[Dixielandjazz] Happy Birthday Bob Haggart

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians and Jazzfans list; DJML

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Here's the link:  http://jazzagemusic.blogspot.com/

 

Jazz Age Music has a clip on bassist/composer-arranger  Bob Haggart.  Shows
him and drummer Ray Baduc doing his famous Big Noise from Winnetka.  

 

It was my pleasure to see him on numerous occasions at the Dick Gibson and
Arbors jazz parties.  In fact, he and Yank Lawson came to  Pensacola Jazz
Parties ( '89-91).  On the Big Noise number, Haggart would whistle through
his teeth-you can hear it on the videoclip--.  At our Pensacola Jazz Party,
cornetist Peter Ecklund played one set with Haggart and on "Sentimental
Journey" they did a "through the teeth" whistling duet,

 

Haggart was also an accomplished artist who won prizes in competitive art
shows and many of his drawings were made into album covers.

 

Allow me one anecdote:  It was at a Dick Gibson jazz party when a pianist
played a very angular, modernistic version of Haggart's tune " What's New."
I happened to be standing near him and asked how he felt when he heard his
tune played  in a somewhat dissonant way.  He casually replied, "That's fine
with me.  The tune is out there and it can be interpreted in many ways.

In fact, one man collected all the versions of "What's New" and put them on
tape and sent them to me.  It was about an hour and a half.  I don't know
why anybody would want to do that!"

 

Mat Domber of Arbors Records established a music scholarship in his honor!

 

 
--End--