And which of the expert musicians are the ones ....
by
.... that we are going to believe in their identification of Bix or Louis in a particular record?
Do you know about the June 6, 1930 recording of "Loved One" by the Hotsy Totsy Gang? Here are the responses quoted by Russell Connor in his book about Goodman.
"The recordings under discussion were played for Mr. Goodman on four different occasions over time, and he remains adamant that Bix was not on the date. He believes that either Sterling Bose or Jimmy McPartland was the cornet soloist. In 1986, a New York radio station played the sides, telephoned Benny to ask if they included Bix. He replied that he thought they did. The author challenged him about his apparent changed opinion. His reply Hell, whats the difference now.
On July 7, 1973, the author played the recordings in question for Jimmy McPartland, Bill Challis and Joe Tarto at a jazz seminar at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, before an audience of Jazz record collectors. Their reaction was immediate and unanimous: not Bix. (Jimmy added that he was not the cornetist, he believed it might be Bose or even Mannie Klein, "who could play anybody's style.") The author feels that no one then alive was more knowledgeable about Bix as person and performer than McPartland, Challis and Tarto. In sum, no one can state with certainty the identity of the cornetist on this session."
Evans asked other musicians and this is what he reports.
"Benny Goodman - not Bix; either Stirling Bose or Jimmy McPartland
Gene Krupa - first hesitant, then sided with Goodman
Jack Teagarden first denied being at the session, then Bix
Joe Venuti - Bix
Frank Signorelli - Bix
Jimmy McPartland Bix (but this is different than what Jimmy told Connor)
Red Nichols - first he said it was Jimmy McPartland then Bix
Andy Secrest - Bix
Leo McConville Bix"
So here are a bunch of musicians, and not any musicians, but guys who knew Bix very well and had played alongside him. Five said not Bix; seven said Bix. It is not a matter of majority. The point is that even these first-class musicians are not in agreement.
Things are not as simple as you want them to be.
You write,
We get a lot of discussion on the site of is that Bix on such and such a record. Is it perhaps Manny Klein or McFarland - or any number of other people. Then it all begins: where was Bix at the time, was he even in New York, Chicago, or wherever, when the real and only test is listening to the record. If Bix was a complete genius - and there are opinions on that - then there should be no question. A genius is instantly recognisable. On, I Miss My Swiss, my Swiss Miss Misses Me, before he comes in on his solo, Louis can be heard playing four long notes in the ensemble - playing himself in before he starts his solo. Instantly recognisable, could be no one else. When the sides with Jimmie Rodgers first came out all the critics and experts were running around like headless chickens arguing if it was or if it wasnt Louis. Musicians couldnt understand what all the fuss was about. Anyone with half a ear could hear it was Louis.
You divide the world into two groups, "musicians" and "critics," with musicians being able to identify beyond the shadow of a doubt Bix or Louis, and "critics" running around like chickens with their heads cut off. And you come up with these absolute, categoric assertions "Instantly recognisable, could be no one else" "the real and only test is listening to the record". So you discard historic data? That seems to me to be the attitude of an ignorant individual whose mind is made up and does not want to be confused by facts.