Jazz Me Blues

Bix Beiderbecke has shown up here and there among other posts, but this is my first to feature the famous cornetist and pianist. Many people consider Bix the greatest ever, while others sarcastically refer to him as jazz's first saint, while in recent years some less-than savory details have emerged about his earlier life. Yet for better for worse, he has come to symbolize Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties - hot jazz, flappers, changing moralities, and more importantly, illegal hootch which ultimately did him in in 1931. Bix has been cited as a major influence by many jazz musicians, including Bing Crosby, Frankie Trumbauer, Bunny Berigan, Lester Young, and many more. He recorded many of his best-known sides while with the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, and later with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. A lot has been written about Bix, too much for this small space. More information can be found at Redhot Jazz, Allmusic.com, and Wikipedia.

Bix's popularity seems only to have grown since his early death, which received only passing notice in the press. This year the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society holds its 41st annual festival, August 2 - 5, 2012, in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa. Enjoy! +

Tracks

1. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Jazz Me Blues
2. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - At The Jazz Band Ball
3. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Royal Garden Blues
4. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Sorry
5. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Singin' The Blues
6. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - I'm Comin' Virginia
7. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
8. Tram, Bix & Eddie -     For No Reason At All In "C"
9. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Goose Pimples
10. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Trumbology
11. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Ostrich Walk
12. Frankie Trumbauer And His Orchestra - Riverboat Shuffle
13. Bix And His Rhythm Jugglers - Davenport Blues
14. Wolverine Orchestra, The - Copenhagen
15. Wolverine Orchestra, The - Fidgety Feet
16. Wolverine Orchestra, The - Tiger Rag
17. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - In A Mist (Bixology)
18. Jean Goldkette And His Orchestra - Clementine (From "New Orleans")
19. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Thou Swell
20. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Ol' Man River
21. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Wa-Da-Da (Ev'rybody's Doin' It Now)
22. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Louisiana
23. Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang - Margie
24. Bix Beiderbecke And His Orchestra - I'll Be A Friend With Pleasure
25. Hoagy Carmichael And His Orchestra - Bessie Couldn't Help It