The Bixography Discussion Group

A vehicle for Bixophiles and other interested individuals to ask questions, make comments and exchange information about Bix Beiderbecke and related subjects.

Any views expressed in the Bixography Forum represent solely the opinions of those expressing them and are not necessarily endorsed or opposed by Albert Haim unless he has signed the message.

I started archiving some of the threads that have been inactive for some time. The archived threads can be found at http://ms.cc.sunysb.edu/~alhaim/archivesforum.htm

Albert Haim, Forum Owner

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The Davenport Album and Bad History; also, Albert Is Right About Lion

Jean Pierre Lion writes that, despite the charges having been dismissed, Bix Beiderbecke's arrest led the young man to "feel abandoned and ashamed: he saw himself as suspect of perversion." I agree with Albert that there is no evidence to support this claim, although, unlike Albert, I think it is reasonable speculation. (Bix, after all, was a suspect of perversion; it hardly would have been strange -- in fact, it would have been human -- for him to have seen himself as suspect, and for that stain to have followed him for years afterward. Of course, it is possible he did not, and it did not.) Were I Lion, I would have phrased it differently.

That said, Lion is the author of the only full-length biography of Beiderbecke currently in print. Ralph Berton's Remembering Bix, while in print, is a memoir, not a biography. And neither the Evanses' nor Johnson's book strikes me as being a biography -- they are massive and very useful collections of information. They are resources, in other words, but they shy away from the difficult work of marshaling all of that information into a narrative. So that leaves us Lion, and because his is the available biography, and one of the only published accounts of the arrest, his opinion matters. For that reason alone, I think it warrants inclusion in the Wikipedia article. I understand the disagreements, however, and, accusations of desk-banging aside, I respect them.*

But that's not what I wanted to write about. I think that Albert's hyper-rational approach to history, biography, and criticism is sometimes misplaced, but I also think it's sometimes useful. And I think he's right to applaud the work of Sudhalter, Evans, and Johnson. But I'm curious to know why he and other reviewers have not focused their attention on Johnson's chapter on the arrest in last year's Bix: The Davenport Album. If Lion is guilty of assuming too much -- and let me say again: I agree with Albert that he is -- then Johnson is guilty of scholarship that is just as bad or worse.

That criticism is not meant to dismiss the usefulness of the book, which is packed with primary documents and research, some of which is interesting. For instance, as you all surely know, Johnson provides documentation that makes a convincing argument that Beiderbecke's full name was Leon Bismark Beiderbecke and not Leon Bix Beiderbecke. And he provides much background information on nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Davenport that is helpful, even while it begs to be summarized and more fully integrated into the Beiderbecke story.

Of course, there is more Beiderbecke family genealogy than seems even remotely necessary, and there is a singularly odd chapter titled "Beiderbecke Ghosts" that begins this way:

Of all that has been written about the Beiderbecke family, no stories are as bizarre or as heartbreaking as what is to follow. Some who have privately and reluctantly testified to what they have seen have refused to be identified publicly. Others have spoken out.

True or false? Judge for yourself.

Bizarre and heartbreaking? Reluctant testimony? Questions about what's true and what's not? It sounds more like the story of Bix's arrest, and for Johnson's take on that, we turn to the chapter "Scandal Finds Bix." This is where Johnson is at his best, but also at his very worst.

Let me offer a couple examples of what I'm talking about.

Bix was arrested by the Davenport police on April 22, 1921, charged with performing a "lewd and lascivious act" on a five-year-old girl, Sarah Ivens, daughter of Preston Ivens. The charges were later dropped. In his attempt to understand the event's circumstances, Johnson writes:

The Espionage Act expired at war's end. Ethnic bigotry did not.

Philadelphia grocer Preston Ivens had moved to Davenport to attend Palmer Chiropractic School. His wife and three children -- two boys, ages ten and nine, and a five-year-old daughter -- lived in Iowa Street while Ivens lived in Grand Avenue, several blocks north of the Beiderbeckes.

Why did the Ivenses live at two addresses? This is both an obvious question and, potentially, an important one. Johnson, however, ignores it. Were the Ivenses divorced? Did Sarah Ivens visit the Grand Avenue residence often?

Here's Johnson again:

According to Bill Roba, a professor at Scott Community College, Mr. Ivens lost a brother in the war. That and Ivens [sic] staunch advocacy for the One-Hundred Percent Americanism policy is what Roba believes may have led to an accusation in 1921 against Bix Beiderbecke for the vilest of crimes.

Americanism called for conformity with mainstream culture. Proponents wanted more from immigrants seeking citizenship than just dropping their hyphenated identities and learning to speak English. They insisted citizenship required forgoing ethnicity in one's food, clothing, even in one's lifestyle. Festivals that celebrated foreign ancestry were seen as disloyal to America.

Bix's German ancestry may or may not have had anything to do with anything. The fact remains that the name of Leon Beiderbecke appears sixth on a list of seven arrests entered into the Davenport police blotter on April 22, 1921.

The cultural context is really important here. This is just a few years after World War I, which is to say not long after a wave of anti-German hysteria swept the country. The speaking of German was even prohibited in Iowa for a time. Now we have Bill Roba telling us that Preston Ivens lost a brother in the war and that his subsequent anti-German prejudice may have led him to wrongly accuse Bix Beiderbecke of "the vilest of crimes."

Perhaps that's how it all went down. But wouldn't the historian do well to more than just assert Ivens's anti-German prejudice but also document it? And is there any reason, beyond Ivens's association with One Hundred Percent Americanism -- which, again, has been asserted without evidence -- to believe that the politics and the accusation are related? Are Roba and Johnson arguing that Ivens invented the incident and persuaded his daughter to lie about it? (It seems as if Johnson accepts that theory, but because he does not quote Roba or indicate what sort of research Roba has done or articles he has published, it's tough to tell exactly where Johnson stands, let alone how to evaluate Roba's authority.)

And another question: why target the Beiderbeckes? It seems as if the One Hundred Percenters were not against German Americans per se, but against open displays of their ethnicity. Count me as skeptical of such distinctions; nevertheless, were the Beiderbeckes, aside from their name, German in such a way as to attract the attention of a bigot such as Johnson and Roba allege Ivens to have been? And/or were the Beiderbeckes and the Ivenses connected in any other way? Did they do business together, for instance?

There has been much outrage among Bixophiles that someone could so unfairly accuse Bix of "the vilest of crimes," yet I have heard no concern about the fact that Rich Johnson, in Bix: The Davenport Album, has accused Preston Ivens of being a bigot and a liar. He may have been. I don't know. But Johnson's book provides no evidence to make that case; it just leaves the accusation to hang there. It's unseemly.

In the end, if we are to insist on Lion providing clear evidence and documentation for every claim he makes, then we must insist it from everyone. And if we are to praise the contributions that Rich Johnson made to Bix's memory -- and by all means we should -- then we also must acknowledge that this is just plain bad history.

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* I also think these disagreements stem from a disconnect that is even more basic. I don't think the purpose of the Wikipedia article is to entice readers to become fans of Bix Beiderbecke or his music; I don't think its purpose is to promote his legacy or to pay tribute to those who have written about him. I think its purpose is to provide a clear and authoritative summary of his life, legacy, and music. On those grounds we can certainly quibble over the Lion quote, but it makes no sense to worry about whether the word "perversion" enters the equation or how early.

Posted on Oct 9, 2010, 12:28 PM

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In Defense of Rich Johnson

I think your criticism of parts of Rich's The Davenport Album" is unduly harsh. Just by looking at the format of the book, it is pretty clear that it is not a conventional biographical work. It is more like a series of vignettes, a scrapbook, a collection of anecdotes. Rich, having lived most of his life in the Quad Cities, was in the best of positions to investigate first-hand accounts surrounding Bix's life in Davenport and access primary documentation. He did that, not in an organized, systematic manner, but as circumstances were converging on the particular topics that interested him. Rich, a modest and straightforward man, had no pretensions of writing a scholarly work, with references, footnotes, bibliographic annotations, etc. He was fascinated by Bix's life and music, and collected a huge amount of local information about Bix. At one point, he had so much material, some new, some already known, and he decided to put it all together in a book.

One additional piece of information. "The Davenport Album" was published one year after Rich died. Rich had been sick and died before he had a chance to go over a final draft of his book. Coworkers and editors made a heroic effort, in the absence of Rich's guidance, to put together, as faithfully as possible to Rich's concept, the published version, a somewhat abbreviated account of Rich's last draft of his manuscript.

Allow me to reprint here my review of The Davenport Album. It is transcribed below and provides, I believe, a good sense of what Rich was trying to achieve..

I am leaving for a vacation on Wednesday and I am afraid I don't have time now to analyze in detail and respond- to some of your specific comments. I hope to do so when I return in about ten days.

Albert

Albert Haims Review of "Bix: The Davenport Album."

Nine biographies of Bix Beiderbecke, the jazz genius from Davenport, Iowa, have been published; one in German, one in Italian, one in French (translated into English), and the remaining in English (two in the UK and four in the USA.)

Richard Johnson, in collaboration with Jim Arpy and Gerri Bowers, has written a tenth, Bix: The Davenport Album.

It is, therefore, pertinent to ask if the world really needs another book about Bix. The answer to this question is a resounding yes, because Rich Johnson's book is not just another Bix biography.

Bix: The Davenport Album is a very unusual book, compendium of photographs, scrapbook, detailed genealogical research, collection of documents pertaining to Bix, thoughtful and perceptive commentaries and analyses by Rich, the book is all that and more. It is a highly personal account of one of the world's most faithful and knowledgeable Bixophiles. After reading one of the comprehensive Bix biographies, one has a good knowledge of what Bix did during his, alas, short life, where he was, the music he played and composed, the circles he frequented, his fellow musicians, the jazz and dance band scenes in the 1920s, but Bix, the man, remains a bit elusive.

After reading Rich's book, one has the impression of having met Bix, the individual, knowing about his family, about his early years growing up in Davenport, what were the elements that contributed to making Bix what he was, a most gifted and creative musician; one begins to understand no, it is not possible to understand genius; but Bix: the Davenport Album gives us a glimpse of how extraordinary Bix was, and a good view of the environment where he developed and fulfilled his unprecedented gift and his undivided passion in life, music.

My most vivid impression of the book is that is like Bix's music. When you start listening to a Bix record, in particular to one of his solos, you never know what is going to happen next. The same effect occurs when reading Bix: The Davenport Album. You read a section, and you have no idea of what is going to follow. The process of discovery is magnificent. For example, following the timeline for Davenport, we encounter reprints of articles in books and newspapers for the Beiderbecke-Miller whole sale grocers! Following the 1921 obituary of Louise Beiderbecke, we get to read a newspaper article about the "Million Dollar Fire" that destroyed the Weyerhaeuser and Denkmann Mills, and this is followed by an account whereby Henry Seiffert was found not guilty of a charge of murder. Henry Seiffert was the father of Adele who married Bix's uncle, Carl Beiderbecke.

Turning to Bix, there are many fascinating documents, several of which are relevant to the question of Bix's middle name: a church directory that gives Bix's name as Bismark; Mary Hill's estate papers where Bix's mother signs for him (Bix was a minor at that time) as Leon Bismark Beiderbecke.

There is a very interesting section with the title Musical Roots where not only the musical background of Bix's relatives and Bix's musical education are presented, but also witnesses accounts trumpet player Max Kaminsky and pianist Armand Hug- of Bix's ability to write music and generosity in helping young musicians.

There is a very important finding, namely, an article in the Davenport Democrat where Bix's mother states unequivocally that she and her husband listened to the Paul Whiteman Gold Hour radio programs and she demonstrates her deep understanding of Bixs role in the Whiteman band. And there is a letter from Bismark to his daughter Mary Louise in which he writes about his very warm feelings toward his son Bickie (Bix). Such documents should help dismiss the myth of Bix's strained relationships with his parents.

There are several fascinating vignettes Family Friends Remember Bix, Excursion Boats, Bix and the Shimmy Queen, Bix and Red, Bix and Bing, Satchmo Toots Bix's Horn, The Guy Who Flunked Bix, etc., all written in a fluid style and with a helping of Richs famous wit.

Rich was a generous host for Bixophiles visiting Davenport in search of Bix's past and sites. My impression while reading the book is that one is visiting Davenport with Rich as a genial guide: he talks about the Davenport sites associated with Bix, his family and friends, the impressions he made on the people who knew him, his music, his aspirations, and, yes, his problems. Bix: The Davenport Album is the embodiment of the famous phrase repeated across the world: Bix Lives.

