Gussie Mueller | |
|---|---|
 Gussie Mueller, c. 1922 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gustave Mueller |
| Also known as | "Gus" or "Gussie" |
| Born | (1890-04-17)April 17, 1890 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Origin | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | December 16, 1965(1965-12-16) (aged 75) Hollywood, California, U.S |
| Genres | Dixieland |
| Instrument | Clarinet |
| Years active | c. 1910-c.1940 |
Gustave "Gussie"Mueller (April 17, 1890 – December 16, 1965) was an early jazzclarinetist.
TheNew Orleans, Louisiana-born Mueller was a top clarinetist withPapa Jack Laine's bands in New Orleans before going toChicago, Illinois withTom Brown's band in early 1915. After serving in the Army inWorld War I he moved toCalifornia and joined the earlyPaul Whiteman Orchestra, with which he moved toNew York City. He helped give the Whiteman band a touch of theDixieland jazz style. One of the Whiteman Orchestra's early hit records, as well as one of the unfortunately few recordings where Mueller can be heard prominently, isWang Wang Blues which Mueller dominates in a style similar toLarry Shields. Mueller also shares composer credit on "Wang Wang".
According to Whiteman, Mueller was reluctant to learning how to read music, for fear that it would impair his abilities as a "hot player". He left the Whiteman band in November 1920, saying "I jes' can't play that 'pretty music' that you all play. And you fellers can't never playblues worth a damn".[1] Mueller returned to California to join his old friend Ray Lopez in theAbe Lyman Orchestra.[2] Mueller stayed in theLos Angeles area and remained active as a musician well in to the 1940s, mainly performing with "Hillbilly" bands.[3] He rejoins Whiteman in Capitol Record's Hollywood studios in 1945, for a recreation of the famous Wang-Wang Blues.[4] On the record Mueller replicates in detail his phrases from the 1920 recording.
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