Posted: Sat May 04, 2019 1:16 pm Post subject: Bix Lives!
As I was at the gas pump, filling up on the way to my matinee concert today, a car pulled up bearing a "BIX LIVES" bumper sticker. I told the driver that it was the first time I had ever seen a Bix Beiderbecke bumper sticker. He introduced himself and said that he was the grandson of Bix Beiderbecke's sister, and his father was named after Bix.
I told him I played trumpet and sometimes cornet. I said that I really enjoyed listening to old Bix recordings, and that he was one of the giants in my conception of how jazz trumpet developed, and how I approach jazz melodies, especially older jazz. He said he knew little or nothing about his great-uncle's music, and the bumper sticker was a legacy of his late father, the other Bix. But he was really happy that someone recognized the name.
Sadly, when I told the other two trumpet players at the orchestra concert about it, neither one knew who Bix was. _________________ '75 Bach Strad 180ML/37
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Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 1:32 am Post subject: Re: Bix Lives!
mm55 wrote:
I told him I played trumpet and sometimes cornet. I said that I really enjoyed listening to old Bix recordings, and that he was one of the giants in my conception of how jazz trumpet developed, and how I approach jazz melodies, especially older jazz. He said he knew little or nothing about his great-uncle's music, and the bumper sticker was a legacy of his late father, the other Bix. But he was really happy that someone recognized the name.
He surely played many choruses like this, that came and went unrecorded. We probably are missing most of his best stuff, on his best nights.
Joined: 18 Jan 2009 Posts: 3118 Location: The Netherlands
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 2:47 am Post subject: Re: Bix Lives!
[quote="mm55"
Sadly, when I told the other two trumpet players at the orchestra concert about it, neither one knew who Bix was.[/quote]
That's really weird. Keith Richards in his book 'life' said about Ron Wood:
"He knows Beiderbecke, he knows his history, his Broonzy, he's solidly grounded" (page 372). And we are talking about rock guitarists!
I studied 4 years in high school with a local well known trumpet player/teacher. He was a very fine player who could play in a wide variety of styles. He was also my oldest sister's father in law.
Many years later at a family gathering we were talking trumpet and I mentioned Clifford Brown's name. He looked at me and said he had never heard of him!!!!! Bix and Clifford are two names every trumpeter should know.
Joined: 14 Jan 2005 Posts: 7770 Location: Des Moines, IA area
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 6:52 am Post subject:
I grew up in Davenport, IA where Bix was born and lived for a while. The city started a Bix Festival perhpas 30 years ago, fun time on the Mississippi river front in Davenport. That's where the bumper sticker came from. 1st year of the fest there was a gathering at the family gravesite and one was plastered on the large headstone. Had to be a trumpet player... (I know Bix played cornet)
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