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 7:19 AM

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Duly harsh, scholar or not

I don't hold Rich Johnson, whose accomplishments are considerable, to any standard I wouldn't apply to anybody else, myself included. I have his book, and I've read the "Scandal Finds Bix" chapter many times. And each time I find the inclusion of an unsubstantiated theory that not only accuses Preston Ivens of bigotry and lying, but also of coercing his five-year-old daughter to lie and, until he dropped the charges, to possibly perjure herself before a Grand Jury, extremely irresponsible. This is not a scholarly standard; it's a standard of decency, and it applies to those who readied the volume for publication as well as to Mr. Johnson.

Nevertheless, I am not accusing Rich or any of those others of being indecent people. There is certainly no indication that they are/were, and plenty of evidence to support the warm and admiring stories of Rich one invariably hears and reads. But I am saying that, in this particular instance, a standard of decency was breached, the breach was serious, and at the very least it merits the kind of questions Brendan has asked.

Albert, you did a concise and extremely fair job of pointing out evidence that the arrest was suppressed by both Phil Evans (who also outright lied about it) and Dick Sudhalter (who speculated freely and quite confusingly in that Lost Chords endnote about various events in Bix's life providing "some substance" to "the homosexuality theme" while stating "the facts" -- which, after all, were and are a matter of public record -- "cannot be discussed here without betrayal of confidences") in your excellent post from April 10, 2002:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1029004042/The+Arrest+Incident+Was%2C+Indeed%2C+Suppressed

I hope you and others will bring that same fair-mindedness to Roba's theory, which has yet to be substantiated in print with any documentation, and is the only one put forth in Rich's chapter that deals with Bix's arrest. I realize that some effort was made to qualify it with statements like "Bix's German ancestry may or may not have had anything to do with anything." But absent documentation, and considering the seriousness of the accusations against Ivens, it shouldn't have been included at all.

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 12:51 PM

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A Quick Answer: The Two Addresses.

From the Davenport Album,

"His [Preston Ivens] wife and three children -- two boys, ages ten and nine, and a five-year-old daughter -- lived in Iowa Street while Ivens lived in Grand Avenue, several blocks north of the Beiderbeckes."

I admit that the question of two addresses is left up in the air.You appropriately ask, "Why did the Ivenses live at two addresses? This is both an obvious question and, potentially, an important one. Johnson, however, ignores it. Were the Ivenses divorced? Did Sarah Ivens visit the Grand Avenue residence often?"

I don't think there is anything mysterious here. I propose a simple explanation. The police report is from April 1921. Ivens' affidavit is from Sep 1921. A reasonable and plausible hypothesis is that the Ivens moved from their Iowa Street address to their Grand Avenue address between April and September 1921. Perhaps Davenport Telephone Directories and/or City Directories of 1920-1922, if extant, could throw some light. It seems clear to me that Ivens' affidavit does not imply that there were two addresses, one for wife and children and one for the father. In his affidavit, Ivens writes,, "On April 22, 1921 my little girl came home ..." No indication of two households.

I would be grateful if the Bixophiles in Davenport, Gerri, Jim, Julie, could take a look in the Davenport Library for phone and city directories. I do not know exactly when the Ivens moved in and out of Davenport, but the years 1920-1922 or 23 could provide the necessary data to put this question to rest once for all.

Albert

Posted on Oct 22, 2010, 9:24 AM

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Three Addresses!!!

Thanks to Gerri for providing this information. A 1920 Davenport directory is available in the Davenport Library. Unfortunatley, no telephone directories are available for 1921 and 1922. Gerri is going to look at the 1923 directory when she gets a chance. I appreciate your help, Gerri.

What do you know? The Davenport directory for 1920 gives the address of Preston Ivens as 1703 Farnam Street. This is one block South of E. Locust St.

As Gerri tells me, there are three addresses for Preston Ivens in a period of one year. Obviously, during their residence in Davenport, they moved at least twice.

1703 Farnam St.
1703 Iowa St
3030 Grand Ave.

Farnam and Iowa Streets are South of Locust and South of the Beiderbecke's. 3030 Grand Ave is 10 blocks north of the Beiderbeckes.

Preston and family moved from Philadelphia to Davenport in 1920. There was no divorce. Both Preston and his wife Mary moved to Texas. I don't know the year. They died in Houston, TX.

From the Social Security Death Index

Name Birth Death Zip when they died

IVENS, PRESTO

15 Jul 1891

Jun 1969

77018 (Houston, Harris, TX)

IVENS, MARY

07 Apr 1892

Jan 1979

77018 (Houston, Harris, TX)

It seems to me that we have firm data to conclude that Preston and Mary lived together in Davenport and in Texas. The difference in addresses for the police report and the affidavit is associated with their moving between April and September 1921.

Albert

Posted on Oct 25, 2010, 3:37 PM

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More addresses for Preston Ivens.

I have access to Ancesrty.com in the local library, and as I happen to be in the library, I got some more addresses for Preston Ivens.

US Census 1910 - Living in Kent County, Maryland with wife and son (1 year old). Ivens and wife Mary were 18.

Wordl War I Registration Card 1917 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lived with wife and three children

US Census 1920 - Living in Philadelphia PA

Davenport 1920-1921 - Three addresss, at least.

World War II Registration Card - Galesburg, Illinois

SSDI 1969 - Houston, Texas

Preston Ivens certainly moved around.

Albert

Posted on Oct 26, 2010, 9:33 AM

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Re: More addresses for Preston Ivens.

by Laura Demilio

Maybe he caused so much trouble for his neighbors that he had to keep moving!

I know, I know, that was a very unfair thing to say. But geez Louise, he sure got around. . .

Posted on Oct 28, 2010, 10:17 AM

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Re: Three Addresses!!!

Albert, you write:

"It seems to me that we have firm data to conclude that Preston and Mary lived together in Davenport and in Texas. The difference in addresses for the police report and the affidavit is associated with their moving between April and September 1921."

This may very well be, although I don't find the simple fact of the listed addresses as conclusive as you do that Preston and Mary lived together. Occam's Razor would seem to indicate that they did, though.

However, it does raise a question you do not deal with. As Brendan quoted, Johnson writes this in "Scandal Finds Bix" (p.441):

"Philadelphia grocer Preston Ivens had moved to Davenport to attend Palmer Chiropractic School. His wife and three children -- two boys, ages ten and nine, and a five-year-old daughter -- lived on Iowa Street while Ivens lived on Grand Avenue, several blocks north of the Beiderbeckes."

How do you explain this published statement that separates the Ivens family between two addresses? Johnson provides no documentation for this assertion.

Posted on Oct 28, 2010, 5:39 AM

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Not just the adresses

We also have the US Census data for 1910 and 1920 and the 1917 WW I Draft Registration Card: Preston and his wife Mary lived together. Morever, we have the SSDI documents. Both showed Preston and Mary having died in Houston, Texas after having lived in Maryland, Illinois, Iowa and Texas. This plus the several addresses in Davenport and the implications of Ivens' affidavit represent strong evidence that they lived together throughout their lives. I don't see what else is needed to be pretty certain that they lived together at the time of Bix's arrest.

As to Rich's "His [Preston Ivens] wife and three children -- two boys, ages ten and nine, and a five-year-old daughter -- lived in Iowa Street while Ivens lived in Grand Avenue, several blocks north of the Beiderbeckes." I already stated that Rich left this up in the air. He went by the difference in addresses in the police report and in Ivens' affidavit, and did not put together the data in felicitous manner.

You asked for documentation. But you and others do not seem to accept the fact that Rich's book is not a scholarly treatise on the life of Bix Beiderbecke; he did not provide copious bibliographic references and a complete discussion of the significance/implications of the facts he discovered. Moreover, remember that Rich did not have a chance to go over the material before it was compiled for publication: he died before that. As I said, Rich was a raconteur of anecdotes associated with Bix; Rich had collected so much material about Bix in Davenport that he felt it had to be put together as a series of vignettes, so others could get all that information. Rich did not have the temperament to go into speculation or even interpretation of the data he uncovered; he did not like controversies and arguments. He was a devoted Bixophile who spent the last decades of his life gathering information -newspapers, church and school records, recollections from witnesses, interviews, etc. Rich was not after glory or fame. He was anxious to share this material with others, and contributed a large fraction of what you find about Bix in Davenport in the books by Evans and Evans and by Lion. He presented all this unique material in his own inimitable (non-linear) manner in his posthumous book "The Davenport Album." So, one (or more) sentence in his story about Bix's arrest is not up to peer-reviewed standards. Let's not go after Rich's unparalled legacy by xamining microscopically all his contributions and hit them with a sledge hammer.

Albert

Posted on Oct 28, 2010, 11:24 AM

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Decency, not scholarship

Again: mine is not a standard of scholarship, Albert; it's a standard of decency, a standard I still look forward to having you -- or anyone else on the forum -- discuss. I remind you, too, that I apply it to this one issue of accusing Ivens via an unsupported theory obtained from Bill Roba, and not to any of the rest of Johnson's book, life, contributions, or legacy. You do much the same thing with your review of Lion's book here:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1084822819/A+Mixed+Review+of+Jean+Pierre%27s+Bix+Biography

And for Johnson to make an as-yet unsupported statement, in print, that the Ivens family was separated between two residences, and specifically with Mrs. Ivens and the children in one and Ivens himself in another, is not merely an infelicitous putting-together of data, whatever that means. It is pure speculation, and of a particularly insidious variety that prompts comments such as the one Laura made up-thread about the three addresses you so helpfully point out. One cannot but recall Bix telling Eddie Condon, "I get around." In either case, what of it?

Posted on Oct 29, 2010, 9:35 AM

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In Defense of Rich Johnson, part II.

I dont know why you brought up the "ghost" story as criticism of Rich's book. Rich was not an academic and had no pretensions about being one. He was an ardent Bix fan and a great raconteur. His book, as I said before, was, in several instances, Richs informal chronicles of his encounters with past events associated with Bix. As he discovered a fact, he enjoyed looking at the context and the connection to other events and/or facts associated with Davenport. And Rich had a special way of telling his discoveries.

You ask, bizarre and heart breaking? Indeed. Bizarre because people reported in two different places associated with the Beiderbeckes -and independently of each other- some weird happenings. Heartbreaking because it is extremely sad for parents to loose their children prematurely; in this case even more so because the death of the children was brought on by smallpox contracted in contact with their grandfather. I think it is a heartbreaking story. Dont you?

The question True or false may be viewed as a bit of hype and perhaps the result of Richs fascination with the story. But the chapter is not presented, in my view, as a rigorous historical account. It is simply a narrative of a rather unusual set of events. Quite consistent with the approach taken by Rich in presenting his findings: as I said repeatedly, a series of Bix vignettes.

Albert

More to come.

Posted on Oct 23, 2010, 5:48 AM

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NJ casino adopting 'Boardwalk Empire' theme

Visit http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101007/ap_en_tv/us_boardwalk_empire_resorts

The part about the music.

"Among the touches being planned: a strolling violinist in a zoot suit, wandering around the casino floor and lobby, playing songs from the '20s and '30s. Drinks heavy on the whiskey that was illegal yet plentiful during Prohibition will be served, and casino floor shows and many singers will stay faithful to the period as well."

I hope they have a good music advisor to tell them what is authentic 1920s music and what is pseudo-1920s music. I and other lovers of 1920s music have been often disappointed with the soundtrack music in films that depict events in the 1920s. A notable exception, Martin Scorcese's "Aviator" with lots of soundtrack music by Vince Giordano's Nighthawks. Undoubtedly, Vince would be a superb advisor (and his Nighthwaks should be hired for special events) if the casino owners really want an authentic 1920s sound.

From the LOC

88 additional photos in http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=pphhphoto&fileName=nj/nj0800/nj0889/photos/browse.db&action=browse&recNum=0&title2=Chalfonte%20Hotel,%20Pacific%20%26%20North%20Carolina%20Avenues,%20Atlantic%20City,%20Atlantic,%20NJ&displayType=1

Albert

Posted on Oct 9, 2010, 6:41 AM

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Re: Casino Recreating 1920s Scene

How about a recreation of the Jean Goldkette Orchestra's Million Dollar pier engagement?

Posted on Oct 9, 2010, 8:00 PM

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Young's Million Dollar Pier

Lots of information in

http://www.monopolycity.com/ac_milliondollarpier.html

Here is an image of the pier..

Postcard by P. Sander - from the collection of Thomas Topham.

John Young's Million Dollar Pier. The pier included the world's largest ballroom, named The Hippodrome, and a huge exhibit hall. The pier hosted movies, conventions, and exhibits of every description. Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech there in 1912. Some of the big bands played there including Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey and Artie Shaw. No Goldkette?

Albert

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 7:39 AM

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A Peculiar Finding about Goldkette/Atlantic City

The Sep 27, 1927 issue of the Decatur Herald lists radio programs for the day. Here is what I found under "Dance to These."

7:00 p. m., WHK, (265-1130). Cleveland, Dance orchestra.

