Two in One - rants & raves - craigslist (2024)

Rex Stewart / Peanuts Hucko

"Dedicated Jazz"

Rex Stewart plays Duke Ellington:

https://youtu.be/0afuAW1Tl_k

Peanuts Hucko plays Benny Goodman:

https://youtu.be/LcWBYF8LJRs

DEDICATED JAZZ
Rex Stewart plays Duke Ellington
Peanuts Hucko plays Benny Goodman
SIDE ONE
Rex Stewart, cornet; Lawrence Brown, trombone; Hilton Jefferson, alto
sax; Danny Bank, baritone sax and clarinet; Hank Jones, piano;
Milt Hinton, bass; Osie Johnson, drums.
1. Boy Meets Horn (Mills-Ellington-Stewart)
2. Take the "A" Train (Billy Strayhorn)
3. Solitude (Denung-Mills-Ellington)
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Russell-Ellington)
5. Mood Indigo (Mills-Ellington-Bigard)
6. I Let a Song Go Out Of My Heart (Mills-Nero-Redmond-Ellington)
SIDE TWO
Peanuts Hucko, clarinet; Billy Butterfield, trumpet; Boomie Richmond,
tenor sax; Hank Jones, piano; Mundell Lowe, guitar,
Jack Lesberg, buss; Morey Feld, drums
1. I Found a New Baby (Palmer-Williams)
2. Seven Come Eleven (Goodman-Christian)
3. On the Alamo (Jones Keyes-Lions)
4. Soft Winds (Goodman)
5. Poor Butterfly (Golden-Hubbell)
6. Avalon (Jolson-DeSylva-Rose)

