But like all fiction, there is a a grain of truth there--the young Bix who could get visibly exuberant over hearing one note, the Bix who, having screwed up his courage to give Vera Cox a kiss on her cheek, leapt off her porch and bounded down the street proclaiming, I did it! I did it! There's no evidence that as an adult he did much bouncing off walls, choosing to affect an ironical sophistication, but when he plays there is a that quality of animation, exuberance, exhilaration at the music, carefully controlled for sure, but with a certain joyous abandon (e.g.. the beginning of his solo in "From Monday On") that makes me mentally jump up, bounce off the walls, and yell "Did you hear that? He did it! He did it!"