8:00 p. in., WDBM, (389-770), Chicago.Ben Pollack's.

WMAQ. (448-670), Chicago. Jack Chapman's.

9:00 p. m., WDAF. (370-810), Kansas City.Orchestra.

WLW. (428-700), Clncl. Land-o-dance.

9:20 p. in., WEEI, (448-670), Boston. Bd Andrews.

9:30 p. m., WIP, (60E-590), Phila. Nat [yes, Nat]Lanin.

10:00 p. m., WIBO, (416-720), Chicago. Hotel Davis.

WMAQ, (448-670), Chicago. Dance.

RED NETWORK. Jannsen Hofbrau. Orchestra, from WEAF, WFI, WRC. WWJ.

WTAM. (400-760). Cleveland. Royal Canadians.

10:30 p. m., WBAP. (500-600), Ft. Worth.Orchestra.

WHN, (395-7GO), N. T. Orchestra.

WPG. (273-1100), Atlantic City, Jean Goldkette.

WTMJ, (294-1020), Milwaukee. Danco program.

10:45 p. m., KOIL. (278-1080), Council Bluffs. Orchestra.

WSB, (476-630). Atlanta. Vick Myers.

Note that Jean Goldkette had a program over WPG at 10:30 from Atlantic City. What is peculiar is the date, Sep 27, 1927. All Jean Goldkette chronologies tell us of Goldkette closed at Roseland on Sep 18, 1927 And on Sep 27, several of the Goldkette musicians were with Adrian Rollini at the New Yorkers Club. So what is going on here? A pre-recorded program? Were pre-recorded programs broadcast in the Fall of 1927 or were they always live bands playing in the studio?

Albert

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 11:01 AM

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Goldkette at The Million Dollar Pier

Although Bix, Tram and the others had left the band by this date, it carried on as a unit, but was, according to Wikipedia, of "lesser interest". Let's hope the patrons weren't disappointed.

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 12:13 PM

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The dissolution of Jean Goldkette's Victor Recording Orchestra.

The recording band and the band that played at Roseland in Sep 1927 consisted of 14 musicians, Farrar, Lodwig, Bix, Rank, Turner (a replacement for Willcox who had left the band a few months earlier), Trumbauer, Ryker, Murray, Riskin, Venuti, Lang, Quicksell, Brown, Morehouse.

Half of them, Bix, Rank, Trumbauer, Murray, Venuti, Lang and Morehouse joined Adrian Rollini's New Yorkers. Steve Brown joined Whiteman right away and by Sep 22 he was recording with Whiteman. (A Shady Tree, Dancing Tambourine and Wang Wang Blues). So now we have 6 members left. At one point, Farrar joined Shilkret and Riskin joined Rolfe. Ryker went with the band in the Broadway show "Funny Face." I admit I don't know when the last three joined their respective outfits. But even if it was later, I doubt that the rest of the band, just six out of fourten "carried on as a unit." By the way, Goldkette had several bands going at this time, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, the Orange Blossoms, the Vagabonds. Goldkette did not reconsitute a Victor Recording Orchestra until later in the year in Kansas City.

Can you give the complete quote associated with the phrase "of lesser interest." I hve been unable to find it.

Albert

PS I looked at the Bix article in Wikipedia, but did not find the mention "of lesser interest." However, I found another minor error in the article. When the dissolution of Goldkette's band is mentioned, Frank Signorelli is stated to be one of the Goldkette musicians who joined the New Yorkers. Signorelli was not a member of Goldkette's band; the pianist in Sep 1927 was Irving Riskin.

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 1:17 PM

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Re: Goldkette in Atlantic City

The Goldkette band did play Young's Million Dollar Pier. Here's what Sudhalter reports in Bix: Man and Legend, pp. 205-207:

"Goldkette weighed the conseqences of such a move (i.e., dissolving the Victor band and replacing them with the cheaper Hoagy/Bose/Natoli unit in Kansas City) as he and most of his musicians boarded the train for Atlantic City and their August 8 opening....

Rumors of a breakup has preceded the Goldkette band to Atlantic City, and it seemed that every musician dropping in to hear them was asking the same questions. Was it true? What were Bix and Tram going to do? Were they going with Whiteman after all? Goldkette emphatically denied all the stories, and assured questioners that business had seldom been better.... Adrian Rollini, no slouch on the business end of the music scene, had left the Ramblers and was contemplating forming an all-star band of his own with the best hot talent he could find. He had an inside track, he said, to the Club New Yorker....

Goldkette pleaded for time. Roseland was a certainty, he said and he felt sure he could land the New Yorker, too...."

So Bix, Tram, and the Victor band played the Pier in August, before moving on to their finale at Roseland.

It was there one night later in August, when Paul Whiteman dropped by to scout the band and was invited to conduct, with less-than-great results, perhaps pushing Bix and Tram toward Adrian Rollini's deal. However, the crowd ate up their "Tiger Rag," and later that night Whiteman made an offer to Tram and Bix to join him, which they eventually did in October, after the Club New Yorker band closed, but not before the two had some important recording sessions in New York.

As for the September 27 broadcast, Sudhalter is silent.

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 12:45 PM

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1920's theme

by Bridget

My guess is Disneyfied 1920's. Fringe dresses, cigarette holders, and (old fashioned for the period) evening gloves. The public has it's own vision of what the 20's were and it usually is purely cliche. Thanks be to Vince for his efforts in authenticity.
Betcha one millon 1920's dollars there will be no dance floor in the theme casino.
No dance floor = NO 1920's (nor teens, nor thirties, nor forties for that matter).

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 5:58 PM

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Is this what you're talking about Bridget? :-)

Long evening gloves and a very un-20's cleavage:

[linked image]

No gloves, but the inevitable cigarette holder:

[linked image]

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 12:14 PM

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I love you man.

by Bridget

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 2:33 PM

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If Louise Brooks came along today, she wouldn't

by Bob Kelley

even get an audition thanks to being flat-chested.

And oh, my God what a loss that would be.

The closest parallel I can think of is Piper Perabo, and you see her more often in comic or quirky roles than as a sex symbol.

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 5:03 PM

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Looking for decent photo of the Savoy Quartet

I'm wondering if anyone has a better copy of this picture?

[linked image]

I've looked and looked, but this is the best I can find. Any suggestions
will be most appreciated!
Lisa

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 4:26 PM

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Fud Livingston plays a Bixian clarinet.

Professor Hot Stuff sent an mp3 file of "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere" by Leonard Hayton's Blue Four, Fud Livingston cl; Joe Venuti, vln; Lennie Hayton, p; Carl Kress, g, recorded on March 20, 1928. The flipside is "Old Fashioned Girl." Listen to both recordings,

bixbeiderbecke.com/LennieHaytonBlueFourOldFashionedGirlAnytimeAnydayAnyWhere.mp3

Professor Hot Stuff writes about "Anytime, Any Place, Anywhere", "Fud Livingston sounds a little like he's imitating Bix." I strongly agree. It is interesting (to me) that recently I pointed out that another clarinetist, Benny Goodman, plays a Bixian solo in Ben Pollack's recording of " 'Deed I Do." So Bix's influence in the 1920s was not restricted to trumpet/cornet players. Of course, several historians and jazzmen have commented on Goodman's solo on alto Sax in the recording of "Blue" by Bennny Goodman's Boys. I don't hear Bix in the "Old Fashioned Girl" side.

Brad included these two sides in the Jazz Oracle CD "Fud Livingston," BDW 8060. He writes, "That Old Fashioned Girl" becomes a modern flapper as Fud takes charge in his best Teschemacher manner, punching out the lead and soloing with confidence and verve. "Anytime, Anyday, Anywhere" is more of an easy going ballad. Fud keeps to his lovely middle register all through, still sounding a lot like Tesch." And I would add and like Bix. Of course, Tesch was one of the Chicagoans under the spell of Bix.

Opinions?

Albert

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 3:50 PM

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Fud Tracks & the Bix "Spell"

Thanks for the mention, Albert, but the Lennie Hayton sides actually were chosen by Hans Eekhoff. Those and the early "Red Hot" by Pollack were the tracks that led him to ask me to select 23 more for a possible Fud Livingston CD.

As far as Bix's influence on non-cornetists, this is no secret. His way with melodic construction was persuasive with all sorts of instrumentalists and singers. One of my favorite records is "If I Didn't Have You," by the Halfway House Orchestra (Columbia 1959-D). Charlie Cordella plays clarinet and sounds like he was channeling Bix! The tune itself is built a lot like "Take Your Tomorrow" or "Singin' the Blues," and has the same ballad feel. Charlie grabs the 'Bix" ball and runs with it.

"A Jazz Holiday" by Bennie Goodman's Boys with Jim and Glenn (Vocalion 15656) is a side where EVERYONE sounds like Bix!

-Brad K

Posted on Oct 10, 2010, 9:43 PM

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Sidney Arodin

Indeed, the Dec 17, 1928 recording of "If I Didn't Have You" by Halfway House Orchestra has much to owe to Bix and Tram's ballad approach. For the convenience of forumites here is a link to the ram file.

http://redhotjazz.com/songs/halfway/ifididnt.ram

In particular, the end from about 2:35 on is highly, let us say, inspired by the ending of "Singin' the Blues." Listen to the ends, in sequence, of first "If I Didn't Have You" and then "Singin' the Blues."

bixbeiderbecke.com/EndsIfIDidntHaveYouHalfwaySinginBix.mp3

However, the clarinetist is Sidney Arodin, who replaced Charlie Cordella at the end ot 1927 according to Lord and Rust.

Another recording that I have always viewed as a tribute of Bix and Tram's "Singin' the Blues" is "Rite Tite" by Benny Moten. It even includes a couple of interpolations of what Tram played in "Singin' the Blues."

Listen, http://redhotjazz.com/songs/moten/ritetite.ram

Albert

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 7:11 AM

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Another ending "inspired" by the ending in "Singin' the Blues."

Listen to last few seconds of Bennie Moten's "Slow Motion," Sep 6, 1928.

http://redhotjazz.com/songs/moten/slowmotion.ram

Albert

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 7:21 AM

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Speaking of Bennie Moten, ....

Listen to Moten's Blue, recorded 7/17/1929.

http://redhotjazz.com/songs/moten/MotensBlues.ram

Is it my imagination or is there in fact a short quote from Davenport Blues at 2:02?

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 12, 2010 8:13 AM

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 8:12 AM

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Very Interesting

I don't know Davenport Blues that well, I guess I should go listen to it, duh, but that figure at 2.02 of Moten's Blues appears in Fletcher's Snag It. I think Joe Smith throws it in and I think the whole band finishes with it too, so it may be part of the original King Oliver song. I don't know. It'll be interesting if it isn't in Oliver's version, then where did Smith and Fletcher get it?, though I suspect it was and still is probably a pretty common flourish. Somewhat of a churchy air, big finish that everybody knows. That whole Moten Blues sounds inspired by Fletcher's Snag It to me.

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 3:12 PM

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Re: Speaking of Bennie Moten, ....

by Andy Schumm

The trumpet phrase you hear is in the same key as "Davenport Blues," so that helps making a connection. However, that phrase is used countless times on other records. Whether that phrase came from the Bix record first or Bix copied it from something else is up for debate/research. Supposedly that tune was made-up in the studio, as we all know. (Also it's evidenced by the fact that the chords the band uses from chorus to chorus change somewhat.) It's easy to imagine Bix simply using a phrase he heard on another record. Maybe we can find an example of that phrase on an earlier record to prove it.

In the end, I'd say it's hard to make the case of direct imitation in this particular instance.

However, here's an example of a heavily influenced Trumbauer solo by Charlie Lawrence. Listen to "Harlem" by Paul Howard's Quality Serenaders. In my opinion, there really seems to be a direct link.

Also, is there a quotation of Bix's famous 1927 break on "Jazz Me Blues" in the coda? It's quite a bit faster than Bix's recording, but George Orendorff (trumpet) does seem to be playing the same idea, albeit a step higher. Orendorff flubs the passage a bit, but it's clearly arranged. Was Alex Hill the arranger of this side? Is there a Bix connection?

Posted on Oct 14, 2010, 1:08 PM

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Paul Howard Quality Serenaders's "Harlem" is available in ....

.... the redhotjazz archive.

http://redhotjazz.com/Songs/howard/harlem.ram

Undoubtedly, the sax solo at 1:26-1:41 is vey much along the lines of what Tram was doing at the time. I am not sure about the Gang's "Jazz Me Blues" break and the coda in "Harlem." According to Rust, the arrangement of "Harlem" was done by Charlie Lawrence.

I don't know of any connection. All I can think is that Paul Howard's and Paul Whiteman's bands were in Los Angeles at the same time in the summer of 1929. I also think that trombonist Lawrence Brown was influenced by Miff Mole.

