Track Listing

1. Trumbology
2. Clarinet Marmalade
3. Singin' the Blues (Till My Daddy Comes Home)
4. Ostrich Walk
5. Riverboat Shuffle
6. I'm Coming Virginia
7. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
8. For No Reason at All in C
9. Three Blind Mice
10. Blue River
11. There's a Cradle in Caroline
12. In a Mist
13. Wringin' an' Twistin'
14. Humpty Dumpty
15. Krazy Kat
16. Baltimore
17. There Ain't No Land Like Dixieland To Me
18. There's a Cradle in Caroline
19. Just an Hour of Love
20. I'm Wonderin' Who

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #136763 in Music
• Released on: 1990-01-05
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
In jazz's childhood, Bix Beiderbecke was the only cornet player to rival Satchmo in terms of influence on other musicians and on the development of the genre. Armstrong's syncopated delivery, his blues shadings, his unique phrasing--in short, his swing--became, rightly so, the benchmark, the standard by which jazz improvisation was not only judged, but actually defined. In a way, Bix represented both a practical and symbolic alternative to Armstrong. Though he was completely self-taught and couldn't read music, Bix's tone was incredibly pure, full, and lush, and his style was cooler, more restrained (but not reserved), and more plaintive than Louis's hot, ebullient playing--even though his actual tone remained bright and his note choices forceful. All of these 20 cuts come from 1927, and many of them rank among the finest performances of that classic era nudged between Dixieland and swing. A key component of these successes is Frankie Trumbauer, a remarkably fluent and lyrical C-melody sax player who was Beiderbecke's close friend and musical kindred spirit. The septet cuts from February and May are uniformly excellent, but "Singin' the Blues" (featuring Eddie Lang's prominent single-string guitar support), "Riverboat Shuffle," "I'm Comin' Virginia," and "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" are astonishing landmarks in jazz history. Also worth noting are two trio cuts featuring Beiderbecke on piano supporting Trumbauer and Lang, and "In a Mist (Bixology)," a Bix piano solo full of bold, unorthodox melodies, harmonies, and rhythms. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews

Sound could be better
One of the other reviews commented how this disc had no surface noise? Well, they're right. The noise reduction (sounds like an older analog process) removed enough of the upper frequencies that the label chose to add echo after the fact to cover up their handiwork. So, "Blue River" is a brilliant performance . . . but it appears here in mediocre sound. For my money, the best sounding set out there NOT on Mosaic is the 2-cd 'Jazz Tribune Vol 48' on RCA (a US release).
There is a WORSE sounding Beiderbecke cd out there, with Orrin Keepnews' name on it yet. BUT . . . that's another story.

a true genius
he really was a genius. his solo in 'singing the blues', and the climax of 'riverboat shuffle' are some of the most beautiful things i've ever heard, which is saying a lot. the absolutely pure sound that he got from the horn comes across clearly in these disc recordings.

Epitomizes Easy Listening
I've had this CD for a couple years now. I never tire of it. No matter what the circumstances of my life, I can't help but smile when I play this CD. If I'm feeling down Bix lifts me up. If I feeling good Bix helps me celebrate. I can think of no better recommendation.