Customer Reviews

Bix Beiderbecke Story

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm trying in my reviews to tread the roads less travelled, but it would be remiss of me to pass over this 4-CD set, particularly when one of the two reviews it has attracted to date has awarded it but a single star!

If you've never heard a recording by Bix you don't know what you've missed, and if you have you'll never forget it. He was unsurpassed for purity of tone, and his skill transcended mere improvisation, transmuting the most uninspired tunes into melodies of great beauty, seemingly without effort.

This compilation covers his first recordings with the Wolverines, the Sioux City Six, and the Rhythm Jugglers, the best of his recordings with Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman, interpolated by those made by studio groups under his own and Frank Trumbauer's name, the two Broadway Bellhops sides, and finishing up with the two Hoagy Carmichael sides.

This was a musician who claimed never to play the same solo twice, but the one thing that's missing is an alternate take or two (and there are many) to show the extent to which Bix's solos altered dramatically from one to the next. But that's a small reservation which does not detract from the impact of the set as a whole.

Individual discs are housed in slipcases, and are accompanied by an extremely detailed 56-page booklet setting out his career and full discographical details. An absolute bargain.

This budget set seems to be made up largely (or entirely) of material lifted from earlier reissues. I think many of the 'newly remastered' recordings are simply filtered versions of other recordings I already have in my collection. In general, the sound is bland, mid-rangy, over-filtered and lifeless. There is SOOOOO much more sound on these recordings than this release lets us hear. The material itself is great -- basically the Bix everyone wants! The booklet is superb. But sorry -- I can't get around the inferior sound. You get what you pay for.

This is exceptional value - a 4 CD collection with a 56 page illustrated booklet. The re-mastered recordings are comparable to any in my extensive collection of Bix's work. If I were to criticise it would be the cardboard covers to the CDs but at this price I am not going to knock a star off.

If it is important to you to have every recording Bix ever made, this is a good investment.

The problem is that on so many of Bix's recordings, he is surrounded by mediocre musicians. (For example: the Wolverines, Bix's first group, which is very well represented in this collection, are just awful.) And on a lot of the other recordings -- for example, the records he made toward the end of his life with Paul Whiteman -- Bix's performances are fresh and vibrant, but the rest of it is uninteresting or worse.

If it is not important to you to have every recording Bix ever made, put your money down on "Bix and His Gang" (which I have also reviewed). Right now this one appears to be out only on vinyl. But if you can overcome that, you will be richly rewarded.The Bix Beiderbecke Story Vol. 1 (Bix and His Gang) - Vinyl LP Record

Although the design of this edition leaves a lot to be desired (for instance, some sort of looking glass even for those who have normal sight), the music is absolutely fascinating, a collection of great historical significance, with lot of top class jazz performances.

Naturally, those who are not fans of vintage jazz will have difficulty with the sound quality and with a serious amount of non-jazz elements in many performances, but that is normal when you deal with the music and the times of Bix Beiderbecke (and his collaboraters, such as Adrian Rollini, Eddie Lang, Frankie Trumbauer, Jimmy Dorsey, Joe Venuti, Pee Wee Russell...).

Had he lived longer, some feel, he wouldn't have become such a legend, but then again his recording output would be even richer, done with more advanced recording technology, so his significance for present day fans could even be greater....