Muggsy Spanier was a predictable but forceful cornetist who rarely strayed far from the melody. Perfectly at home in
dixieland ensembles,
Spanier was also an emotional soloist (equally influenced by
King Oliver and
Louis Armstrong) who was an expert at using the plunger mute. He started on cornet when he was 13, played with
Elmer Schoebel's band in 1921, and first recorded in 1924.
Spanier was a fixture in Chicago throughout the decade (appearing on several important early records) before joining
Ted Lewis in 1929. Although
Lewis was essentially a corny showman,
Spanier's solos gave his band some validity during the next seven years. After a stint with
Ben Pollack's orchestra (1936-1938),
Spanier became seriously ill and was hospitalized for three months. After he recovered, the cornetist formed his famous eight-piece "
Ragtime Band" and recorded 16
dixieland performances for Bluebird (later dubbed The Great Sixteen) that virtually defined the music of the Dixieland revival movement. But because his group actually preceded the revival by a couple years, it soon had to break up due to lack of work.
Muggsy joined
Bob Crosby for a time, had his own short-lived
big band, freelanced with
dixieland bands in New York, and starting in 1950 he gradually relocated to the West Coast. During 1957-1959
Spanier worked with
Earl Hines' band and he continued playing up until his retirement in 1964, touring Europe in 1960 and always retaining his popularity in the
dixieland world. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
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Muggsy A-Z: A Portrait of Muggsy Spanier