This is Dedicated Jazz — the jazz of musicians who are proud
of their musical heritage of the music they made with men of
great musical distinction — and who dedicate these very recently-
recorded offerings to the leaders under whom they served and
who helped them achieve their own current eminence in jazz.
In broad terms the styles of these two groups are similar.
Each plays swing, small band swing. Each plays an intimate
version of the big band jazz created by two of the all-time Greats
in the field of jazz: Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman.
Duke Ellington fashioned his brand of swing in the mid-twenties,
when he formed his band in Washington, D. C. In a few years it
was playing in New York at the famous Cotton Club and on many
phonograph records. Its style was a creation of Duke, himself,
who wrote all the arrangements, who trained and inspired his
musicians, and who perfected a sound in jazz, in itself so sound,
that it comes across as fresh and exciting as ever when propelled
by the current Ellington band. More than any other form of jazz,
it combines a swinging beat with ingenious use of tone colors,
created by the unique voicings of horns and by the unorthodox
sounds perfected by its soloists.
Benny Goodman's swing came along a decade after Duke's. It's
the most famous of all brands of swing, with its direct, driving
beat; its purity of sound; its simple, but always musical voicings.
This sort of music, almost single-handedly, established swing and
all of jazz as well, including, of course, the big bands, whose era
of popularity was so much the creation of Goodman, himself.
Both Ellington and Goodman won their largest acceptance
through the powerhouse music of their big bands. But each
leader and some of his musicians too had a yearning to play
more informal jazz, the kind that permits its players greater freedom
of expression. So they formed parlor-sized groups, full of the
vitality of their bigger outfits and playing the same style of
swing, but with a less formal and more intimate approach. The
Ellington groups were usually of six or seven men; Goodman's
ranged all the way from trios to septets. And it was the music of
these groups that won the admiration of myriads of jazz lovers-
and of other jazz musicians, too-who appreciated how magnificently
it combined the best aspects of the big bands' styles with
the spontaneous, ad lib quality that has always been such an
integral part of jazz of all styles.
REX STEWART
Round, colorful, intelligent Rex Stewart was an important member
of the Ellington band for many years. The nominal leader of
its trumpet section, he also headed one of several small units
within Duke's band. His delightful cornet solos, combining a
marvelous melodic sense with a driving beat, full of excitement
and also of great wit, sparked many an Ellington offering, and
when Rex left in the mid-forties to four the world and eventually
to settle in upstate New York, where he now divides his non-
playing time between teaching jazz in places like Bennington
College and running a disc-jockey show, one of Duke's most
important voices went with him.
Lawrence Brown, who plays trombone with Rex on this record,
was another tremendously important Ellington musician. His
exceptionally warm tone embellished many of the band's ballads;
his forceful, rhythmic solos featured many of its high-riding swing
efforts. A musician of vast experience, he played and recorded
with Louis Armstrong in the early thirties, and then, during the
mid-fifties, became a member of the CBS studio band in New York.
One of the prettiest sounds ever to emanate from Ellingtonia
was the liquid alto of Hilton Jefferson, who had led the sax section
of Fletcher Henderson's band so wonderfully well, and who
is now a part-time recording musician and part-time bank employee.
Jeff is joined in the reed section of Stewart's septet by
Danny Bank, whose big, burly baritone sax sound is so reminiscent
of that of Harry Carney, that solid rock of a musician and man
who has been with Ellington for over thirty years. For many years
Bank had also anchored numerous name band sax teams,
including that of Goodman.
The Stewart rhythm section is comprised of especially talented,
knowing musicians, who, though never members of the Ellington
band, have greatly admired and understood its music. Hank Jones
is one of today's bright, polite piano lights, a well-schooled
pianist with impeccable taste and a fine sense of time, who has
played for Goodman, Artie Shaw, and numerous all star jazz
groups, Milt Hinton is by now a familiar figure, for he and his
big-toned bass and his smiling face have sparked countless jazz
record dates during the past few years. With him has often been,
as he is here, Osie Johnson, that very musicianly drummer who's
also an arranger, and whose light, swinging beat is such a joy to
hear and play with.
PEANUTS HUCKO
Recently, when Benny Goodman felt indisposed at a band
rehearsal, he phoned Peanuts Hucko and asked him if he'd sit in
for him. Hucko, free of his current ABC radio and TV duties at
the time, took over the Goodman role, and with such stunning
effect that he had the men in the band gasping.
Peanuts, who was once fired from the Will Bradley band be
cause he played such poor clarinet the is also famous for his
tenor sax jazz), came into his own as a clarinetist in Glenn Miller's
AAF band. An avowed admirer of Goodman's, he has, more than.
any other clarinetist, captured the swinging drive and the exciting
tone of the King of Jazz and has thrilled and even confused some
of the musicians most closely associated with Goodman.
His six compatriots on this disc are all Goodman alumni. The
style to which they've dedicated themselves here is that of the
great Goodman sextet of the forties, the most driving of all
Benny's small groups. Billy Butterfield was a star trumpeter with
Goodman in that era, the same role he has played for Bob Crosby,
Artie Shaw, Les Brown and countless recording, radio and TV
groups, and, of course, in his own band. Boomie Richmond is
best-known for his tenor sax work with the late Tommy Dorsey.
An extremely versatile musician, who blows jazz in styles ranging
from Eddie Miller's to Lester Young's, he is now very active in
New York studios.
The Hucko rhythm section plays in the firm, tight, light driving
style of Goodman's when he featured the great Charlie Christian
on guitar, Count Basie on piano and Dave Tough on drums. Hank
Jones is again the pianist. The guitarist is the brilliant Mundell
Lowe, who plays as a section-man and as a soloist so much like
Christian and who now records with his own group. Jack Lesberg,
who has appeared with top dixieland groups and is currently a
radio-TV staff musician, and Morey Feld, another Goodman alumnus
now playing in the studios, complete the rhythm section on
bass and drums.
SIDE ONE
Boy Meets Horn has always been closely identified with Rex,
who introduced this colorful composition as a member of Duke's
band. Rescored here by Charlie Shirley, who did all the writing
for this side, it features Stewart's closed-valve sounds, as Rex
seemingly vacillates between a young lad trying to blow a horn
for the first time and a great swing artist really taking off,
Take the "A" Train is the Ellington theme song. The familiar
sound of baritone sax-lead lights the first chorus with Rex noodling
in back on muted cornet. Brown blows his light, swinging
open trombone; Jones plays eight tasty bars; Jeff emotes with
much authority on alto for eight. Rex kicks mightily for half
of the third chorus; Bank blows eight bars of melody and
modulates into another key for a final unison passage.
Solitude displays a typical, unique Ellington color: the sound
of muted trumpet, muted trombone and clarinet in close harmony.
Sandwiched between the trio passages is Jeff's liquid-clear alto,
a gorgeous sound. Rex opens the second chorus with a relaxed,
soulful passage, Brown almost cries the melody for eight bars;
then plays a lovely obbligato as cornet, alto and clarinet restate
the trio theme.
Don't Get Around Much Anymore is attacked savagely by Rex
and his plunger (the unusual plumber's aid emersed into the bell
of the horn and moved about for varied effects), followed by an
aroused Jefferson and, at the close of the first chorus, by unison
horns. Note Hinton's strong bass behind Jones' dainty piano,
followed by Brown's excited passage. Rex continues the
excitement through the last chorus, blowing with typical
vibrant exuberance.
Mood Indigo, probably the most famous of all the Ellington
compositions on this side, features the muted trio again. Bank
blows the pure clarinet; Rex emotes daintily and soulfully, and
Jeff noodles airily in back of the closing trio.
I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart is a classic example of how
softly and yet effectively swing can be blown. The whole feeling
is subdued, yet tremendously exciting, with the various soloists
contributing passages that are most surely in keeping not only
with the soft mood but with the spirit of Ellingtonia as well.
SIDE TWO
I Found a New Baby continues the soft, superb swinging mood
of the final Stewart offering. Benny's sextet, undoubtedly affected
by the soft-blowing Kansas City Six group out of Basie's band,
often played like this. Note Butterfield's potent, pungent trumpet,
growling like a friendly lion; Peanuts' low-register, polite but
intensely rhythmic clarinet; Richmond's equally polite, swinging
tenor; Jones' tender, tasty piano, and the closing riff all of it
subdued swing with the excitement of a potentially eruptive
volcano.
Seven Come Eleven is more outspoken, driving swing. One of
Goodman's own tunes, it features extremely hard-biting Butter-
field trumpeting, light, tentative, swinging Richmond tenor, and
two choruses of intensely exciting Hucko clarinet, very much like
the most inspired of Goodman.
On the Alamo has an easy, relaxed swing about it. Boomie begins
with very pretty tenor (note his fine tone; Hank follows with
an extremely neat half chorus. Then Billy, blowing soulfully
through a tightly muted horn, followed by Mundell, light and
pretty on guitar. Finally it's Peanuts, blowing simply, swinging
easily, with answers from Billy and Boomie,
Soft Winds, another Goodman original, starts with two sixteen
bar choruses, the first clarinet lead with guitar; the second with
trumpet joining in. Then come five choruses of the blues, and a
final return to the theme with a fadeout featuring Lowe's guitar.
Poor Butterfly shows off Hucko's pretty clarinet tone and
Lowe's light, lilting guitar in the first chorus. A muted trumpet
and tender tenor share the second. Hank Jones plays a delightful,
articulate opening half of the third, and finally the band winds
things up in a modified dixieland fashion.
Avalon is heralded by a driving guitar intro; then shows strong
traces of modern jazz in both Butterfield's muted trumpet (he has
been known to star in modern jam sessions) and in Richmond's
light, swinging tenor. Hank and Mundell then chase one another
for a chorus, alternating exciting four-bar passages, after which
Peanuts blows two high-swinging choruses as a final, exciting
contribution to a most stimulating session of Dedicated Jazz.
-- George T. Simon

