Bix Beiderbecke, an Anthology


I am not going to bother with the personnel for this upload, as this is an anthology of recordings over a number of years and there is no set lineup of musicians. Some of these recordings are performed by bands led by Bix, others are with musicians like Frankie Trumbauer, and with bands like Paul Whiteman's Orchestra.

Bix Beiderbecke was a white cornet player who found himself in the midst of the 1930's Chicago jazz scene after he was sent off to boarding school there by his parents. His style is very introverted, and he was known for having an odd technique as a result of his learning to play jazz from recordings -- one of the first major names in jazz to do so, as opposed to learning from the tutelage of a peer; Bix grew up in Iowa. These recordings, stylistically, sound very old. However that doesn't mean that there isn't anything interesting going on in them(harmonic complexity isn't everything). Early jazz was renowned for it's use of counterpoint and (yes, I said it) improvisation by different members of the band at the same time. Chicago jazz was some of the very first jazz to feature solo improvisation, and Bix was one of the first adorned greats. Bix drank himself to death, which is a shame. But what can you expect from a kid who drops out of boarding school to play jazz in Chicago speakeasies during prohibition.