[Dixielandjazz] Doin' theHambone

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Bob Romans asks:

 > Does ANYONE out there in OKOM land know how to HAMBONE?


Bob, I spent several days and evenings with Lu Watters, composer of "Doin'
The Hambone."  I found him to be a warm and gracious host.  Once you met
him, it was as if you had been close friends all of your lives.

He told me the story of "Doin' The Hambone."

As much as I remember, he said that there was a couple who used to come into
(Probably Hambone Kelly's I presume), and really dance well.  He wrote the
song with the breaks in it so that you would be able to hear their shoes on
the dance floor.

I think he also told me that before the band had a chance to play the tune,
the couple broke up.

Another interesting fact is the question of the title of "Emperor Norton's
hunch."  A lot of people guess that it had something to do with Emperor
Norton, the legendary SF character in the 1800s, coming up with the idea to
build a bridge across SF Bay -- his hunch.

Lu told me that this was not true.  he said that he just liked the sound of
the title.

Lu was quite a wine drinker.  We were trying to drink one of us under the
table.  I'm not sure who won...

I took a bunch of my YBJB LPs down for him to autograph.  He wanted to hear
them.  He drug out an old phonograph and we listened to his recordings for
hours.  He would point out things to me, places where he or Scobey played 
the
solos, etc.  I just wish I would have had a tape recorder along with me.

--Bob Ringwald