Jazz / Dixieland, Early Jazz
Recorded: Feb 4, 1927-Feb 23, 1934
Adrian Rollini Sax (Bass)
Art Miller Bass
Benny Bonacio Sax (Alto), Clarinet
Bill Challis Arranger
Bill Rank Trombone
Bing Crosby Vocals
Bix Beiderbecke Cornet
Bobby Davis Sax (Alto)
Carl Kress Guitar
Charles Gaylord Vocals
Charles Philip Fox Liner Notes
Charles Strickfaden Sax (Alto), Oboe, Sax (Baritone), Clarinet
Charlie Margulis Trumpet
Charlie Teagarden Trumpet
Chauncey Morehouse Drums, Harpophone
Chester Hazlett Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Chet Hazlett Sax (Alto)
Dee Orr Vocals
Doc Ryker Sax (Alto)
Don Murray Clarinet, Sax (Baritone)
Ed "Snoozer" Quinn Guitar
Eddie Lang Guitar, Banjo
Frank Signorelli Piano
Frankie Trumbauer Sax (C-Melody), Sax (Alto), Vocals, Director
George Marsh Harpophone, Whistle (Human), Drums
George Rose Guitar, Banjo
Harold McDonald Drums
Harry Barris Piano, Vocals
Harry Gale Drums
Herb Quigley Drums
Hoagy Carmichael Celeste, Piano, Vocals
Irving Friedman Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Irving Kaufman Vocals
Itzy Riskin Piano
Izzy Friedman Clarinet
Jack Teagarden Trombone, Vocals
Jimmy Dorsey Sax (Alto), Clarinet
Joe Venuti Violin
John Cali Banjo
John Ryan Vocals
Lennie Hayton Harmonium, Drums, Piano
Les Reis Vocals
Mason Dixon Orchestra Performer
Miff Mole Trombone
Min Leibrook Sax (Bass)
Mischa Russell Violin
Nat Natoli Trumpet
Noel Taylor Vocals
Paul Mertz Piano
Pee Wee Russell Clarinet
Raymond Johnston Trumpet
Roy Bargy Piano
Rube Bloom Piano
Rube Crozier Bassoon
Russ Case Arranger
Sally-Ann Worsfold Liner Notes, Compilation
Sam Lanin Percussion
Scrappy Lambert Vocals
Seger Ellis Vocals
Smith Ballew Vocals
Stan King Drums
Tommy Satterfield Piano, Celeste
Vic Berton Harpophone, Drums, Percussion
Ward Archer Drums
Wilbur Hall Guitar
Willard Robison Director
Wingy Manone Clarinet
4 CD box set. Features the now legendary 3 original Bix & Tram CD releases, which have long been deleted, with a bonus disc of rare tracks.
This newly appended collection encompasses most every record that these two men made together, augmented by the Bix & His Gang sessions and a handful of uncommon sides from both 1924 and 1934, which pre- and post-date Tram's involvement with Bix. Three of the four discs each contain no less than 13 instrumentals, ranging from solid to positively gorgeous. Disc "C" has only seven instrumentals. This collection's 34 non-instrumentals place the listener at the mercy of period vocalists, some sing through their noses, others whimper like Elmer Fudd, while a few stoop so low as to imitate vaudeville black-face comedians. The specter of white guys drawling at each other in weird false dialect should serve to remind everyone how prevalent Jim Crow was in the music industry between 1895 and, say, 1945. Hearing wholesome young Bing Crosby sing "When the Darkies Beat Their Feet On the Mississippi Mud" puts both the singer and his society in perspective. The best of the Jim Crow numbers is "Take Your Tomorrow," a performance that actually demonstrates authentic vaudeville humor and timing. "Borneo" is worth having just for Beiderbecke's lovely ascending cornet run during the introduction. As any seasoned early jazz listener can testify, even the grossest vocalist cannot entirely wreck a recording if the guys in the band are solid. Bite your lip, take a breath, and wait for the solos. Now you know why Eddie Condon referred to most recorded vocal passages as "interruptions." And even if that is the nefarious Smith Ballew singing "Louise," the melody is wonderful and it's nice to hear the lyric. Even if it is the Deep River Quintet heard singing Fats Waller's "I'm More Than Satisfied," where else are listeners going to hear the words to this underappreciated opus? Most importantly, this massive quarry of vintage music puts the more commonly heard material in context by lining it up alongside the rest of what was deemed appropriate for the record-buying public so many years ago. And that itself is worth far more than the price of admission. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide
Bix Beiderbecke
Active Decades: '20s and '30s
Born: Mar 10, 1903 in Davenport, IA
Died: Aug 06, 1931 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Big Band, Swing, Early Jazz
Bix Beiderbecke was one of the greatest jazz musicians of the 1920s. His colorful life, quick rise and fall, and eventual status as a martyr made him a legend even before he died, and he has long stood as proof that not all the innovators in jazz history were black. Possessor of a beautiful, distinctive tone and a strikingly original improvising style, Beiderbecke's only competitor among cornetists in the '20s was Louis Armstrong but (due to their different sounds and styles) one really could not compare them.
Beiderbecke was a bit of a child prodigy, picking out tunes on the piano when he was three. While he had conventional training on the piano, he taught himself the cornet. Influenced by the original Dixieland Jazz Band, Beiderbecke craved the freedom of jazz but his straight-laced parents felt he was being frivolous. He was sent to Lake Forest Military Academy in 1921 but, by coincidence, it was located fairly close to Chicago, the center of jazz at the time. Beiderbecke was eventually expelled he missed so many classes. After a brief period at home he became a full-time musician. In 1923, Beiderbecke became the star cornetist of the Wolverines and a year later this spirited group made some classic recordings.
In late 1924, Beiderbecke left the Wolverines to join Jean Goldkette's orchestra but his inability to read music resulted in him losing the job. In 1925, he spent time in Chicago and worked on his reading abilities. The following year he spent time with Frankie Trumbauer's orchestra in St. Louis. Although already an alcoholic, 1927 would be Beiderbecke's greatest year. He worked with Jean Goldkette's orchestra (most of their records are unfortunately quite commercial), recorded his piano masterpiece "In a Mist" (one of his four Debussy-inspired originals), cut many classic sides with a small group headed by Trumbauer (including his greatest solos: "Singin' the Blues," "I'm Comin' Virginia," and "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans"), and then signed up with Paul Whiteman's huge and prosperous orchestra. Although revisionist historians would later claim that Whiteman's wide mixture of repertoire (much of it outside of jazz) drove Beiderbecke to drink, he actually enjoyed the prestige of being with the most popular band of the decade. Beiderbecke's favorite personal solo was his written-out part on George Gershwin's "Concerto in F."
With Whiteman, Beiderbecke's solos tended to be short moments of magic, sometimes in odd settings; his brilliant chorus on "Sweet Sue" is a perfect example. He was productive throughout 1928, but by the following year his drinking really began to catch up with him. Beiderbecke had a breakdown, made a comeback, and then in September 1929 was reluctantly sent back to Davenport to recover. Unfortunately, Beiderbecke made a few sad records in 1930 before his death at age 28. The bad liquor of the Prohibition era did him in.
For the full story, -Bix: Man & Legend is a remarkably detailed book. Beiderbecke's recordings (even the obscure ones) are continually in print, for his followers believe that every note he played was special.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
