Ray Bauduc

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Ray Bauduc on drums, c. early 1950s

Ray Bauduc (18 June 1906 – 1988) was a hugely popular and influential jazz drummer best known for his work with the Bob Crosby Orchestra and their band-within-a-band, the Bobcats, between 1935 and 1942.

Bauduc was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His elder brother Jules was also a noted professional musician, a banjoist-bandleader. Ray Bauduc's youthful work in New Orleans included stints in the band of Johnny Bayersdorffer and early radio broadcasts. In 1926 he moved to New York City to join Joe Venuti's band. His other work in the 1920s include recording sessions with the Original Memphis Five and a stint in the Scranton Sirens which also included Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey.

His stint with the Bob Crosby Orchestra brought him national fame. 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 colorful 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 (the others being 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 in San Antonio, Texas.

Bauduc brought Baby Dodd's rattling, colorful jazz drum style into the swing mainstream, and whose exuberant playing brought a smile to all who heard it.

Referernces

• New Orleans Jazz, A Family Album. Al Rose and Edmond Souchon, third edition, Louisiana State University Press 1984