was an all-star jazz ensemble active from 1968 to 1978. Dick Gibson founded the group at his sixth Jazz Party, an annual event. The group performed mostly Dixieland jazz and recorded extensively. It was co-led by Y ...

. In the 1970s, he led the

Glenn Miller Orchestra Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was an American swing dance band that was formed by Glenn Miller in 1938. Arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, and three other saxophones playing harmony, the band became the most pop ...

and toured with them across the U.S. and abroad. During this period he toured the U.K. as guest soloist with the Million Airs Orchestra, appearing with them in recreations of the Glenn Miller AEF Orchestra concerts and broadcasts. Hucko is perhaps best known to the public for his appearances with the

Lawrence Welk Lawrence Welk (March 11, 1903 – May 17, 1992) was an American accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted ''The Lawrence Welk Show'' from 1951 to 1982. The program was known for its light and family-friendly style, and the ...

Orchestra on national TV during the early 1970s. In the 1980s, Hucko had a busy concert and touring schedule as a soloist and with his award-winning Pied Piper quintet. He and Tobin later settled into semi-retirement in

Denton, Texas Denton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Denton County, Texas, Denton County. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the List of cities in Texas by population, 20th-most populous city in Texas, the List of Un ...

. His last recording was ''Swing That Music'' in 1992 featuring Tobin, trumpeter Randy Sandke, and pianist Johnny Varro. He died in 2003 in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...

at the age of 85.Michael "Peanuts" Hucko: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice, ''

Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Car ...

'', June 23, 2003

Compositions

Peanuts Hucko wrote, or co-wrote, the following songs: "See You Again", "A Bientot", "Peanut Butter", which appeared on V-Disc 812B, "Blintzes Bagel Boogie", which appeared on V-Disc 825A, "Falling Tears", "First Friday", "Tremont Place", and "Sweet Home Suite".

Discography

As leader

* ''Peanuts Hucko'' (

Epic Epic commonly refers to: * Epic poetry, a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation * Epic film, a genre of film defined by the spectacular presentation of human drama on a grandiose scale Epic(s) ...

, 1954) * ''Stealin' Apples'' (Zodiac, 1983) * ''Swing That Music'' (Star Line, 1992)

As sideman

With

* ''At Newport'' (Columbia, 1956) * ''Town Hall'' (RCA Victor, 1957) * ''Satchmo Plays King Oliver'' (Audio Fidelity, 1960) With Eddie Condon * ''Jammin' at Condon's'' (Columbia, 1955) * ''Midnight in Moscow'' (Epic, 1956) * ''Dixieland Dance Party'' (London, 1958) With others * Will Bradley & Ray McKinley, ''Hi-Fi Dixie'' (Jazztone, 1957) *

Ruth Brown Ruth Alston Brown (; January 12, 1928 – November 17, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and actress, sometimes referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of R&B". She was noted for bringing a popular music, pop music ...

, ''

'' (Atlantic, 1957) * Billy Butterfield, ''Thank You for a Lovely Evening'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * Lee Castle, ''Dixieland Heaven'' (Davis, 1957) *

Al Cohn Al Cohn (November 24, 1925 – February 15, 1988) was an American jazz saxophonist, arranger and composer. He came to prominence in the band of clarinetist Woody Herman and was known for his longtime musical partnership with fellow saxophonist ...

, '' The Sax Section'' (Epic, 1956) *

Chris Connor Mary Jean Loutsenhizer, known professionally as Chris Connor (November 8, 1927 – August 29, 2009), was an American jazz singer. Biography Chris Connor was born Mary Loutsenhizer in Kansas City, Missouri, to Clyde Loutsenhizer and Mabel Sh ...

, ''Chris Connor Sings the George Gershwin Almanac of Song'' (Atlantic, 1957) * Warren Covington, ''Golden Trombones Favorites'' (Decca, 1966) * Morey Feld, ''Jazz Goes to B'Way'' (Kapp, 1955) * Bud Freeman, ''Midnight at Eddie Condon's'' (Emarcy, 1955) * Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, ''Ragtime Jamboree'' (Decca, 1954) * Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band, ''Windy City'' (Decca, 1958) * Lou McGarity, ''Lou McGarity: In Celebration'' (IAJRC, 1981) *

, ''Borderline'' (Savoy, 1955) * Jimmy McPartland, ''Dixieland!'' (Harmony, 1968) * Mel Powell, ''Out On a Limb'' (Vanguard, 1955) * Lou Stein, ''The Lou Stein Three, Four and Five'' (Epic, 1955) * Lou Stein, ''Eight for Kicks Four for Laughs'' (Jubilee, 1956) *

, ''Jack Teagarden'' (RCA Victor, 1966) * Helen Ward, ''With a Little Bit of Swing'' (RCA Victor, 1958) * Alex Welsh, ''Peanuts Hucko Vol. 1'' (Lake, 2002) * Lee Wiley, ''West of the Moon'' (RCA Victor, 1957)

References

External links

Peanuts Hucko Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (1994)
Louise Tobin and Peanuts Hucko Jazz Collection
at Texas A&M University–Commerce
Michael "Peanuts" Hucko collection
Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University {{DEFAULTSORT:Hucko, Peanuts 1918 births 2003 deaths 20th-century American male musicians 20th-century American clarinetists American jazz clarinetists American jazz bandleaders American big band bandleaders Dixieland clarinetists Jazz musicians from New York (state) Musicians from Syracuse, New York Musicians from Fort Worth, Texas Swing clarinetists World's Greatest Jazz Band members