Albert

Posted on Oct 19, 2010, 9:02 AM

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Hadlock onTram in Bennie Moten's "Rite Tite."

In his magnificent book "Jazz Masters of the Twenties," Richard Hadlock writes, "Bennie Moten's 1929 recording of Rite Tite is also full of references to Trumbauer's Singin' the Blues solo.

I seem to recollect that Norman Field also pointed out the Trumbauer quotes in Moten's Rite Tite.

Albert

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 8:36 AM

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How were 78 records made?

Enrico kindly alerts me to some fascinating videos on youtube. Enrico writes,

Now on youtube by member TOPCLASSICAL

How a Columbia 78 rpm record is made - silent film from 1928 - (in my
opinion UK Columbia)

Strawinsky conducting in a studio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W53txQbHYHE

In the second video a conductor and his dance band is shown in a
recording studio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdy6sjsL9wo

Third video shows how a record is made, from the grinding process of
shellac, the melting, the making of the biscuit, to the laminated
record out of the hydraulic press
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS_8YOJElHU

Various stages of manufacture up to the shipping process
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ofdS_2Hx6I

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 1:12 PM

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I LOVE Stuff Like This!

What keeps it from being a tedious "factory film" is its age. And even though that's four parts to wade through, there's plenty of fascination about the old-time manufacture of shellac 78's. Fun stuff!

Laura

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 9:12 AM

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Re: I LOVE Stuff Like This!

Yes, it could be filmed in the UK. The delivery lorry appears to be a right hand drive vehicle. Any idea of the approx. date the film was shot?

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 4:27 AM

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1928

by Laura Demilio

They said on YouTube it was 1928.

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 6:53 AM

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I learned some new things about Bix through this online auction

by Dave Bock

http://www.auctionzip.com/aflive.html?method=getLotInfo&lotref=2C095777E7&seq=90

typical haha

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 2:35 PM

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Before the auction is over and the page disappears.

Lot 968: BIX BIEDERBECKE

BIX BIEDERBECKE
(1903-1931) Legendary Jazz coronet player now considered one of the most influential Jazz musicians of the twentieth century. In addition to performing with the likes of Paul Whiteman and King Oliver, Beiderbecke played on many recording sessions with country and western yodeler Jimmy Rogers "the brake man". Sadly, he literally drank himself to death at age 27. Excessively rare signature measuring more than 4" long, neatly executed in pencil on a small cream sheet and neatly executed in pencil. Handsomely matted with a portrait and set into a wood and gilt frame. Near fine condition, ideal for display.
Auction House: Alexander Autographs

Location:
860 Canal St.
2nd Floor
Stamford, CT, US, 06902
Phone: 203.276.1570
Fax: 203 504 6290
Email: info@alexautographs.com
Auction Title: Fall Historical Auction Part II
Auction Date: October 10, 2010, 11:00 AM EST
Estimated Price: $3000 - $4000

Albert

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 3:09 PM

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This is So Wrong

Many sessions with Jimmie Rodgers, the "brake man," which should be "The Singing Brakeman," indeed! Interestingly enough, the "variegated acompaniments" which Ralph Peer allowed for several of Rodgers' recordings (with a cornet/trumpet player) include a pick-up group for four titles recorded in October 1928, in Atlanta; a Victor house band under the direction of Leonard Joy in February 1929 (two titles); Bob Sawyer and his Jazz Band for two titles in June and July of 1930; and the aforementioned Louis Armstrong recording in July 1930, as well.

Personally, I love the accompaniment that Sawyer and his band give to the 1930 sides: "My Blue-Eyed Jane," and "Jimmie's Mean Mama Blues." At a time when music was losing the jazzy wail of the previous decade and becoming more syrupy, these two sides are pleasantly anachronistic in their sound without being woefully dated (by 1930 standards) in the least. They sparkle with a vim that was increasingly absent from popular music in 1930, except perhaps in the fewer "hot" solos that our friends were allowed. Certainly not so much in ensemble playing. Think Leo Reisman and Ben Selvin--gorgeous recordings, yes, but less and less of outright hot-ness.

As ridiculous as the alternative histories are, I wonder what else one could create and foist on others without them even knowing. I certainly never thought that I's see Bix and Jimmie Rodgers, two of my favorites, paired.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 2:09 PM

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Re: Some "New" Things?

I've never read anything that even suggested that Bix recorded with Jimmy Rodgers. Rodgers recorded "Blue Yodel #9" with Louis Armstrong, but Bix?

I think this auction outfit is misinformed or misinforming.

Wouldn't that have been an interesting session, though, possibly surpassing "Cradle of Love?"

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 5:50 PM

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Re: Some "New" Things?

by alex revell

Surely everyone knows that the Jimmie Rogers sides are Bix cleverly disguising his playing to sound exactly like Louis.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 2:12 AM

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Re: Some "New" Things

Wow! That Bix is more of a genius than we thought!

Is that him singin' "Heebie Jeebies" with the Hot Five, too?

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 5:06 AM

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Re: Some "New" Things

by alex revell

Glenda,
Oh my God! The secret is out!!!!!

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 9:25 AM

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Re: Some "New Things"

Next you'll be telling me he had a Hollywood dinner date with Lil Harbin right after the "Blue Yodel" session.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 12:33 PM

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Surely...

...all in the forum have heard the fine "Snake Rag" version of Bix playing alongside King Oliver. This should be in the Bixography collection.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 7:24 AM

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JOHNNY JOHNSON ON BUFF BLUEBIRD B-6451 - BIX INFLUENCE?

Han Enderman, who often helps tremendously with record labels and other discographical data, kindly informed me of an auction on ebay for the item cited in the title. Here is the label image.

According to the auctioneer, "Recorded in 1934, the titles are Moonstone' b/w 'On The Parkway' - beautiful solos on these two originals by Johnny Johnson - has Bix Beiderbecke piano influence esp. on A side."

Johnny Johnson is a very common name, but I am pretty sure that this Johnny Johnson is the pianist and band leader who recorded dozens of recordings (always in New York) between 1923 and 1937 with the following musicians often mentioned in the forum: Bob Ashford, Red Nichols, Dusty Rhodes/Roades, Frank Cush, Franklyn Bauer, Jack Teagarden, Scrappy Lambert.

Earlier this year, thank to the generosity of Vince Giordan, I posted this photo.

Also some Johnny Johnson's record labels thanks to the generosity of Steve H in

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1267824184

The Big Bands website gives the following,

[ Johnny Johnson and His Hotel Statler Orch. ]
AKA: Johnny Johnson and His Statler Pennsylvanians
Themes, "After All" and "If I Could Be with You."
Pianist, Organist, Composer, Conductor.
né: Malcolm Johnson, circa 1902, Washington, IN
Johnson's career started by playing both piano and organ at area night clubs, while attending Indiana University. His first band job was with the Harry Yerkes orchestra. In 1922. he formed his own band which was only mildly successful despite having some solid personnel such as Jack Teagarden, and for a short time Red Nichols. Johnson also had some great vocalists including Lee Johnson, Walter Batsford, Bob Teaster, Harry McDaniel, Al Jennings, Sam Browne and Franklyn Bauer. In 1926 he disbanded and joined Ben Bernie's band as a pianist. In the late twenties he organized another band, but again success was not to be. As the thirties started, for financial reasons, he switched from semi-hot music to sweet music and found a much greater opportunity for work. In 1936, he appeared on the Tasty-Yeast radio program, and here's a photograph of the 1936 Johnny Johnson Orch., graciously submitted by Mr. Peter Doyle. Johnny Johnson disbanded for the last time in the early forties and settled in New Jersey where he taught piano and organ while occasionally playing piano in local clubs. Among his best remembered recordings are "Lullaby of Broadway", Thou Swell" and "Sunbeams."
Thanks to Mr. Ken Tidwell for this entry on Johnny Johnson.

The photo is not of the orchestra, but of Johnny Johnson

Johnson knew Hoagy when they were fellow students at Indiana University. Sudhalter mentions Johnson in "Stardust Melody." In chapter III, Sudhalter mentions Book Nook habitue Bratcher Batty De Marcus, "Batty's path soon crossed that of fellow student Malcolm C, "Johnny" Johnson, who played good, sure piano, and they formed a band ..." "In late 1919 Batty headed east, soon joining up with Johnson and fellow hoosiers Gene (saxophone) and Dudley (melophone) Dusdick."

There is information about Johnson in Duncan Schiedt's The Jazz State of Indiana." Several recordings in archive.org

Forumite Jim Baldwin once mentioned that he had one of his Jimmy Jazz programs about Johnny Johnson in Dave Garrick's website. I looked, but did not find it. Jim, is it going to be uploaded?

Also several mentions of Johnny Johnson in the forum.

Bix spent several weeks at Indiana University with Hoagy. Johnny Johnson had already graduated and had left by then.

Finally, I am anxious to hear "Moonstone" by Jimmy Johnson. Can anyone out there send me an mp3 file? I would upload it for everyone to hear.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 7, 2010 8:50 AM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 7, 2010 7:10 AM

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 7:07 AM

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Unfortunately...

...jimmiejazzarchive.com has not been updated for some time and there are no plans to do so at this time.

However, my show #701 on Johnny Johnson is on tape at the present and I can easily make up an audio CD. Would you be interested in posting it on one of your sites?

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 8:12 AM

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Thanks for the generous offer.

As there is no diret connection between Johnny Johnson and Bix, I am a bit hesitant about uploading the program to the Bixography. I think that your programs in David's site are terrific, and it would be great to upload all the ones you have produced in David' site. I don't know what software he uses. I know how to produce streaming files in real media and mp3 format. I could make mp3 and m3u files or rm and ram files of the Johnny Johnson program if you send me a CD. But then, the two files would have to be uploaded to David's site and provide the link. I imagine David is the only person authorized to upload files to his site, so he would have to do that himself.

Albert

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 9:31 AM

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Phil Hart, Bill Moore and Donald Bryan. Who's who?

In Aug 1929, Ben Bernie and his orchestra recorded "Bigger and Better than Ever." According to Rust's Dance Band Disco, there are two trumpet players, Donald Bryan and Phil Hart. Listen

bixbeiderbecke.com/BiggerAndBetterThanEverBenBernie.mp3

There is a muted trumpet solo that reminds me of that by the mystery cornetist in "Cradle of Love." Agree, disagree?

Speaking of Ray Miller's"Cradle of Love" and Ben Bernie, here is a connection, an ad for a bunch of Brunswick recordings in the Mar 21, 1929 issue of the Chicago Tribune. The Ben Bernie recording of "Button Up Your Overcoat" is highlighted and Ray Miller's "Cradle of Love" is advertised in small print.

As I said above, there are two trumpet players in Bernie's "Bigger and Better Than Ever." Who takes the muted solo? Bryan or Hart?

In trying to answer this question, I am bringing up the "Ten Black Diamonds recording of "Freshman Hop." This is Mills Musical Clowns and the tune was recorded on Romeo 1125/Banner 0508 either on Feb 14 (Rust) or Feb 8 (Lord) 1929. The online discography gives a date of Feb 14, 1929 for Bannner 580 (yes 580, not 508!) and Oct 29, 1929 for Romeo 1125. Weird discrepancies.. There are two trumpet players here also, Bill Moore and Phil Hart. (In addition, Benny Goodman and Jack Pettis). Listen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8KDM3mHVdc

There is a muted trumpet solo here, too. Moore or Hart?

Bottom line, who are/is the trumpet players who play the muted solos in the two recordings?

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 6, 2010 6:39 AM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 5, 2010 4:44 PM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 5, 2010 4:43 PM

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 4:43 PM

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Michael Feinstein on PBS.

Vince alerts us that, as described in

http://www.michaelfeinstein.com/wp/?page_id=1095"

Tune in to PBS Wednesdays October 6, 13 and 20 at 8:00 PM (Check local listings)

Three-Part Series Explores the History of American Popular Music Through
the Performances and Adventures of Its Most Passionate Preservationist

CULTURAL HISTORY, INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY,
AND A FRONT ROW SEAT AT GREAT LIVE PERFORMANCES

This three part documentary series follows Michael Feinstein, performer, historian, and passionate collector, on a journey across the country and through time in a celebration and exploration of the classic American popular music of the 20th century. The expedition takes viewers on stage and backstage, into personal archives, attics and flea markets, and inside the private world of a gifted and hard-working artist. Rare archival audio and film footage combine to reveal the social and historical forces behind the music that helped shape the style, attitude, and self-image of America for more than a century."

From a fearture article about Michael Feinstein,

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-michael-feinstein-20101003,0,5576421.story

"Joy blossoms on his face when he listens to rare recordings in the cluttered New York homes of collectors Peter Minton and Vince Giordano. "Do you ever look at this stuff and say: 'I know I'll die and never listen to most of what's here?'" he asks Giordano, marveling at his sprawling music collection. "Do you think about that? I do."

