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.
The Man I Love
Muggsy Spanier Lyrics
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And all my daydreams have gone astray
I think about the one and only
Who's bound to find me some golden day
The one I love is coming along some day
And I'll have none except the one I love
He/She may be near or ever so far away
And though our meeting is left to chance
Until our meeting
I still will have my dream romance
And through the night I pray to the moon above
To please be kind and find the one I love
The lyrics to Muggsy Spanier's song, "The Man I Love," speak of a yearning for a love yet to be found. The opening lines express a feeling of loneliness during long days and nights, and the loss of previous daydreams. There is a sense of hopelessness, and likely a longing for something or someone that will make life more fulfilling. But then, the song takes a turn with the introduction of the idea that there is still a chance for the love that the singer desires. The one and only person who can make their life complete will find them on a golden day, and they will have none other than this person.
The lyrics convey a sense of waiting and anticipation for this person, who may be near or far away. There is an understanding that their meeting may be left to chance, but the singer is still dreaming of romance with their ideal partner. Even though the singer hasn't met this person yet, they are still praying to the moon above, asking for their kind assistance in finding the one they love.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Man I Love" are about the pursuit of true love, even if it hasn't been found yet. It conveys a sense of longing while holding onto hope for a better future. This timeless theme has made the song a classic that has endured for many decades.
Line by Line Meaning
When days are long and nights are lonely
During times of long days and lonely nights
And all my daydreams have gone astray
When all of my hopes and dreams have failed
I think about the one and only
I ponder about the unique person
Who's bound to find me some golden day
Who will undoubtedly discover me on a fortunate day
The one I love is coming along some day
The person I adore will come to me one day
And I'll have none except the one I love
I'll have no one else besides the person I cherish
He/She may be near or ever so far away
They might be near or incredibly far away from me
But I'll have none except the one I love
Regardless, I won't settle for anyone else besides the one I cherish
And though our meeting is left to chance
Even though our encounter is left to fate
Until our meeting
Until we finally meet
I still will have my dream romance
I'll continue to have the ideal romantic relationship in my mind
And through the night I pray to the moon above
And at night, I plead to the moon in the sky
To please be kind and find the one I love
To kindly assist me in discovering my beloved
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Written by: Bronislaw Kaper, Gus Kahn, Walter Jurmann
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind