Muggsy Spanier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Muggsy Spanier
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Nick's (Tavern), New York, c. June 1946
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Francis Joseph Spanier |
| Born | November 9, 1901 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | February 12, 1967 (aged 65) Sausalito, California |
| Genres | Jazz, dixieland |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Trumpet, cornet |
| Years active | 1921–1964 |
| Labels | Bluebird, Mercury, RCA |
| Associated acts | Ben Pollack, Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band, Sidney Bechet, Earl Hines |
Francis Joseph "Muggsy" Spanier (born November 9, 1901 – died February 12, 1967) was a famous jazz cornet player from Chicago. He was part of a group called The Bucktown Five. This group helped create a special kind of jazz known as the Chicago Style. This style mixed old-school Dixieland jazz with swing music.
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Muggsy Spanier's Life and Music Career
Muggsy Spanier was born in Chicago. When he was 13, he started playing the cornet. In 1921, he played with a musician named Elmer Schoebel. Muggsy got his nickname from John "Muggsy" McGraw, who was a baseball team manager. In the early 1920s, Spanier played music with The Bucktown Five.
Joining Famous Bands
In 1929, Muggsy joined a band led by Ted Lewis. After that, he spent two years playing with Ben Pollack. Later, after he was sick, he formed his own eight-person group. He called it Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band.
The Ragtime Band's Recordings
In 1939, Muggsy's band recorded many classic Dixieland songs for Bluebird Records. These recordings were very important and were later called "The Great Sixteen." They helped bring back interest in Dixieland jazz.
Key Band Members
Some of the musicians in Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band included:
- George Brunies (who played trombone and sang)
- Rod Cless (who played clarinet)
- George Zack or Joe Bushkin (who played piano)
- Ray McKinstry, Nick Ciazza, or Bernie Billings (who played tenor sax)
- Bob Casey (who played bass)
Later Music Ventures
Muggsy Spanier also had other important music projects. In 1940, he formed a quartet (a group of four musicians) with Sidney Bechet. They called themselves the 'Big Four'. From 1940 to 1941, he played with Bob Crosby's band.
In the 1950s, Muggsy moved to the West Coast. He joined Earl Hines's band and played with them from 1957 to 1959. After touring around Europe, he stopped playing music professionally in 1964.
Famous Songs by Muggsy Spanier
The main song for Muggsy's Ragtime Band was "Relaxin' at the Touro." Muggsy Spanier and Joe Bushkin wrote this song together. It was named after Touro Infirmary, a hospital in New Orleans where Muggsy had been treated. He was very sick in 1938, but Dr. Alton Ochsner saved his life. Muggsy even wrote another Dixieland song called "Oh Doctor Ochsner" to thank him.
The Story Behind "Relaxin' at the Touro"
"Relaxin' at the Touro" is a type of song called a Twelve-bar blues. It starts and ends with a piano part played by Joe Bushkin. Joe Bushkin remembered how the song came about:
- He joined Muggsy in Chicago.
- They met at a place where Art Tatum was playing.
- Muggsy was playing opposite Fats Waller at a hotel.
- They decided to play a blues song in C.
- Joe made up a small introduction for it.
- Because of this, Joe was listed as a co-writer of "Relaxin' at the Touro."
Muggsy Spanier's Family Life
In 1950, Muggsy Spanier married Ruth Gries O’Connell in Chicago. He became the stepfather to her sons. One son was Tom Gries, who became a Hollywood film writer and director. The other son was Charles Joseph Gries, who was known as Buddy Charles. Buddy Charles became a pop and jazz singer and pianist in Chicago. In 1956, Muggsy was playing a concert in Chicago. Buddy Charles was performing at a nearby club. Muggsy was heard to say, "that's my boy!"
See also
In Spanish: Muggsy Spanier para niños
