Bix's reading ability and the Camel Pleasure Hour.

The followng is an article about the Camel Pleasure Hour in the Lebanon (PA) Daily News of June 20, 1930.

The cornet/trumpet players in the Camel orchestra were Charlie Margulis, Leo McConville and Bix. Among the other musicians, we have the usual suspects: Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Murray Kellner, Min Leibrook, Lennie Hayton, Arthur Schutt, etc. The director was Charles Previn. The article above tells about Previn's musical expertise and about his arrangements: "Orchestrating the score of the average popular melody to the point that it sounds like a jazz symphony is Previn's forte." Considering the demands that Previn made on his musicians, including about Bix's skills (both in playing as well as in reading) as third horn, what Alex and Malcolm tell us about Bix's reading abilities is perfectly well-founded. Of course, this is consistent with what Bill Challis reported.  Bix could not function as third horn in this orchestra made up of highly skilled musicians unless he could do a fair amount of reading. Of course, he had help from his friends. We know about Bix's dedication of the sheet music of "In The Dark" to Leo McConville, "To Leo, one ot the best personnally [sic] and musically - thanks for saving my life on the Camel hour numerous timme [sic]. The Best Bix Beiderbecke."

I also remind forumites of what Frank v wrote almost four years ago in http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1168858082

"Kaminsky remembered how Bix wrote a Blue Room solo chorus for him in 1926. Kaminsky's memory implies that Bix was not at all musically illiterate."

And this is 1926!!

Albert

PS Here is an announcement of the premiere of the Camel Pleasure Hour from the Burlington (VT) Hawk-Eye of June 1, 1930.