Bob Haggart

This audio only interview was conducted for a radio program by Dan Del Fiorentino and donated to the NAMM Oral History program: Bob Haggart may be best known for his crazy bass playing on the Bob Crosby hit record "Big Noise From Winnetka." The song featured bass slaps and even the drummer playing his sticks on Bob's bass strings. The novelty of the song and the creative use of the instruments helped establish the song as a standard in music classes around the world. Bob also wrote another classic jazz tune called "What's New?". Bob played and arranged for Ella Fitzgerald (most notably her album Lullabies of Birdland) as well as with Lionel Hampton and Billie Holiday.

Image courtesy of the Downbeat archives.