[Dixielandjazz] How South Rampart Street was written

[Stephen G Barbone]

Forgive my extending the South Rampart discussion, but I also turned  
this up in my search for South Rampart Street and Bob Haggart, who BTW  
attended my wedding and sat in with the band on bass. He an my father  
in law were members of the same Alcoholics Anonymous group back then

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband


 From a Bob Haggart interview with Chip Deffaa "From Long Island to  
South Rampart Street" published in "18 Portraits in jazz" by Chip  
Deffaa, page 120.

"He (Haggart) recalls South Rampart Street Parade (recorded November  
16, 1937) came about when we (The Bobcats) were at the New Yorker  
Hotel. Ray Bauduc and I were sitting at a table at intermission and he  
says, ' Hey, I got an idea for a march" - or the way they say in from  
New Orleans, a mawch. He says 'write this down.' And he's beating on  
his leg like this, just the way he plays the drums. And he's doing a  
parade beat. 'Da-da-ta-dadum, bum ba ta tadum' and so forth (he scats  
the opening to South Rampart Street Parade) I put ledger lines on the  
table cloth and wrote that out. I didn't happen to have any manuscript  
with me. Besides, the bandstand was way up there, and we were down  
there, so. And then (Haggart scats more of the tune), the beginning, I  
wrote that out (He scats a few more bars), then that. And I took the  
tablecloth and took it home, made up the arrangement."

"The number, a thrilling evocation of a street parade in New Orleans,  
was initially named Bulls on Parade - after a New Orleans Social Club  
with a band that Bauduc remembered; the title was subsequently changed  
to the more easily understood South Rampart Street Parade."