Klarinet Archive - Posting 000185.txt from 2003/07

From: "Bill Semple" <wsemple@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Peanuts Hucko
Date: Mon, 7 Jul 2003 08:26:20 -0400

The complete recordings of Eddie Condon and his All-Stars can be purchased
through Mosaic Records. Peanuts Hucko is featured, along with Edmond Hall,
Pee Wee Russell, Bob Wilbur, all at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New
York City in sessions dating from November 1953 through 1962.

All of the clarinetists, and the man who was Pete Foundation's greatest
influence, Irving Fazola, (he took his last name by combining Fa So La),
were part of a jazz style wildly popular during the 1920's and 1930's, until
Swing emerged as the national passion. But this type of music still hangs
on, even today, though what the future looks like is anyone's guess.

Condon, who played acoustic guitar, and his all-stars represented the best
of the pre-swing jazz style emanating from New Orleans and Chicago. His band
typically consisted of a guitar, trombone, trumpet, clarinet, piano, drums,
and frequently a bass. Players include Wild Bill Davidson on trumpet, Bobby
Hackett on cornet, Walter Page on bass, Cutty Cutshall on trombone, and
Gener Schroeder on piano. Distinctive to Chicago jazz is the notable absence
of a tuba.

These recordings probably represent the swan song of what is loosely termed
Dixieland, which spawned enough variations to go around to allow for
distinctive band sounds and styles, ranging from Red Nichols, who used a
baritone sax and purer tonalities to The Firehouse Five, a more typical New
Orleans guttural sound.

Peanuts Hucko spent some of his days playing clarinet for Lawrence Welk's TV
band, which later featured Pete Fountain and Henry Cuesta. Welk's music was
corny, and so was his show, but he attracted a huge following of people who
just like pleasing melodies. I thought of Welk as the Reader's Digest of
easy listening.

Many of my colleagues love Hucko. But my favorite, honestly, is Fazola. He
did some creative music making that even Pete Fountain can't match.

I still play the Chicago style, but at age 56, am the youngest member of my
band by at least ten years.

William T. Semple
Office: 202-364-2466
Home: 540-364-4823
Cell: 540-903-6645
>> You realize, of course, that 90% of the current
> people on the list have no clue as to Peanuts Hucko was, and the other 10%
think he
> was Buffalo Bob's sidekick on Howdy Doody. Want to fill them in?
> Don Gross
> La Canada, California
> p.s. And who was this Eddie Condom fellow?>>>>>>
>

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