Bix Beiderbecke Singin The Blues 1 CD

When considering artists whose legends have grown to unmanageable size (see the Kirk Douglas film YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN, loosely based on Bix Beiderbecke's life), one needs to return to the original work to appreciate what all the fuss was about in the first place. Beiderbecke, a white Iowan jazzman from a well-to-do background, who indeed "lived fast and died young," left a small treasure trove of recordings from the mid-1920s that still deliver on their promise in the 21st century. VOLUME 1: SINGIN' THE BLUES would most aptly be credited to the formidable tandem of Beiderbecke and his more stable partner, Frank Trumbauer, the C-Melody saxophonist (as was a mid-'50s Columbia LP, titled simply BIX & TRAM). In various ensembles ranging from trio to 12-piece, these two icons weave in and out of several ingenious arrangements (courtesy of Don Murray and Bill Challis, among others), leading sections and making their distinctive, inspired solo statements. Beiderbecke is also heard on piano here, most notably on his self-penned classic, "In a Mist." If you only owned one Bix album, this exemplary collection would be it.

Recorded in New York, New York in 1927. Includes liner notes by Michael Brooks.

Personnel includes: Bix Beiderbecke (cornet, piano); Bill Challis (arranger); Seger Ellis, Irving Kaufman (vocals); Jimmy Dorsey, Bobby Davis (alto saxophone, clarinet); Stanley "Doc" Ryker (alto saxophone); Don Murray (tenor & baritone saxophones, clarinet); Adrian Rollini (bass saxophone); Frankie Trumbauer (C-melody saxophone); Bill Rank, Miff Mole (trombone); Joe Venuti (violin); Paul Mertz, Irving "Itzy" Riskin, Frank Signorelli (piano); Eddie Lang (guitar, banjo); Howdy Quicksell (banjo); Chauncey Morehouse (drums).