[Dixielandjazz] A story about Peanuts Hucko

[Texasjazzlover]

<snip>
By the time he was 19, he was in New York City playing with the big bands of
that time. In 1942, he went into the infantry, but Glenn Miller wanted him
in his Air Force band and got congressional approval to transfer him. It was
Miller who suggested that Mr. Hucko change from tenor saxophone to first
clarinet.<snip>


Here is a story that Peanuts related to Jim (my husband).  Peanuts didn't
like to play clarinet.
>From 1939 to 1940, Peanuts played tenor saxophone with Will Bradley.  When
another musician was featured, Peanuts was supposed to play clarinet.  He
didn't like the clarinet, so he would leave his reed out and "pretend" to
play.  The section leader squealed on him, and Bradley fired him.  Later,
Bradley saw Peanuts and asked if he had been practicing the clarinet, to
which Peanuts replied with a strong "YES!", so he was re-hired.  However,
Peanuts again refused to play the clarinet and was fried again!

Then when it came time for him to be shipped out with the military, he heard
they would be going to Africa and he didn't want to ruin his saxophone in
the sand, so he packed up the clarinet.  He said that was when he learned to
enjoy playing it.

Rebecca
Flower Mound, TX