I am surprised that a young guy like Michael worries about not having time to listen to all available vintage music. I didn't at his age, but now that I'll be pushing 80, I worry a lot.

Albert

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 4:51 PM

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A preview of the program in the New York Times.

http://tv.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/arts/television/06songbook.html?_r=1&hpw

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 6, 2010 1:26 PM

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 1:21 PM

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Video Previews.of the Three Programs

http://www.pbs.org/michael-feinsteins-american-songbook/

Albert

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 2:40 PM

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New Websites Enlighten, Deepen the “American Songbook” Experience

The above is the title of a message from Jennifer Brod, Goodman Media International, Inc. Here is what she wrote,

Michael Feinsteins American Songbook, a three-part road trip through the musical history of the early 20^th century led by its most ardent proponent, debuted last night on PBS and continues through October 20 with episodes on wartime music, and the impact of the radio and recording industries on American musical consumption. (Wednesdays at 8 PM, check local listings).

Viewers inspired to learn more about the songs and the history featured on the show will soon have a number of online options to do so.

Next Monday (Oct. 11), the Michael Feinstein Foundation for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook debuts an extraordinary free website in which music aficionados, music historians, teachers, and cultural researchers alike will find nirvana. Produced by writer Ken Bloom and documentarian Amber Edwards (who produced and directed the PBS series) the site draws upon Feinsteins vast personal collection of musical treasures. It features hundreds of restored rare audio and video clips dating to the 1910s, and endless images of singers, musicians, artists and productions Feinstein uncovered on his quest to find the ephemeral treasures of American musical history.

All aspects of the Feinstein Foundation site are painstakingly cross-referenced and thoroughly notated. A click on Bing Crosby, for example, turns up a biography and photos, but also first-person quotes about the man and his music, a list of his greatest songs (accompanied by back stories and recordings), as well as videos of Crosby and others singing the music to which hes indelibly connected.

The PBS series companion website (available now) has exclusive footage with video features and short essays about music arrangement, and the dawn of the music business. The site also has startling footage of a rarely seen, extravagantly choreographed excerpt from Irving Berlins World War II all-soldier revue This is the Army with performances by male soldiers in blackface, in drag, and both at the same time. An accompanying essay puts the material in historical context, explaining why even a progressive, racially integrated military unit perpetuated racial stereotypes. More exclusive material -- including items from Feinsteins personal collection -- will be posted soon on the newly launched PBS Artswebsite.

Albert

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 10:13 AM

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Micahel Feinstein's Website Was Laucnhed.

Lots of goodies. Visit,

http://www.michaelfeinsteinsamericansongbook.org/index.html

Albert

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 12:30 PM

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Bix rejoined the Jean Goldkette orchestra in early Sep 1926.

After rehearsing in Detroit, the Goldkette band left for its Eastern Tour, first Massachusetts (Sep 21-Oct 2, 1926) and then New York (Oct 6, 17, 1926). The Nov 6, 1926 issue of Music Trade Review reported about Goldkette's appearance in New York as follows.

Jean Goldkette's Orchestra

Is Popular on Broadway

In Addition to Playing at Roseland Ballroom

Western Organization Has Made Records and

Also Broadcast With Success

One of the newest additions to the Broadway

orchestras is that of Jean Goldkette. Although

not unknown elsewhere, it is now making its

first appearance in New Cork at the Roseland

Ballroom. This organization has made a number

of records for Victor, and broadcast

a special program over station WEAF with so

much success that they have been requested

to play a return engagement. Jean Goldkette's

orchestra achieved its first success in Detroit and

later in the New England States and in Pennsylvania

territory. While their present engagement

in New York is only for a two-week period

it doubtless will later come back for a longer

engagement. Among the numbers featured by

this orchestra are "That's My 'Baby," "Tiger

Rag," "Milenburg Joys" and the new dance

"Gigolo."

During its stay in New York, the Goldkette band had two recording sessions, one on Oct 12, 1926 and the other on Oct 15, 1926. The Oct 12 session is rather significant because it marks the first Bix recording in 21 months and the first recording of Bix with Goldkette since Nov 1924. Two tunes were issued from what was waxed in the session, Idolizing/Hush-A Bye, Victor 20270. Also four takes were made of "I'd Rather Be the Girl in Your Arms" between "Idolizing" and "Hush-A-Bye" but they were all destroyed. (Four additional takes were recorded on Oct 15, 1926, and finally take 8 was issued on Victor 20273).

Idolizing/Hush-A Bye, Victor 20270 were released on Feb 4, 1927.

On March 26, 1927, the Music Trade Review published a very interesting article where the two records are featured in a display window of the Grinnell Brothers music store in Detroit.

Sherman-Clay Numbers

Featured in Detroit

"Idolizing" and "Hush-A-Bye" Basis of Grinnell

Window Display With Presentation

Tie-up

The Sherman, Clay & Co. songs, "Idolizing"

and "Hush-A-Bye," which were recently recorded

by Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra,

have appeared as special releases in records

made by the Victor Talking Machine Co.

Naturally these releases are made in localities

where both of these numbers have previously

won wide popularity in orchestration or sheet

music form. Such was the case in the Detroit

territory, and one of the leading music stores

in that city, the well-known house of Grinnell

Bros., made a special window showing of these

two titles with particular emphasis on "Idolizing"

shortly after the record releases.

Simultaneously with the release of these Jean

Goldkette records Don Miller, the organist at

the State Theatre, in Detroit, used the Sherman-

Clay "Hush-A-Bye" number in special programming

during the same week that the Grinnell

Store had this window displaying these

two numbers. One view of this Grinnell window

is herewith. It is a particularly attractive

display in which "Idolizing" is emphasized and

attention called to the Goldkette Victor recording

orchestra and the records. There is also a

small placard calling attention to the Don Miller

renditions of "Hush-A-Bye." On a far side

of the window a series of the title pages of

"Idolizing" also appeared, although they can-

not be seen from this reproduced view. Altogether

it was a most timely showing with

unusually good hook-ups with local activities

on the same numbers.

A couple of additions are in order.

1. Sherman Clay and Co. Read the fascinating story in

http://www.shermanclay-portland.com/piano-musical-instrument

The company also published sheet music, see

2. Organist Don Miller. Connection to Bix. Listen to Miller playing "Coquette."

http://www.archive.org/details/DonMiller-Coquette

Albert

Posted on Oct 3, 2010, 10:00 AM

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Where was the Goldkette orchestra on Nov 15, 1926?

November 1926

S M Tu W Th F S
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30

The band returned to Detroit from its Eastern tour in early November 1926. On Nov 9, Bix attended his sister wedding . He was back in Detroit on Nov 11. All this from Evans and Evans. The only information that Evans and Evans gives us about Nov 15 is that it was the band's night off. With the power of the internet, we can now know that the Goldkette band played at the meeting of Nov 15, 1926 of the Detroit Piano Club. The documentation is in the Nov 20, 1926 issue of The Music Trade Review.

Detroit Piano Club Formed by Motor

City Music Men, With Burke President

Other Officers of New Organization, Patterned After Chicago Piano Club, Are W. A. Elfstrom,

A. H. Howes, and Roy LangeGrinnell Bros. Open Branch Store

DETROIT, MICH., November 18.The Motor City, which, up to a few years ago, was considered cold-blooded so far as promoting and developing the piano and music business in a co-operative way, is to-day one of the leading cities in the country in that direction. It "started something" when it inaugurated its piano-playing contest among the school children last Spring, and now it has followed the lead of Chicago in organizing the Detroit Piano Club, which is to function much along the same lines. The first meeting was held last week; it was in the nature of doing the preliminary work. The first regular luncheon was held on Monday of this week [Nov 15] at the Union League Club and it proved so successful and everybody was so enthused over the whole idea that the luncheons are to be held every Monday noon at the Club at 12:15 sharp.

Each week there will be a change of speakers and entertainment. The officers of the club are George Burke, Kimball Piano Co., president; W. A. Elfstrom, of the Cable Piano Co., vicepresident; A. H. Howes, Grinnell Bros., treasurer, and Roy Lange, of Weil & Co., secretary.

The purpose of the club, as outlined at the Monday luncheon by Mr. Burke, is to bring together all who are interested in music, including dealers, teachers and artists, as well as jobbers and manufacturers. Mr. Burke feels that a great deal of good can be accomplished and all of the thirty persons present are in hearty accord with Mr. Burke. It might be mentioned incidentally that the Detroit Piano Club will co-operate in every way with the Detroit Music Trades Association, which is primarily a dealers' organization.

Following the address of Mr. Burke at the Monday luncheon a half-hour concert was given by the

Jean Goldkette Orchestra, which everybody thoroughly enjoyed. Mr. Burke, who is looking after the entertainment, promises a big surprise for the next luncheon.

Albert

I will search for the "big surprise."

Posted on Oct 3, 2010, 10:34 AM

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Goldkette featured numbers

'Among the numbers featured by this orchestra are '[Yes Sir] That's My Baby, (presumably?)' 'Tiger Rag,' 'Milenburg Joys' and the new dance 'Gigolo.'"

And sadly, they are all numbers never recorded by the Jean Goldkette Orchestra.

Oh, to have heard the hot solos by Bix, Tram, Bill Rank, and Venuti/Lang on "Tiger Rag!"

Posted on Oct 3, 2010, 12:25 PM

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The New Dance "Gigolo."

From the Music Trade Review, Oct 16, 1926,

Mons. Dario Introduces New Parisian Dance, The Gigolo Demonstration of New Terpsichorean Effort Regular Feature at Beaux Arts, New York Witmark & Sons Publish Music Mons. Dario, the internationally famous dancer, now featured at the Beaux Arts, New York, nightly, is introducing in America for the first time the new Parisian dance called "The Gigolo"pronounced "jeeg-o-lo." The "Gigolo," which threatens to succeed the Charleston, is the French word for a dancing man and one who rents out his dancing services [see note] as partner to wealthy women. Dario and his fair dancing mates, "Nadine" and "Irene," demonstrate the steps of the "Gigolo" nightly at the Beaux Arts Cafe. The dance is a simple one and can be learned by any dancer of any ability. M. Witmark & Sons, New York, have acquired the exclusive publishing rights of the music, which is also called "Gigolo," and they are issuing it in song and fox-trot form with an American lyric by Marian Gillespie, writer of "When You Look in the Heart of a Rose," the hit of "The Better 'Ole." The lyric of "Gigolo" is as witty and clever as the music is catchy and lilting and the new dance promises to be the sensation of the season for singers, dance orchestras and dancers.

Note: As well as "other services." So Jean Goldkette was up to date with the tune and the dance when the band was appearing in Roseland in Oct 1926. He or members of the Goldkette band may have gone to the Beaux Arts Cafe and saw Monsieur Dario and his dancing partners doing the new French dance, "Le Gigolo."

Albert

Posted on Oct 3, 2010, 3:16 PM

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Re: The New Dance "Gigolo."

by Bridget

Interesting. Hadn't heard of this one before. Many of these 'fad' dances were fabricated to capitalize on the huge dance market. Not much documentation exists of many dances and it's difficult to say whether a song was created to spur a dance, or vice versa. It was probably the former, as if a dance was so widespread to inspire a song, it would be prevalant in the contemporary dance manuals and newspaper articles.

Posted on Oct 13, 2010, 8:33 PM

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Q about a jazz standard/soundtrack (not Bix related

by Bob Kelley

but I'd love to hear what he would have done with this one).

The song "On Green Dolphin Street" -- did it have lyrics in the 1947 movie "Green Dolphin Street"?

I'm thinking it was an instrumental, but I can't nail it down on the Internet.

Many years, ago, I taped the movie (not that great) and watched it, and I would swear I heard the song only as a background theme with no singer. It's possible I missed a sung version or the movie was edited down by the cable channel.

Wikipedia lists Ned Washington as lyricist, so that would indicate it did start off with lyrics.

But the wording here from jazzstandards.com COULD be read to mean the lyrics were added to the soundtrack after the movie's release ... it doesn't say that, but the wording is ambiguous:

"... Bronislau Kaper was enlisted to write the soundtrack for the production. However, its theme was not a hit, even with Ned Washingtons lyrics."

Anyone happen to know? I would rent the movie just to find out, but Netflix doesn't carry it.

Posted on Oct 2, 2010, 1:28 PM

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TCM page about "On Green Dolphin Street."

