Customer Reviews

Bix Beiderbecke: Jazz Age Genius (Masters of Music)

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An excellent book for it's format, which is aimed at younger readers. It is full of the relevant information on Bix and very well written. The reader will come away with a good picture of the too short life of this brilliant young man.

I grew up in the Quad Cities. therefore I grew up hearing about Bix Beiderbecke, the piano and cornet player from Davenport, Iowa. I always wanted to know more about him, both as a man and a musician. I bought this book even though I knew it was for high school students. It was just what I wanted because it gave me an in-depth look at an extraordinary person. I now understand why the people of my area showed so much attention to Bix Beiderbecke.

Bix Beiderbecke was from Davenport, Iowa, along the Mississippi River. He was a child prodigy on the piano, moving on to the cornet. He could play anything he heard, although he never learned to read music. For ten years, he dazzled the world of jazz music. Then, at 28, he died. There is no telling what he could have been had he lived. This book, although written for young readers, is a fine biography for any age. There are lots of pictures too!

This book is part of the "Notable Americans" series. It is a short book (approx. 100 pages) about the short life (28 years) of one of the greatest stars of Jazz. Born to a respectable, high-middle class family in Davenport, Iowa, Bix turned out to be a failure in his education, disappointing his parents. On the other hand, he became a prodigy in the world of Jazz during an age in which this style was being consolidated in Chicago, where he went frequently while in the Lake Forest Academy. Bix stood out mainly by the full and velvety tone of his horn, as well as for his sophisticated harmony. Though brief, this book covers effectively the main aspects and events of Bix life. It is nicely complemented by a series of great photographs. Though there are more comprehensive biographies on Bix, this book provides a very good starting point for those interested in Bix impressive contributions to music, as well as about his roaring age. I bought mine used from Amazon, and it arrived in very good condition.