Bix Beiderbecke

Leon Bismark Beiderbecke, known as Bix Beiderbecke , is a Cornet tist, Pianiste of Jazz American, born the March 10th 1903 with Davenport (Iowa) and died in New York the August 6th 1931.

Biography

Born in 1903 in Davenport, Bix Beiderbecke learns as an autodidact the Piano and the Cornet. It is impassioned for the jazz and is very influenced by the trumpet players Nick Rocca (member of the Original Dixieland Jass Band) and of mythical the Emmett Hardy. In 1921, whereas it is student with the Military academy of Lake Forest, it forms its first orchestra. Excluded from the academy, it starts to occur professionally in dance bands of Chicago and on the Riverboats. It at the time of hearing the large trumpet players and black cornet players of the time, King Oliver and Louis Armstrong.

In 1923, it joined the group the " Wolverines " (alias " Wolverine Orchestra" ), in which he plays mainly of the horn but also sometimes of the piano, with which he records his first discs for the mark " Gennett ". It is at that time that it becomes acquainted with Frankie Trumbauer, specialist in the Saxophone tenor in C (instrument now disappeared), with which it will collaborate in many occasions. It records, at the same time, with other small formations of which the " Sioux City Six" .

In 1925, it joined the dance band directed by Jean Goldkette. It records discs in parallel more " jazz" under its name ( " Bix and his Rhythm Jugglers " and " Bix Beiderbecke' S Gang " ), under that of Trumbauer or in trio with still Trumbauer and the guitarist Eddie Lang.

In 1927, it joined the orchestra of " jazz symphonique" - sic - of Paul Whiteman of which it quickly becomes the " soloist vedette". Whiteman proposes a rather bombastic music where mixes, in manner not always happy, jazz, sirupeuse variety and traditional reminiscences. Bix takes part within this framework - even, if it is necessary to acknowledge, one hears it in solo only during 10 measurements - in the first recording of the " Concerto in F " of George Gershwin in the presence of the type-setter. Bix beiderbecke drinks much and its health is degraded rather quickly. Whiteman, conscious of the artistic potential of the cornet player, continues to pay it in spite of increasingly many absences. Continuous Bix has enregister under its name, that of Trumbauer, or other small formations but the effects of the disease are made feel on its play. At the end of 1929, it stops playing during several months to look after itself in Davenport. In 1930, it takes part for a time has Casa Loma orchestrated and records in New York its last discs with small formations (under its name or the direction of Hoagy Carmichael). He dies of the continuations of a pneumonia in August 1931.

Bix Beiderbecke was also fascinated by the classical music and in particular by the French type-setters of the time like Debussy or Ravel. It has him even made up of the parts for esthetic piano strongly inspired by cettte: " In mist " has; (that it recorded in 1927), " In the dark " , " Flashes " and " Candelights " .

The play of horn of Bix Beiderbecke sliced with that of its contemporaries, mainly influenced by the style of Louis Armstrong, by its phrased Legato by and a softness of stamp (a its round and heat) which precedes what, after war, will be the cool Jazz. Its lyricism melancholic person do of him one of the most touching musicians of the history of the jazz.

The " légende" - rather far away from reality (Bix was very well paid at Whiteman and found satisfactions to be played in this formation) - made of Beirderbecke, the prototype of " the artist maudit" , " insane of young music and dead corroded by alcohol because obliged to play in orchestras commerciaux".

Reference mark discographics

1924 : Jazz me blues (" The Wolverine Orchestrated ")
1925 : Davenport blues" (" Bix Beiderbecke and his Rhythm Jugglers ")

1926 : Sunday (" Jean Goldkette and his Orchestrated "))

1927 : singin' the blues (" Frank Trumbauer and his Orchestrated ")

1927 : For No reason At all in C (" Tram, Bix and Eddie in their three part band ")

1927 : In has Mist (piano solo)

1927: At the jazz band ball (" Bix Beiderbecke and his Gang ")

1928 : San (" Paul Whiteman and his Orchestrated ")

1928 : the Mississippi mud (" Frank Trumbauer and his Orchestrated ")

1928 : Dardanella (" Paul Whiteman and his Orchestrated ")

1928 : Ol' man to rivet (" Bix Beiderbecke and his Gang ")

1929 : Futuristic rhythm (" Frank Trumbauer and his Orchestrated ")

1930 : Barnacle Bill, the sailor (" Hoagy Carmichael and his Orchestrated ")

Bix - that it is under its name or within other formation - recorded its 78t for many labels (Gennett, Victor, Rca-Victor, Okeh, Harmony, Columbia, Brunswick). these recordings were the republication object many (compilations, " intégrales"). The currently available integral most complete is that in 12 Cd " Bix restored" published by label AMG.

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