MICHAEL SCHWARTZ/Courier-Post Chuck Quackenbush of Paulsboro plays the contra bass during a Vagabonds Drum and Bugle Corps rehearsal in Magnolia.

Bon-Bons, the Belles of St. Mary's, The Royaleers, Magnolia Lancers, Vagabonds.

For Joe Basciani those names are reminders of the classic days of South Jersey drum and bugle corps.

Basciani remembers when nearly every town in South Jersey had a drum and bugle corps. The sound was popular in the 1950s through the early 1970s, especially at local parades.

"From Gloucester Township to Atlantic City (there) were 25 groups along the White Horse Pike corridor," recalled Basciani, a 54-year-old train engineer living in Magnolia.

Since October, Basciani has been rounding up other Vagabond alumni and is looking for other players to join them, even from competing corps.

"We want to keep the traditional style of drum and bugle corps music alive for other generations. We hope this will save our art form," said Basciani. "I love the sound and I don't want to see it die."

At the Vagabonds' peak, there were 14 to 16 drummers and 35 to 40 horn players. Many corps were sponsored by churches and veterans associations. Today there are about 15 alumni in the Vagabonds.

Basciani and Ken Koehler of Marlton attended performances by other drum and bugle corps alumni out of the area, which inspired them to reunite the Vagabonds.

"What the drum and bugle corps are doing today is fantastic, but it's not what we did," said Koehler.

"It's like comparing antique or classic cars to modern ones. The details are different. Both are great, but some people prefer the old style," said Koehler, 53, a retired state police sergeant.

Many of today's drum and bugle corps incorporate fancy dance moves, contemporary songs and show tunes.

"Today, it's theatrical rather than militaristic," Koehler said. "Alumni bands sound like they did 30 or 40 years ago."

Koehler remembers the first time he saw the Vagabonds perform in a parade in 1959. He loved how loud the corps played and that the drums were "out front." He was only 9 then, but he joined as a junior member. He stayed with the Vagabonds for nine years.

"I was intrigued by the style of drumming and their precision," he said.

In the late '60s, the corps folded, Koehler said. Some members went off to Vietnam.

Basciani said anyone joining the reformed Vagabond Alumni Band does not have to worry about marching in parades or performing for competition. For those older members with achy knees or bad backs, Basciani will hire a flatbed truck to carry members or play concerts on stage.

"You can still play even if you're handicapped or can't walk. We call it 'park and blow,' " he said.

Parades and competitions are a few months away.

"We're still rehearsing," Basciani said. The Vagabonds practice on the second and fourth Saturday of the month at Magnolia Borough Hall on Evesham Road.

"We've had some ups and downs so far," he said. "We want people to know that we're not a flash in the pan."

Basciani hopes honor and color guards will volunteer as well as players. The corps has a collection of donated sheet music and used horns and drums.

"We want and need people to play them. We're still in the infancy stage," said Koehler. Nonetheless, he's having a blast.

"The best part has been seeing some of the people I haven't seen in decades and playing that style of music again."