Re: "The Music is the Only Thing That Matters"..............
by
"Truth:
written by Alex Revell:
The music is the only thing that matters.
Bix could have been a nice guy, a monster, a druggie, a paedophile, a woman chaser, a wife beater, misunderstood by his parents - whatever. It makes no difference. The glorious music he played is what matters. That and that alone.' [I added the bold face font]
In my book, that is not the truth. It is merely an opinion presented in an all-encompassing, dogmatic manner. Note the words "only" and "alone."
Certainly, music was the essence of Bix's life. But how people approach Bix varies. For some, the music is all that matters. For Phil Evans, who devoted most of his adult life to research the history and chronology of Bix Beiderbecke, obviously other aspects of Bix's life were of utmost importance. For Rich Johnson who devoted a substantial portion of his life to investigate Bix in Davenport, clearly that stage of Bixs life mattered a lot.
People have different ways of approaching artists, painters, musicians, writers, etc. To some only the works of art themselves are essential. Others are interested in the environment and the history that nurtured the creativity of an artist. Still others are interested in the circumstances whereby the actual act of creation bore fruit. I imagine there are as many ways of thinking about Bix as there are Bix admirers.
Lets be open-minded and allow each to approach Bixs music and life in the manner he/she finds most rewarding.