Ray Bauduc

Ray Bauduc (1906-1988) was a hugely popular and influential New Orleans-born jazz drummer best known for his work with the Bob Crosby Orchestra and their band-within-a-band, the Bobcats, between 1935 and 1942.

He co-composed, together with bassist Bob Haggart, the two big hits that the Bob Crosby orchestra achieved: "South Rampart Street Parade" (a pseudo New Orleans parade-type number first recorded in November 1937), and "Big Noise from Winnetka" (a bass and drums duet with Haggart, recorded in 1938).

His colourful style, making full use of woodblocks, cowbells, the China cymbal and tom-toms, marked him out from most drummers of the swing era, and made him one of the few white drummers (including George Wettling, Dave Tough and Gene Krupa, but they were not so obvious) to be directly influenced by Warren "Baby" Dodds.

After the break-up of the Crosby band, Bauduc organised his own small groups (often in a swing or even bebop style), rejoined Bob Crosby for occasional reunions, worked with Jimmy Dorsey (1948) and Jack Teagarden (1952-55), before joining fellow ex-Bobcat Nappy Lamare in a highly successful dixieland band that lasted until 1960, after which Bauduc went into semi-retirement.

He deserves to be remembered as a drummer who brought Baby Dodd's hot jazz drum style into the swing mainstream, and whose exuberant playing brought a smile to all who heard it.