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Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra.

As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart dropped out of high school to become a member of the Ragtime Clowns led by Ollie Blackwell. He was with the Musical Spillers led by Willie Lewis in the early 1920s, then with Elmer Snowden, Horace Henderson, Fletcher Henderson, Fess Williams, and McKinney's Cotton Pickers. In 1933 he led a big band at the Empire Ballroom in New York City. Beginning in 1934, he spent eleven years with the Duke Ellington band. Stewart co-wrote "Boy Meets Horn" and "Morning Glory" and supervised recording sessions by members of the Ellington band. He left Ellington to lead "little swing bands that were a perfect setting for his solo playing." He toured in Europe and Australia with Jazz at the Philharmonic from 1947 to 1951.

Beginning in the early 1950s, he worked in radio and television and wrote jazz criticism for the Los Angeles Times and the magazines Playboy and DownBeat. The book Jazz Masters of the Thirties is a selection of his criticism. He lived in upstate New York after purchasing a one hundred year old farmhouse. He hosted a jazz radio program in Troy, New York, and owned a small restaurant for a short time near a drag racing track in Vermont. While living in France, he attended the Le Cordon Bleu school of cooking and dedicated his life to becoming a fine cook. ... ...

Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 – June 19, 2003) was an American big band musician. His primary instrument was the clarinet, but he sometimes played saxophone.

He was born in Syracuse, New York, 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 Army Air Force Band which he served in Europe during World War II. 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

Jack Lesberg, Max Kaminsky, and Peanuts Hucko, photo by William Gottlieb
During the post-war period, Hucko played in the bands of Benny Goodman, Ray McKinley, Eddie Condon and Jack Teagarden. 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 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 as the clarinet soloist on Cole Porter'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) and Ralph Sutton. 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.

In the 1970s, he led the Glenn Miller Orchestra 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 Orchestra on national TV during the early 1970s. ... -- W.

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