Francis Joseph Julian "Muggsy" Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 196… Read Full Bio ↴Francis Joseph Julian "Muggsy" Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 1967) was a prominent cornet player based in Chicago. He was renowned as the best trumpet/cornet player in Chicago until Bix Beiderbecke entered the scene.
Muggsy led several traditional, "hot" jazz bands, most notably Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band (which did not, in fact, play ragtime but, rather, "hot jazz" that would now be called Dixieland). This band set the style for all later attempts to play traditional jazz with a swing rhythm section. Its key members, apart from Muggsy, were: George Brunies - later Brunis - (trombone and vocals), Rodney Cless (clarinet), George Zack or Joe Bushkin (piano), Ray McKinstry, Nick Ciazza or Bernie Billings (tenor sax), and Bob Casey (bass). A number of competent but unmemorable drummers worked in the band.
The Ragtime Band's theme tune was "Relaxin' at the Touro", named for Touro Infirmary, the New Orleans hospital where Muggsy had been treated for a perforated ulcer early in 1938. He had been at the point of death when he was saved by one Dr. Alton Ochsner who drained the fluid and eased Muggsy's weakened breathing.
"Relaxin' At The Touro" is a fairly straightforward 12-bar blues, with a neat piano introduction and coda by Joe Bushkin. The pianist recalled, many years later: "When I finally joined Muggsy in Chicago (having left Bunny Berigan's failing big band) we met to talk it over at the Three Deuces, where Art Tatum was appearing. Muggsy was now playing opposite Fats Waller at the Sherman hotel and we worked out a kind of stage show for the two bands. Muggsy was a man of great integrity. We played a blues in C and I made up a little intro. After that I was listed as the co-composer of "Relaxin' at the Touro" (quoted by Richard B. Hadlock in the notes to the Bluebird CD 'Muggsy Spanier 1939 - The "Ragtime Band" Sessions', 07863 66550).
The (then) young pianist Joe Bushkin was in the Ragtime Band in 1939 and later said of Muggsy: "When he nailed something right, he stayed with it; he wouldn't fix it if it wasn't broke".
In his time, Muggsy made numerous Dixieland recordings that still serve as favorites today. Apart from the famous Ragtime Band, his other most important ventures were the quartet he co-led with Sidney Bechet (the 'Big Four') in 1940 and the traditional band he co-led with pianist Earl Hines at the Club Hangover in San Francisco in the 1950s. During the early 1920s he played with The Bucktown Five in Chicago.
Although Muggsy's real name was Francis Joseph Julian Spanier, he acquired the nickname "Muggsy" either because of his youthful enthusiasm for a baseball hero ("Muggsy" McGraw), or because of his obsession with King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. He was known to have shadowed and "mugged" both of them, copying their styles and incorporating them into his own music. He was allowed, on at least one occasion, to sit in with King Oliver's band (with Louis Armstrong on second cornet) at the Lincoln Gardens, Chicago, in the early 1920s.
He ended his days in the 1960s, leading a traditional jazz band that included old friends like Joe Sullivan (piano), Pops Foster (bass) and Darnell Howard (clarinet). He was not a great technician or virtuoso, but he could lead a traditional ensemble with fire and guts.
Muggsy led several traditional, "hot" jazz bands, most notably Muggsy Spanier and His Ragtime Band (which did not, in fact, play ragtime but, rather, "hot jazz" that would now be called Dixieland). This band set the style for all later attempts to play traditional jazz with a swing rhythm section. Its key members, apart from Muggsy, were: George Brunies - later Brunis - (trombone and vocals), Rodney Cless (clarinet), George Zack or Joe Bushkin (piano), Ray McKinstry, Nick Ciazza or Bernie Billings (tenor sax), and Bob Casey (bass). A number of competent but unmemorable drummers worked in the band.
The Ragtime Band's theme tune was "Relaxin' at the Touro", named for Touro Infirmary, the New Orleans hospital where Muggsy had been treated for a perforated ulcer early in 1938. He had been at the point of death when he was saved by one Dr. Alton Ochsner who drained the fluid and eased Muggsy's weakened breathing.
"Relaxin' At The Touro" is a fairly straightforward 12-bar blues, with a neat piano introduction and coda by Joe Bushkin. The pianist recalled, many years later: "When I finally joined Muggsy in Chicago (having left Bunny Berigan's failing big band) we met to talk it over at the Three Deuces, where Art Tatum was appearing. Muggsy was now playing opposite Fats Waller at the Sherman hotel and we worked out a kind of stage show for the two bands. Muggsy was a man of great integrity. We played a blues in C and I made up a little intro. After that I was listed as the co-composer of "Relaxin' at the Touro" (quoted by Richard B. Hadlock in the notes to the Bluebird CD 'Muggsy Spanier 1939 - The "Ragtime Band" Sessions', 07863 66550).
