Nick Mucci, a St. Louis Jazz Club member for almost 25 years, is as familiar in the local music circles as the strains of "Easter Parade" in the springtime. And he's still a crowd pleaser, blowing his saxophones and clarinet with gusto for more than 70 years.
Nick's first public appearance was in 1930 at Sportsman's Park where he played with the Arlington School band between innings. He was 12 years old then and couldn't foresee that his music would last a lifetime. He was 15 when he landed his first paying job, playing with a trio in a tavern in Ferguson.
Nick grew up around music. His father played saxophone, clarinet and violin and his uncle was a music teacher who gave Nick his first sax lessons.
During World Wa r II, Nick joined the Air Force and played in its band for three years. The Air Force bands in the southeast division were under the command of Glenn Miller at that time.
After the War, Nick played with a group and was paid $1, while the leader reaped the reward. Disgusted, he decided to form his own band. His group was an instant hit and he played at the Kingsway Hotel and at the Rose Bowl Restaurant on Kingshighway near Chippewa.
His trio also played at the Carousel Lounge, with a revolving bar, on 11 th and Locust Streets where one of the patrons told Nick he was opening a new dance hall and wanted Nick Mucci's Band to play. The Starlight Ballroom opened on st. Charles Rock Road in 1960 and Nick organized a big band of 10 pieces that played there for two vears.
Dancers glided across the floor at the Casaloma Ballroom to Nick's music from 1971 to 1979 and he played for the St. Louis Singles Club dancer for more than 20 years. He was a regular at the Missouri Athletic Club, The Gatesworth and Forest Park Hotels and the Brass Key on Southwest Avenue, now the site of Cunetto's Restaurant. And there were constant weddings and private parties to keep his band pumping.
Nick even tuned pianos for five years to supplement his income as a meat salesman and musician.
"After the War, there was a meat shortage and we salesmen were paid on commission. I was making $8 a week or less, so I started playing six nights a week. If it hadn't been for my playing, I would have lost my house," he remembered.
Nick has lived in Dogtown near Forest Park for 47 years in a house he designed. He was named mayor of Dogtown in 1991.
Mary, his bride of 62 years, died in 2003. Music his three children, four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren are Nick's lifeblood. Grandson Bryan Wood is a successful sax player in Kansas City.
Nick's band plays regularly at the Jefferson Arms and at Our Lady of Life Retirement Apartments in Shrewsbury. He also plays with a trio called The Goldenaires and with The Hill Band, an l8-piece community orchestra. Nick Mucci and his music are timeless.
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