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=1121

If you click on music, you get the following,

Music by:
Bronislau Kaper (Music Score)
Charles Previn (Mus cond)

No mention of lyrics by Ned Washington. From this plus what you mention in Chris Tyle's Jazz Standards page, it is safe to assume that the film only had the music, no lyrics. Some support for this inference comes from the fact that the film is not listed in imdb's page for Ned Washington. See

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913513/#soundtrack1940

You tell us that your question is not related to Bix. Well, you know how I try to find connections to Bix. Here is the connection to Bix. The soundtrack of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Bitton" includes two tunes played by Bix and Tram - "There'll Come A Time" and "Ostrich Walk" - and one tune with lyrics by Ned Washington - "Wah Dee Dah." At least, it is a connection!

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 3, 2010 6:36 AM

Posted on Oct 2, 2010, 3:54 PM

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Many thanks! That is the answer I was hoping

by Bob Kelley

to hear.

Most things are easy to check on the Internet, but some can be slippier. I wouldn't have thought to check TCM's site even though I used to scan the schedule there regularly.

This week, I sang at a jazz open mike (same venue the Eddie Lang Day organizer wanted to book but couldn't), and I was trying to think of songs they like to jam over. Last spring, there was a vocalist open mike once a month there, but now I'm dependent on the graciousness of the many horn players who line up to blow.

I know they like playing "On Green Dolphin Street," so on Thursday, I wrote lyrics to the melody. Then I came to work and poked around on the computer and lo and behold, it already HAD lyrics (sung by Sarah Vaughan and others). But they strike me was a bit trite, so I will use mine. Somehow it's more gratifying to know I'm not just rewriting the original song.

I did "Fly Me to the Moon" this week. I'm also working up "God Bless the Child." My favorite would be "Lush Life," but it's a very difficult number to spring on people. The host said he would ask if the guys knew it, then we settled on "Fly Me" because he knew they did. All I would need would be the piano player (who probably does know it) and a horn player or two for the instrumental break, but that might mean dismissing the bassist and drummer on a night when at least one fill-in is waiting for a chance to play in each of those spots.

... "Benjamin Button" has one other surprising connection that is most definitely off topic. There is a scene where Brad Pitt is riding a 1930 Indian 101 Scout motorcycle. I ride 1928 and 1929 Scouts, and the latter one is nearly identical to his, same paint scheme (dark red and black) even. That model was built only in 1928-31.

Posted on Oct 2, 2010, 4:39 PM

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Jack Teagarden was a major influence on...

by Mark Dworkin

someone who may surprise:

http://flagpole.com/Weekly/Features/MerleHaggard-22Sep10

Posted on Oct 2, 2010, 8:07 AM

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No surprise to me at all ...

And I also wonder how much of an influence Teagarden's singing had on Merle Haggard. Teagarden himself was a fine vocalist, which is particularly evident in his mastery of the blues.

If you listen to the old records, there is a direct line from Teagarden's blues singing, to the singing of Tommy Duncan with Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, to Merle Haggard, who is one of the living legends keeping the flame of Bob Wills and western swing music alive today. The jazz and blues influence in Western Swing is very strong, and musicians in the jazz, blues, and country idioms freely borrowed from one another during the 1930's.

Posted on Oct 3, 2010, 3:02 PM

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The Scary Situation Surrounding Our Recording Legacy

Rob kindly sends this link. Fascinating material.

http://digitalmusicnews.com/stories/093010recordingsituation

The complete report is available in http://digitalmusicnews.com/uploads/73/96/7396814371926293c938a9e3d1e2ebd8/pub148.pdf

Albert

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 1:29 PM

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Re: Scary situation

Horrifying, isn't it? No one's sure what's stored in the archives, or worse, they don't want anyone else to know and don't care what they're holding. Classic example: WQED in Pittsburgh (as well as the Braddock Library.) Ancient, historical, archival material, fascinating old recordings, videos, books -- but do they care? No, and furthermore, THEY SURE DON'T WANT YOU OR ME OR ANYONE ELSE TO LOOK AT IT OR TOUCH IT.

I'm struggling to hold a rant at bay, really I am, but all the many times I've heard, and offered, along with friends and professional COLLEAGUES of archivists, to help them sort and catalogue their collections, arrange and make them available to look at/listen to if they can't be sold, bartered, or borrowed -- forget it. WQED Pittsburgh has an entire basement vault of records from 78's to LP's to reel-to-reel tapes which has been locked away since 2001. They're never again going to hold the annual record sales they used to every year, although they scream constantly for money and pledge 3 weeks out of the month both on the radio and television. (Hey, do other PBS stations do this? Does YOUR PBS station do this as often as ours?)

In 2000 I telephoned them to ask what is to become of "all those records locked away." "Nothing," snapped the woman answering the phone. "They're just going to remain down there. We're not making them available."

So what purpose does that serve?

And don't get me started on the first Carnegie Library ever in Pittsburgh, Braddock, built in 1889. Not only do they keep their archives (mostly consisting of long out of circulation books) out of sight and reach, periodically they THROW THEM AWAY, but we're NOT allowed to touch them, look at them, purchase them, let alone borrow them. "You can't have that! That's for the dumpster!" is on the lips of every librarian employed there, no matter what one offers to pay or how earnestly one begs them to have a book sale. One day a very kindly custodian at the back entrance 6 years ago surreptitiously allowed my husband and me to sort through those forbidden "dumpster books" and take what we wanted. (original books - also 1889 - on the Johnstown flood, some Maurice Materlinck, and some wonderful pulpy old contemporary-at-the-time 1930's novels, in case any of you are wondering) I imagine if one of the librarians had caught this nice custodian she would have shot him dead on the spot.

Am I nuts, or do any of you agree with me that this is a crime? Do YOUR local public libraries, public radio stations, university archives or community museums pull stunts like this? I realize not everything can be put on display and of course "not just anyone" can handle and listen to rare old items, but to lock it up in some obscure vault to never bother with again, or worse yet, throw it away while forbidding it to the very people who are offering to help with the discards?

Go ahead and check up on this for me if you want. This is not some belligerent outburst or paranoid imagining. I've crept into those back rooms in Braddock with an out of town friend on a library tour, and everyone in the community who collects records knows what QED has in their basement, as well as their own staff confirming it. One just doesn't know where to begin to rectify this, and it's enough to make any collector cry in disgust and despair.

Laura

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 11:42 AM

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An addendum and clarification

Perhaps I ought to clarify the library book situation Laura T. and I encountered during her visit in autumn 2008, subsequently followed by continuing visits to that part of town by my husband and myself, and when my friend Melissa would come in from Cleveland, serving also as witness to my inquiries of what became of old discards and out-of-circulation books, and would they be having any booksales? (no, was the inevitable reply.) The Braddock Library out-of-circulation books lackidasically and haphazardly stored on dusty back shelves in an open room roped off as off-limits to library patrons except for guided tours were deemed "discards" and therefore not to be borrowed -- but also not to be sold, and I had been distinctly made aware of how many discards were thrown into a dumpster (not on the premesis) or otherwise hauled away to trash obscurity. Laura and I actually picked up fascinating old books from the 1910's and 1920's (bio on a popular silent film actresss of the day, I want to say Mabel Normand; another book on opera)during the library tour, asked what was to be done with them; would they ever be offered in a book sale since they'd been out of circulation for decades and obviously weren't being stored in any archival capacity?

The tour guide took these volumes out of our hands and placed them right back on the tumbled, dusty, dirty and rickety shelves in that back room with the enigmatic answer, "We don't know what we're doing with them yet." Well, they had a few damned decades to consider that, didn't they? Get my enraged point?

And WQED, the classical public radio station (the only classical station in the area; I don't even think the college stations in Western PA, if any, keep any kind of classical music programs anymore) has stored away 78's of opera, classical, and jazz, long out of print LP's dating to their first introduction of the genre by Columbia records in 1949-50;tapes, films. Okay, it's not quite to the level of a box of Edison cylinders sitting around in there or anything, but in past annual record sales QED used to have in the late 1990's, I saw the volumes of 78's in enough bulk that they weren't immediately affordable to me at the time (let alone Rick and me lugging them away); the velvet-slipcased Met live broadcasts packaged for private members of the Metropolitan Opera Guild subscribers, and so forth. All those records rotting behind some locked doors in that ugly modern early 1960's building down on Fifth Avenue, condemned to eternal obscurity. Reading about the plight of not having the means to, or not being able to preserve, sound recordings, or museums and libraries being unaware of, ignorant of, and let's read indfferent to, or apathetic to, their holdings prompted what I've encountered in the city where I live. It's sickening, and yes, it's criminal.

Laura

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 6:22 PM

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I feel your pain!

Sorry to say, lots doesn't make sense in this world. In the case of the public library, isn't it possible that at least some of that old material destined for the dumpster was purchased with local tax dollars, and thus, "belongs" to you? How come "freedom of information" doesn't apply to these things?

Could the lack of public sale events mean there's no manpower to organize and run them? Could you volunteer to do that job, and thereby get first crack at what might become available? Can't some local government authority get involved for you, at least regarding the library, to pull some strings and at least allow you access?

Good luck!

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 5:24 AM

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Re: I feel your pain

Hi, Alberta, and thanks! I sort of felt like Laura Crackpot bellowing into the wind for a bit there, but really, that library and their snotty practices. . . . anyway, I certainly did volunteer my help as politely and cheerfully as possible. Several times, without appearing like a nuisance, I might add. I left my phone numbers and email addresses for my office and home. "Of course we'll be in touch with you when we have a book sale," smiled the director herself, the last time I approached the front desk with my buddy Melissa in tow. That was. . . . let's see, spring 2009? I remember it was Easter vacation week.

1) There either never was any sort of a book sale, confirming my dour suspicions, or

2) I noticed on the Braddock, PA Library's website there's a Library Guild, so it's yet another In with the In Crowd situation. Hey gang, maybe for some people junior high school never entirely ends, I guess. Not living in the community, I couldn't belong as a member. I imagine if any little recreational thingie or book sale or fund raiser goes on, they're involved with each other, not outsiders. Braddock Library's website doesn't give notice of upcoming events with any sort of the flavor of a book sale about it.

Mouthing the word "Donation" doesn't seem to bring on any grins of expecation with them. Sneaking around to the side entrance of the building and trolling among the boxes of books on the back landing "meant to be shipped to the dunpster" is the only ploy for right now, and pray they just don't catch you.

Gee, if you all could see the place. Bloothirsty Andrew Carnegie even had it built before he caused the Homestead Riots of 1892, where so many strikers were shot dead by his private police force and hired Pinkerton detectives, and he guiltily began installing and endowing libraries all over Pittsburgh during the late 1890's. The Braddock branch was completed in 1889 and was truly intended to be a community center benefitting the poor mill workers whom he lorded it over. The gradually, now mostly, restored building is a study in Victorian benevolence if not exactly magnanimity, and truly laden with the musty charm of such an edifice. . . . ancient indoor swimming pool, public bath house, and bowling alley in the basement; upstairs basketball court; club meeting rooms, auditorium -- plus that large wonderful back room only opened during tours, with "the stacks" of long-out-of circulation books -- the intended discards. There is a small French and Indian War museum on the premises, but no actual archives I can see in the way of those neglected books being prepared for presentation, hence my frustration. I've racked my brains for solutions and persistence seems to be the only continued course.

Volunteering for WQED means you sit and answer phones in the background while they run their constant ongoing pledge on TV, shilling for contributions. Believe me, in the 1990's I'd nicely call and all but crawled over there on my knees to -- drool -- ask if I could help sort records for the annual sale usually held on the second Saturday of October. They must have sensed my lascivious desperation to handle that vinyl and shellac, somehow, however valiantly I endeavored to supress it. Walk into Jerry's Used Records and we all have that same aura about us, we loyal customers, but God knows we're happily welcome in there.
But QED -- "No. We don't take outside help. Employees only." Oh yeah? Would any of YOU believe that?

Sigh. Maybe I'll sob some big blow-out article about this for the next ARSC Newsletter. Perhaps an army of avid collectors descending upon the public radio/television station en masse might elicit a more positive response? Or at least let them fully digest the realization that collectors aren't just whinily eccentric little midde-aged ladies angling for a foot in the door to grab the forgotten opera sets and shabby 1920's pop music sides. One can only hope. . . .

best regards from Laura

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 8:07 AM

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Musical Preservationists

The second installment of Michael Feinstein's American Songbook aired tonight on PBS, dealing with the preservation of the music of the 1940s war years. There were segments featuring several impressive collections of sheet music and acetate recordings, as well as the V-Disc program which brought together great musicians for memorable sessions, pressed and distributed to the troops, and Irving Berlin's all-Army production of "This Is the Army."

In the closing promo for the upcoming third segment, loosely dealing with preserving earlier jazz music, we got a glimpse of Vince Giordano, playing string bass with Michael Feinstein.

Posted on Oct 13, 2010, 6:21 PM

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An Excellent Blog by Drummer Hal Smith

In Jim Cullum's hot blog.

http://jimcullum.blogspot.com/2010/09/kid-stuff.html?spref=fb

Albert

PS This is not the same Hal Smith who posts frequently here.