The (then) young pianist Joe Bushkin was in the Ragtime Band in 1939 and later said of Muggsy: "When he nailed something right, he stayed with it; he wouldn't fix it if it wasn't broke".
In his time, Muggsy made numerous Dixieland recordings that still serve as favorites today. Apart from the famous Ragtime Band, his other most important ventures were the quartet he co-led with Sidney Bechet (the 'Big Four') in 1940 and the traditional band he co-led with pianist Earl Hines at the Club Hangover in San Francisco in the 1950s. During the early 1920s he played with The Bucktown Five in Chicago.
Although Muggsy's real name was Francis Joseph Julian Spanier, he acquired the nickname "Muggsy" either because of his youthful enthusiasm for a baseball hero ("Muggsy" McGraw), or because of his obsession with King Oliver and Louis Armstrong. He was known to have shadowed and "mugged" both of them, copying their styles and incorporating them into his own music. He was allowed, on at least one occasion, to sit in with King Oliver's band (with Louis Armstrong on second cornet) at the Lincoln Gardens, Chicago, in the early 1920s.
He ended his days in the 1960s, leading a traditional jazz band that included old friends like Joe Sullivan (piano), Pops Foster (bass) and Darnell Howard (clarinet). He was not a great technician or virtuoso, but he could lead a traditional ensemble with fire and guts.
Sweet Sue Just You
Muggsy Spanier Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Sweet Sue Just You' by these artists:
Ben Pollack And His Orchestra Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Bing Crosby Every star above Knows the one I love: Sweet Sue,…
Chet Baker Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Chick Webb & Ella Fitzgerald Every star above Knows the one I love Sweet Sue, just you A…
Chris Barber Heartaches Heartaches My loving you meant only heartaches …
Connee Boswell Every star above Knows the one I love: Sweet Sue,…
Count Basie Every little star above knows the one I love Sweet Sue,…
Dicky Wells and his Orchestra Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Ella Fitzgerald & Chick Webb Every star above Knows the one I love Sweet Sue, just you A…
Jackie Gleason Every star above Knows the one I love, Sweet Sue, just…
Jim Reeves Every little star above knows the one I love Sweet Sue,…
Jimmie Grier And His Orchestra Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Joe Williams Every little star above knows the one I love Sweet Sue,…
Johnny Long And His Orchestra Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Louis Armstrong Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Nat King Cole Every star above Knows the one I love: Sweet Sue,…
Noro Morales and His Orchestra Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
The Mills Brothers Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra Every little star above knows the one I love Sweet Sue,…
Vol. 9 - The Mills Brothers Every star above, baby, Knows the one I love: Sweet…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Muggsy Spanier:
Am I Blue Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead Pains in my head,…
Basin Street Blues Won't you come along with me To the Mississippi We'll take a…
Black And Blue Cold empty bed, springs hard as lead Pains in my head,…
Blue Turning Grey Over You Gee, how I miss Your tender kiss, And the wonderful things…
Bugle Call Rag You're bound to fall for the bugle call; You're gonna brag…
Careless Love Love, oh love, oh careless love You've fly through my head…
Dinah Carolina Gave me Dinah; I'm the proudest one Beneath t…
Down to Steamboat Tennessee In the morning, baby, just for a day, Someone will get…
Farewell Blues Sadness just makes me sigh, I've come to say goodbye, Alth…
How Come You do Me Like You Do How come you do me like you do do do? How…
I When days are long and nights are lonely And all my…
I Can't Give You Anything But Love Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a…
I'm Sorry I Made You Cry I'm sorry, dear, so sorry, dear I'm sorry I made you…
If I Had You I could show the world how to smile I could be…
Ja-Da You've heard all about your raggy melody Everything from ope…
LADY BE GOOD Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Lonesome Road Look down, look down that lonesome road Before you travel on…
Love Is Just Around the Corner Beautiful miracle, pardon my lyrical rhapsody, But can't you…
Mood Indigo You ain't never been blue; no, no, no, You ain't…
Moonglow It must have been moonglow, way up in the blue It…
More Than You Know Whether you are here or yonder, Whether you are false…
Oh Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Oh Lady Be Good! Listen to my tale of woe, It's terribly sad but…
Riverboat Shuffle All you cotton toters, Mississippi floaters, Gather all ab…
Rose Room I want to take you to a little room A little…
St. james infirmary It was down by old Joe's barroom, on the corner…
St. Louis Blues I hate to see that evening sun go down I hate…
Sweet Lorraine Everything is set, skies are blue, Can't believe it yet, but…
The Lady's in Love With You Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
The Man I Love When days are long and nights are lonely And all my…
You Rascal You Whether you are here or yonder, Whether you are false…
You Took Advantage of Me When a girl has the heart of a mother It must…
You're Lucky To Me Yesterday you came my way, And when you smiled at me, In…
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Zack Briggs
Muggsy and the rest of his band are just wonderful to listen to.
John De Palma
great arrangement-performed by pros
Alyssa Jones 💋
I could've sworn I heard this song in a Three Stooges film.