Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bob Hardaway was born on March 1, 1928 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a dad who earned the nickname of J.B. “Bugs” Hardaway by inventing the characters of Bugs Bunny and Woody Woodpecker. Moving to Hollywood got him his early coaching from film composer Darrell Caulkner. As an instrumentalist, he learned many fundamentals in his Air Force band, which inspired him to write music for a touring show, Air Force Frolics, which he also conducted. After military service he returned to college in Los Angeles, California then began a career as a big-band section player in reliable outfits such as Ray McKinley. It was Billy May who came through with the first recorded solo opportunity for him on a Capitol album promising an instrumental Bacchanalia.

Hardaway’s presence as a soloist was furthermore boosted on a mid-’50s series of Decca sides by bandleader Jerry Gray, among the features being the reliable “Thou Swell,” the gentle “Baby’s Lullaby,” and a pounding “Kettle Drum.” He had the first saxophone chair in the Woody Herman band in 1956 and also performed and recorded with big-band maestros Stan Kenton, Les Elgart, Benny Goodman, Alvino Rey, and Med Flory, among others. He would record on sessions with Lulu, Bonnie Raitt, Neil Diamond, Roger Neumann’s Rather Large Band, Harry Nilsson and Doris Day.

Jazz discographies alone pile up nearly 75 recording sessions involving Hardaway between 1949 and 1995. In addition, there were vocalists and vocal groups too numerous to name outside of that genre with which he recorded, usually in the company of A-list session players such as bassist Carol Kaye. At 91, multi-instrumental reedist Bob Hardaway has been retired since the Nineties.

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