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 1:25 PM

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And Jim Cullum's Hot Blog About Bix.

http://jimcullum.blogspot.com/2010_06_01_archive.html

Albert

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 1:48 PM

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I just remembered that ....

.... I commented about Pollack's " 'Deed I Do" several years ago in the Bix Forum.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1147372441

This is part of what I wrote, "I was talking to Tom Pletcher a couple of days ago, and I mentioned my "Copying Bix" lecture and CD. Tom related a conversation he had with Rosy McHargue. Rosy told Tom that there were dozens of trumpet players in Chicago in the 1920s who were imitating Bix. Tom tells me that he did not recognize even half of the names mentioned by Rosy. Tom mentioned Earl Baker and Charlie "Nosey" Altier.

Baker was with Pollack in 1926. You can hear his Bixian solo in "Deed I Do."
http://redhotjazz.com/Songs/pollack/deedido.ram
(Note the Gershwinesque phrase at 0:38 and the phrase at 0:40 similar to that just before Bing sings in "Let's Do It". Benny Goodman does a Bixian turn too in his clarinet solo). Baker was with Goldkette in 1928."

Albert

Posted on Oct 2, 2010, 12:24 PM

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"Pretty Little Thing" by Herman Kenin and his Multnomah Hotel Orchestra

Nick kindly sent an mp3 of "Pretty Little Thing" by Herman Kenin and his Multnomah Hotel Orchestra, recorded on May 29, 1927 in Portland, Oregon. Nick writes, "Great string bass a la Steve Brown by Jim Taft, and a rather "Goldkettish" sound overall don't you think?" Listen

bixbeiderbecke.com/PrettyLittleThingKeninMultnomahHotelOrch.mp3

Indeed. The "Goldkette sound" of Herman Kenin and his Multnomah Hotel Orchestra was discussed in the forum. See http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/992435420

Herman Kenin became president of the American Federation of Musicians. He is mentioned in an excellent webpage about "Portland's Radio Days." (Lisa, some great photos in the page).

The Multnomah Hotel was built in 1911 and was a luxurious hotel. Take a look.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 1, 2010 2:28 PM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 1, 2010 10:07 AM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 1, 2010 10:05 AM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 1, 2010 8:42 AM

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 8:39 AM

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Bix @ Wikipedia

Allow me to don my extremely nerdy editor's hat and announce that the Bix Beiderbecke article at Wikipedia was promoted last night to Feature Article status. According to the site, there are just more than 3,000 Feature Articles out of almost 3.5 million total articles, and the honor means that Bix will at times be featured on the Wikipedia home page, greatly increasing traffic to the article and perhaps spurring additional interest in the man and his music.

Thanks to Rob Rothberg for his helpful explanation above of some copyright issues; thanks to Barb Wascher, who helped me get started figuring out how to embed sound clips; and thanks to any and all forumites who contributed to the article over the years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bix_Beiderbecke

Brendan

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 4:53 AM

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Congratulations, Brendan!

I'd like to add that in order to achieve Featured Article status, a stringent set of requirements must be met:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_criteria

Brendan doesn't mention the many, many hours he's spent over the past year and more making sure the Bix article meets those professional standards. And in the spirit that drives the Wikipedia project, he consistently demonstrated an ongoing willingness to collaborate with other editors and reviewers -- and with great grace and good humor -- while shouldering the lion's share of the work required to make the article what it is today.

This is an exceptionally generous offering from Brendan and I hope everyone here takes the time to read it. I think you'll find, as I did, that it's a sterling piece of Bix scholarship and that it provides an essential component to the Beiderbecke canon.

Barb

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 7:04 AM

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You may want to add the following ....

.... to the list of honors.

The Sweet and Hot Music Foundation Walk of Fame. In 1996, in conjunction with its music festival, the Sweet and Hot Music Foundation inaugurated the Walk of Fame. It consists of a series of commemorative plaques imbedded in the concrete around the poolside area of the L.A. Marriott AirportHotel. The inductees in 1996 were Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and BennyGoodman. In 1997, the jazz musicians honored with a bronze plaque in the "Sweet and HotMusic Foundation Walk of Fame" were Bix Beiderbecke, Ella Fitzgerald, Cole Porter, andThomas "Fats" Waller."

National Recording Registry

Library of Congress

National Recording Preservation Act of 2000

50 recordings are chosen every year since 2002.

Singin the Blues was inducted in 2006.

Bix's House and the NRHP.The National Register of Historic Places, a branch of the Department of Interior, is the Nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Included among the 80,000 properties listed in the Register, are National Historic Landmarks, Lighthouses, Libraries, Schools, and Mills. The National Register also includes about 15,000 houses across the United States. In order to qualify for inclusion in the National Register, the property must be of special significance to the Nation, the State, or the community.One of the houses in the National Register is the house at 1934 Grand Avenue, Davenport, Iowa, where Bix was born.

Iowa Walk of Fame. Shenandoahs Iowa Walk of Fame was established in 1999. There are ninety plaques honoring famous native Iowans or individuals who lived in Iowa for a significant length of time. All the individuals honored in the Walk of Fame have national and/or international reputations. Bix Beiderbecke is among the Iowans honored on the Iowa Walk of Fame.

ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame. Inducted in the year 2000. For a list of inductees see,

http://www.ascap.com/jazz/jazzwall/index.html

Bix in NPR 300 In A Mist. See

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/vote/300.html

National Music Awards presented on June 26, 1976 by the National Association of Music Merchants. The presentation of the first 121 awards took place in Chicago at the 75th annual music expo. Bix was one of the honorees.

More than one thousand nominations solicited from musicians, educators, and critics were considered. The winners were selected by three panels

- Concert and Religious Music
- Folk, Popular and Theater Music
- Blues and Jazz

The blues and jazz panel consisted of David N. Baker (musician-composer=educator0, Leonard Feather (author-critic-encyclopedis), Vernice "Bunky" Green (musician-educator), Quincy Jones (composer-musician), Marian McPartland (musician-composer-author-teacher), and Charles Suber (panel chairman, Down Beat).

To qualify for a National Music Award, a man or a woman must have:

* influenced or generated new trends in American music as an instrumental or vocal musician, composer, or lyricist.

* made his or her unique musical contribution prior to 1956 (a time delay to allow better perspective)

* lived in the United States for the greater part of his or her life, or have reached musical maturity here

In the blues and jazz panel, the creative and improvisational aspects of the music were major determining factors in the selection of the winners. No quotas were set for any idiom

This one is a bit weird.

Asteroid 23457. Beiderbecke

Discovered by Michael Geffert in 1989.

Geffert writes, " In 1989 I was able to detect and measure some asteroids on plates of the Schmidt telescope of the European Southern Observatory. My proposal to name one of these asteroids "Beiderbecke" was last year accepted by a commission of the International Astronomical Union.

Albert

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 7:22 AM

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A few comments about the Wikipedia article.

So far, I only read in detail read the introduction and the Early Life sections of the Wikipedia article. Here are some comments. Your text in bold font.

Multiple stints in rehabilitation centers. I only know of Bix's admittance to the Keeley Institute, Oct 14-Nov 18, 1929. What are the other rehabilitation centers?

He left the Whiteman band in 1930. As far as I know, he left Whiteman in Sep 1929.

He began to play cornet at age 13, playing left-handed for the first eight years. Most biographies tell us that Bix started playing cornet in early 1919 (he was almost 16) when Burnie brought home a record player and some ODJB records. Moreover, if Bix played left-handed for eight years and started playing at 16, then he was 24 when he changed from left- to right- handed. There is a photo of Bix in 1925 (with the Rhythm Jugglers) when he was almost 22, six years after he started playing, where he is seen playing right-handed. What is the evidence that Bix played left-handed for the first eight years?

Until recently, biographers have largely ignored this incident in Beiderbecke's life, and Lion was the first, in 2005, to print the police blotter and affidavit associated with the arrest. Later, in a footnote, # 28, you add. Albert Haim published a transcript of the police blotter and affidavit even earlier, on January 7, 2001, on the Bixography Discussion Group, an online forum owned and operated by Haim (retrieved September 27, 2010). Are you making a distinction between print and publish? I am not pointing this out to get credit for being the first (since I am not the first to report the arrest, only the first to provide the documents, see below), but it seems to me that you are giving the chronology in the wrong order. If you want to point out who was the first to make public the police blotter and affidavit, then it seems to me that footnote 28 should be incorporated in the text and then point out that the documents were later included in Lion's and Rich Johnson's books. As a matter of fact, if you want to give the proper chronology and credit, then you should mention "Jazz: A History of American Music" by Geoffrey Ward. In the year 2000, before my posting in the forum, Ward reported Bix's arrest, without providing the affidavit or the police blotter, just the quote of a "lewd and lascivious act with a child" from the police blotter.

I will read more in the next few days and post comments, if needed.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 3, 2010 6:38 AM

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 11:54 AM

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One More in the "Early Life" section.

The last name of Bix's neighbor in the photograph of Bix, age 8, is Lasher, not Laush. Rich Johnson in "Bix: The Davenport Album" tells us quite a bit about Louis Lasher, Nora's husband. In 1911, Nora and Louis lived at 1936 Grand Avenue, next door to the Beiderbecke's. They sold the house in 1915 to Eugene Hostetler.

Incidentally, your work about Bix, a well as mine, and that of all who came after the publication of Sudhalter and Evans in 1974 and Evans and Evans in 1998, owe a great debt of gratitude to Phil Evans and Richard Sudhalter. This is well known. What is not widely known is that Evans benefitted enormously from Rich Johnson's expertise about Bix in Davenport. Rich, with his characteristic generosity and unselfishness provided lots of invaluable data to Evans about all things Bix in Davenport. Perhaps an acknowledgment to these three giants in the field of Bixology would be in order. Without their dedication to learning about Bix, their publications, and their sharing the information they uncovered with others, your article could not have been written. See note.

Albert

Note. When I received the Goldkette Award a few years ago, I dedicated it to Richard Sudhalter. In my obituary of Richard Sudhalter for the Mississppi Rag, Oct 2008, I wrote,

"I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Richard Sudhalter. His writings, in particular Bix, Man and Legend, had a profound impact on me. Had it not been for Richard's comprehensive, insightful, and deeply moving account of Bix's life, my own life would have charted a far less rewarding course. Ultimately, I was inspired to create the Bixography website (www.bixography.com), embarking upon a marvelous and endlessly evolving adventure.

Thank you, Richard! "

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 2, 2010 1:44 PM

Posted on Oct 2, 2010, 1:35 PM

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Another One in the Early Life section.

I am not trying to be a nitpicker. My purpose in providing some corrections to the Wikipedia article is, in part, to acknowledge publicly the enormous amount of data that the late Rich Johnson collected for years and eventually published in his magnificent book with Jim Arpy and Gerri Bowers, "Bix" The Davenport Album." I would expect the most recent account of Bix's life to be be up to date with Rich's discoveries and research.

You write "She played the organ at Davenport's First Presbyterian Church." Rich tells us that Bix's mother was a member of the United Presbyterian Church until 1905, when the church was dissolved to reorganize a year later. In 1905 the Beiderbeckes (mother and children, not the father) are listed in the First Presbyterian Church directory.

As far as Agnes (that was her original name; Rich discusses her change to Agatha in his book) being a church organist/pianist, Rich writes, "After graduating from Davenport High School in 1888, Aggie [a nickname for the names Agnes and Agatha] continued her musical studies through private lessons. She became the church pianist and organist at United Presbyterian."

I believe that Rich researched the possibility that Bix's mother was also an organist/pianist at the First Presbyterian Church, but did not find any evidence that she was. My recollection is vague; Gerri can expand on this.

Albert

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 4:22 PM

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Early Life: Cascades Band?

You report, in the "Early Life" section, that Bix joined the Cascades Band in the summer of 1922. Here is what you wrote.

He returned to Davenport briefly in the summer of 1922, then moved to Chicago to join the Cascades Band, working on Lake Michigan excursion boats. After the summer, until fall 1923 he gigged around Chicago, at times returning to Davenport to work for his father.[30]

Footnote 30 is a reference to The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999 by Feather and Gitler. Oxford University Press. They give the information you provided as follows,

He ret. to Davenport briefly that summer, then moved to Chi. to join the Cascades Band, working on Lake Mich. excursion boats. Fr. fall 22 to fall 23 he gigged around Chicago, at times ret. to Davenport to work for his fath., a merchant. [Feather and Gitler use abbreviations]

I don't remember a citation to Bix joining a Cascades Band in the summer of 1922 in any of the Bix biographies. I may have missed it. According to Sudhalter and Evans and Evans and Evans, from June to Sep 1922, Bix played with Bill Grimm's band, Sid Stewart and His Boys, the Vic Moore-Bud Hatch Quartet. Have I missed something?

