PEANUTS HUCKO
Genres: Dixieland, Big Band • United States

Michael Andrew "Peanuts" Hucko (April 7, 1918 - June 19, 2003) was an American big band musician. His primary instrument was the clarinet.    He was born in Syracuse, New York, 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 in which he served in Europe during World War II. During this time, Peanuts (the nickname comes from a childhood love of them) began to concentrate on the clarinet "because we did a lot of marching in sand, which was awkward with the tenor." With Miller's Uptown Hall Gang, he was featured in a hard-driving version of Stealin' Apples. During the post-war period, Peanuts played in the bands of Benny Goodman, Ray McKinley, Eddie Condon  and Jack Teagarden. From 1950 read more...