Bix Beiderbecke & Chicago Cornets

Bix Beiderbecke | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Milestone
• ASIN: B000000XW3
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,869 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yet another vital recording from Richmond, Indiana (?!!), January 8, 2001

By 

Marc Dolan (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bix Beiderbecke & Chicago Cornets (Audio CD)

In the mid-1920s, the Gennett studios in Richmond, Indiana, was the center of much of what was groundbreaking in recorded jazz. This is Bix as he sounded at the beginning--the closest rock analogy would be pre-Bowie Iggy Pop, when he was still with the Stooges. In addition to the earliest Gennett sides, it also includes some of the first sides he cut in New York. If you want Bix at his most essential, get the first volume of the Columbia set; if you want him at his most entertaining, get the second volume of the Columbia set. But this is where he began, and it's fun to listen to how the jazz fan became the jazz artist.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bix shines through, August 8, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bix Beiderbecke & Chicago Cornets (Audio CD)

Bix in his earliest recordings is superb! Although lacking the melodic refinement of his later work, his tonal quality and driving force is obvious in these recordings. His piano solo on "Big Boy" just goes to show his versatility as a musician. The rest of the Wolverines aren't half bad either, despite their reputation with modern critics.

Bix once said that his Wolverines recordings were shallow and one-dimensional, but for their time they were the cutting edge. The influence of Paul Mares is impossible to miss when you hear Bix on these tunes -- follow this CD with some New Orleans Rhythm Kings and compare!

The last five tracks feature Muggsy Spanier and his Bucktown Five, and two are from the Wolverines after Bix left. Still good music, but after hearing the first half of the CD, you feel that something's just missing without Bix....