The Davenport Waltz

by Mike Corrigan


At the end of the Spokane's Legendary Davenport Hotel video documentary, a couple in tux and flowing gown float across the ballroom floor of the Isabella Room to the music of a waltz. It's a lovely sight, and one that might have been a common sight in the hotel 80 years ago. But though the music propelling the dancers has its roots in the early-1900s, the arrangement is new.


During the course of their research, the Bamontes uncovered "The Davenport Waltzes," a few measures of music written by Arnold D. Scammell and first published in 1909. When Jim Bolser and Robin Briley began work on their video documentary, they sought out local composer Don Caron (most notable for his work on the script and original score of The Basket) to produce the music for the project including, appropriately enough, a new, expanded arrangement of "The Davenport Waltzes."


"I used it as the basis for the whole soundtrack," says Caron of the 1909 piece. "So there's actually my arrangement of the waltz at the beginning of the CD and then the material in between is the original material that has the waltz theme woven through it. It was originally only a one-page piano piece -- 16 bars of music. So I expanded it quite a bit."


The CD will be available after Nov. 19 at Hastings, Barnes & amp; Noble, Auntie's and elsewhere.


"It will be available individually and also as a set [with the documentary and book]," says Caron. "For the hardcore Davenport enthusiast."