Bob Haggart

Bob (Robert Sherwood) Haggart (March 13, 1914 in New York City; died December 2, 1998 in Venice, Florida) was a dixieland jazz double bass player, composer and arranger. He becamer a founder-member of the Bob Crosby Band (1935). Arranged and part-composed several of the band's big successes. For example: "What's New?", "South Rampart Street Parade", "My Inspiration", and "Big Noise From Winnetka".He remained with the band until 1942. He then worked as a studio musician in New York and recorded with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. During the 1950's organised (with Yank Lawson) a regular series of small band recordings and also arranged many of the tunes for Louis Armstrong's four -volume L.P. recreation set made in 1956-7. Bob Crosby also used this ensemble as the core of many groups, including the band that recorded Haggart's arrangement of "Porgy and Bess" (1958). During the late 1960's he played frequently in bands organised by Bob Crosby. He worked and co-led with Yank Lawson The world's greatest Jazz Band (1968-1978). From 1978 until shortly before his death Haggart worked with own groups or as a free-lance musician in several jazzgroups and toured all over the world. He wrote a tutor for double bass which has become a standard text." [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:s84gtq5ztu48~T1 All Music bio] ]

elect discography

With Randy Sandke
*"The Music of Bob Haggart Featuring His Porgy and Bess Arrangements" track 17 only (Arbors Records)

References

literature

* Kragting, Ben. 'Bob Haggart Interview' in: Doctor Jazz Magazine 145 (1994), p. 10-13 (part 1) / Doctor Jazz Magazine 146 (1994), p. 10-15. (part 2) (Note: This is a Dutch jazz magazine, but the interview has been published in English!)