Bix 'N' Bing

Bing Crosby, Paul Whiteman, Bix Beiderbecke

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 20, 1994)
• Original Release Date: November 18, 1992
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asv Living Era
• ASIN: B000001HF2
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #163,017 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Indie Music > Jazz > Traditional Jazz

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
While Paul Whiteman had long billed himself as the "King of Jazz," the jazz quotient of his music went up substantially in 1927 when cornetist Bix Beiderbecke joined the orchestra as a frequently featured soloist. The addition of Bing Crosby as a member of Whiteman's "Rhythm Boys" vocal group was an important contribution as well; Crosby's relaxed phrasing and rhythmic acuity eventually marked a major shift in the popular singing of the day. Beiderbecke immediately asserts his presence on "Changes" with an inventive, improvised solo full of subtle details and striking inflections. Even when restricted to written parts, his cornet is a distinct and fluent voice in the ensemble. The band's developing jazz qualities become increasingly apparent, particularly on arrangements like "Louisiana" and "Mississippi Mud," but Beiderbecke's creative freshness still stands out when posed against the strings on sentimental ballads. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First and Last Chapters of Two Great Careers, February 9, 2002

By	Peter A. Greene (Franklin, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Bix knew as much about the self-destuction of talent as Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison ever would. Here Whiteman, as he would a few other times, harbors a great jazz talent to spice up his band and keep a national traesure from starving to death. Bix gets his chances to kick butt with an explosive and awesome sound; some outstanding solo work here, and at moments you can hear him pull the whole band along behind him, like a Porsche pulling a couple of dachshunds. This is among his last great recordings.

Then there's Bing. If there hadn't been a Crosby, there never would have been a Sinatra. While others pursued the standard Incredibly Stiff White Guy style that predominated in the twenties, Bing was apprenticing with jazz players. He made it okay to relax, use a little jazz style, and to use a baritone voice instead of the usual Too Much Starch In MY Shorts tenor that was favored. Here you can hear him start to step out of the traditional box and start to assert the style that would completely change the face of male pop singers.

This is a great recording, a nice set of tunes, and an important chapter in American pop music history. I wore out my old vinyl version of this. Highly recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great collection of early Crosby, August 2, 2000

By	Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

Bing Crosby albums showcasing his 1920's singing are brilliant and fun to listen to. Though his voice matured and became more resonant in the 30's, these early cuts with Bix are pure magic. Bing had fun and took great license with the melody and lyrics and engaged in some engaging scat singing, which he eschewed later on in his career. As the Gary Giddins' biography showed, Crosby was highly influenced by the incomparable Louis Armstrong and Satchmo's style can be heard in these seminal recordings.

I owned this record for years on vinyl and the CD version has a crisper sound and greater clarity. Pay particular attention to "My Pet," one of Bing's great early gems as a member of the Rhythm Boys, and "Lovable," which gives a hint to the great voice developing.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bix 'n Bing old time classics, very nice cd, August 13, 2005

By	E. Nuiten "Ed" (Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When you like old style jazz, and especially Paul Whitemans period ('20s and early '30s) this CD is an example of the best orchestra in its time with the best singer Bing Crosby. The cornetplayer Bix is the best in this kind of music. Really this cd is top, the best, when you like this kind of music.