I found citations to a "Cascade (no s) Band" in newspapers in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Monticello, etc IA in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From what I read, this was not a jazz or dance band. For example, the Monticello Express of Aug 30, 1923 has the following ad.

Celebrate Labor Day

Monday, Sept. 3, Cascade Iowa

Big Free Barbecue from 5 to to 6:30 p.m.

Two great baseball games.

Cascade vs Worthington

Monticello vs Oxford Junction

Dance in the New Big Pavillion

Afternoon and Evening

Music by the famous Hunt's Novelty Eight

Concert Music by the Cascade Band.

Do you have any information other than what Feather and Gitler give on Bix joining a "Cascades Band"?

Albert

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 6:54 AM

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Just for the record

Albert,

I'm happy to have you pick the Wikipedia article apart section by section, sentence by sentence, word by word. But please, if you would, refrain from using "you" when referring to the author of the article. While I wrote and edited the lion's share, I am not the author; the Wikipedia community is. Case in point: I have never considered Feather's biographical dictionary to be a particularly useful source on the life of Bix Beiderbecke. Nor have I considered Ward's history to be reliable. You'll find both works cited in a number of places -- but not by me. In fact, I argued against using them, but in the end I lost that argument. Why? Because the article isn't mine.

I will, however, accept credit for improving the article greatly and, as I wrote in my post above, for shepherding it through the Good Article and Feature Article review processes -- not for the faint of heart, in my opinion.

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 10:14 AM

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OKeh, in the future ....

.... I will refer, in my comments, to the "Bix Wikipedia article" not to you.

However, since you had the "lion share" in writing and editing the article and you "accept credit for improving the article greatly and ... for shepherding it through the Good Article and Feature Article review processes," I will post my comments in the thread following your announcement. You may not be responsible for every sentence in the article, but since you are the major writer and editor, it seems to me that you should be informed of any comments made by me or others.

Albert

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 11:01 AM

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Re: OKeh, in the future ....

Albert,

By all means, post them here or anywhere. But don't post them to inform me. Post them to motivate others to improve the article. I am not its caretaker any longer.

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 11:05 AM

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Can You Believe...

...There's a whole article dedicated to Cradle of Love on Wikipedia, but it's not the real one. Since the Wiki seemed to emphasize a controversy or two, that most music controversy of Bix' career might have had a place there as well or, as I'd prefer, instead. Not to sabotage the thread but just listening to that piece of Singin, its rising and ebbing, it's friendly engaging conversing, oh man, does that ever sound like the Cradle guy. If Billy Idol rates a whole Cradle, well, if you ever feel like another project, Brendan, I'll have the big ears.

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 3:07 PM

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Early Life, 1919-1921.

From the Bix article in Wikipedia.

Beiderbecke attended Davenport High School from 1919 to 1921. During this time, he sat in and played professionally with various bands, including those of Wilbur Hatch, Floyd Bean, and Carlisle Evans.[20]

Footnote 20 is a reference to the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz by Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler. From the Encyclopedia,

He attended HS in Davenport 1919-1921. Dur. this time, he sat in and pl. prof. w. various bands, incl. those of Wilbur Harch, Floyd Bean, and Carlisle Evans.

It will be seen that the second sentences in the two accounts are identical. I am surprised that it is not enclosed with quotation marks in the Wikipedia article.

I may have missed this, but I don't remember having seen references to Bix playing with Wilbur Hatch and Floyd Bean in Bix biographies. In fact, these names are not found in Sudhalter and Evans and Evans and Evans. Carlisle Evans is mentioned in Bix biographies, but I don't believe that Bix played professionally with Carlisle's band. Rich Johnson in "Bix: The Davenport Album" has several pages devoted to Carlisle Evans. He writes, "As Wayne Rohlf recalls it , Bix grabbed any opportunity that came along to play with local musicans. "He used to sit with Carlisle Evans, Tony Catalano, Bill Greer and Doc Wrixon anytine they would have him."

Does anyone know if Bix ever played or sat with Wilbur Hatch and/or Floyd Bean?

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 5, 2010 3:41 PM

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 2:43 PM

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Plagiarism

You will find, at the link below under the heading "Bix Beiderbecke," that I already accused this particular editor of plagiarizing Geoffrey Ward. This is the downside of Wikipedia. You're welcome to fix it if you like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Noraft

Posted on Oct 5, 2010, 4:59 PM

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Fix it?

I don't think so. I did not break it, so it is not my responsibility to fix it. And I am not a supporter of the concept of collective writing with everyone empowered to amend, add, delete without geting the approval of the original authors. I assume total responsibility for what I write, and I don't allow anyone to tamper with my text. I will consider suggestions, criticisms, etc. but I am the ultimate judge of what, if anything, needs to be changed.

Albert

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 6:10 AM

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Re: Fix it?

A few thoughts, then:

* I am happy and relieved not to be your editor.

* The Wikipedia article isn't "broken" and I didn't ask you to "fix" it.

* If you don't believe in the enterprise, you might consider not wasting your time with a critique of the article. Part of the enterprise, after all, is to take the kind of responsibility that leads to the hard work of actual editing. That's what makes the article better.

* And better information about Bix Beiderbecke is a good thing.

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 11:13 AM

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Your own words

Oct 5, 2010. From Brendan Wolfe to Albert Haim. "This is the downside of Wikipedia. You're welcome to fix it if you like.

Oct 6, 2010. Albert Haim to Brendan Wolfe. "I did not break it, so it is not my responsibility to fix it."

Oct 6, 2010. From Brendan Wolfe to Albert Haim. "The Wikipedia article isn't "broken" and I didn't ask you to "fix" it."

I may be wrong, but I thought that if one is "welcome to fix it," one would suspect that the "it" (whatever "it" is) might be broken.

As to my critique of your article, I take it to be my responsibility to alert forumites, since you gave the link to your article in the forum -presumably for people to read- to point out errors and misinformation.

Albert Haim

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 1:12 PM

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Re: Your own words

As you say, Albert, you may be wrong. And again, it is not "my" article. (Oct. 5, 2010. Brendan Wolfe to Albert Haim. "if you would, refrain from using 'you' when referring to the author of the article.")

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 1:20 PM

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Rich Johnson and my old postings in the Forum to the rescue: Floyd Bean, Wilbur Hatch.

I am an idiot. I did not check Rich Johnson's book or the forum! And in fact I missed the reference to Floyd Bean in Evans and Evans! Apologies.

Rich has a chapter on Floyd Bean in "The Davenport Album." Rich writes, "A trumpet player by the name of Bix Beiderbecke used to come out from town and sit with us, said Bean of then 19-year-old Bix."

I have a posting in the forum, nearly 3 years ago,

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1172422984/

You will find the source for the information in Feather and Gitler's "The Biographical Encyclodedia of Jazz." It is the Bix biography in Downbeat.

From http://www.downbeat.com/artists/window.asp?sect=bio&aid=66&aname=Bix+Beiderbecke&action=new

"A self-taught cornetist, he began playing the horn at the age of 14. Due to his lack of formal music education, he played numerous alternate fingerings, and even played the horn left-handed for eight years. But he was a natural, and by the age of 16 he was playing in local bands such as Wilbur Hatchs Quartet at Delavan Lake and Floyd Beans Band at Linwood Inn."

The Downbeat article gives 14, the Encyclopedia 13, but otherwise the information is very similar.

In my posting mentioned above, I quoted Evans and Evans, "July 5, 1922. Bix joined the Vic Moore-Bud Hatch Quartet at Delavan Lake Country Club." So Bud Hatch became Wilbur Hatch in the Downbeat article, and this was copied by Feather and Gitler in their Encyclopedia. I referred to this in the past as "propagation of errors" by writers who do not check primary sources.

Albert

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 7:21 AM

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More from Floyd Bean About Bix

A Bixophile who wishes to retain his/her privacy reminds me of two additional pieces of information in Rich Johnson's book,

"We knew that he was a wonderful musician, but he had only a local reputaion then. When our trumpet player left, we though of hiring him, but we needed someone who could carry the lead on new sheet music, and Bix couldn't read."

Bix showed me a lot of new things about piano, said Bean, playing tenths ... I'd never heard of that before, always played octaves in the bass."

"When Bix played at Linwood Inn, Floyd Bean remembered his mom helping him read some lead sheets for new songs the band was adding to its program. Bix took them to where the family was sitting and his mother would help him figure out the melody, Bean recalled."

Rich does not give references to the sources of the information. Did Rich interview Floyd Bean? I suspect that some of the information comes from holdings in Iowa State University. See http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/manuscripts/MS055.html

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 6, 2010 10:13 AM

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 10:11 AM

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Listen to Floyd Bean Playing "Lazy Piano Man."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5wAUIMFg8g

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 6, 2010 10:21 AM

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 10:20 AM

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Re: Listen to Floyd Bean....

What a marvelous blues record! Thanks, Albert.

Posted on Oct 6, 2010, 10:54 AM

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Brilliant job

Wish I could write half that well. And a very impressive research effort. I couldn't even guess how many hours it took to put it all together. A minor point: I may be wrong about this, but I thought the inspiration Carmichael took from Bix he incorporated into the VERSE of Stardust, not the chorus.

The article clearly deserves featured status. Hooray for Brendan Wolfe, and for Bix Beiderbecke too!

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 6:23 PM

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Re: Bix @ Wikipedia

Thank you, Brendan, for the gift of your time to what was a tremendous labor, but obviously a labor of love!

And now please finish Finding Bix.

Posted on Oct 1, 2010, 6:48 PM

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Bravo Brendan!

A true labor of love. Congratulations!

- Mike Laprarie

Posted on Oct 3, 2010, 3:04 PM

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Congrats!

by David Logue

Good job. Looking forward to your book. When will we see it?

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 5:05 AM

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Thanks

Thanks for the kind words, Barb, Alberta, Glenda, Mike, and David. I really appreciate it. My book, Finding Bix, is finished, but the original deal fell through. I've got another publisher on the hook, though -- fingers crossed I can reel them in.

Thanks again.

Brendan

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 5:55 AM

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Re: Thanks

Brendan, I think you can count on at least five sales here!

I suspect there will be a high percentage of forumites who buy the book--and, predictably, discuss it at length!

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 10:14 AM

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Make that SIX definite buyers!

but Glenda's right, all of the Forum gang will want to read it and discuss it. I hope this deal goes through and you will get this book out, it sounds so intriguing. Can't wait.

Laura

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 11:14 AM

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Re: Thanks

Thanks, Glenda. I don't doubt there will be much to love and much, much more to hate!

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 11:24 AM

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Make it seven

by Rob Rothberg

Great job, Brendan. Congratulations!

Posted on Oct 4, 2010, 6:17 PM

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A Public Service

Hey Brendan,

In a remarkably compact space, you have managed to present the essence of Bix, insofar as that can be done in words. The article is neither baroque nor vague; it makes its points clearly with no fuss. It draws one in. If someone came to this entry with no prior knowledge of Bix, she would leave it knowing who he was, what he did, what is interesting about him, why he matters and where to go to find out more. She might even be curious to hear his music.

I found one sentence needing an additional word: "His lip had toughened from earlier, more tentative years; on nine of the Wolverines' recorded titles he proceeds commandingly [FROM] lead to opening solo without any need for a respite from playing."

Anyway, great job. I checked it against the Wikipedia "feature article" rules, and hell yes, it qualifies.

best,
Brad K

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 3:55 AM

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I agree, in part

Indeed, when it comes to objective facts, it is a good summary, although some important stuff is missing, see below.

But in my opinion, there is, on one occasion, too much subjective bias based on psychological claptrap. And the problem is that this comes very early in the article, and implants on the reader's mind a picture of Bix as a pervert. The relevant example relates to Bix's arrest where the Wikipedia article quotes Lion, "He [Lion] dismissed the seriousness of the charge, but speculated that the arrest might nevertheless have led Beiderbecke to "feel abandoned and ashamed: he saw himself as suspect of perversion." Alternative views are relegated to a footnote, but there is only a reference to Rich's book. In view of the extraordinary lengthy and in-depth discussions of the arrest in the Bixography Forum, it seems to me that, at least, a footnote with a reference to one or more of the threads on the arrest posted in the Forum should have been included to provide some balance to the quote from Lion's book. The quote is pretty strong stuff "he saw himself as suspect of perversion." and as it gives how Bix viewed himself, it is a total invention. No one knows how Bix saw himself. But the uninformed reader, righ off the bat starts with the notion that Bix was a pervert. True, the article gives the phrase "suspect of perversion" but we know that readers soon forget the word "suspect" and remember the word perversion.

As far as missing important information, I already mentioned in a previous posting several outstanding honors received by Bix and not cited in the list provided in the article.

In the section "Legend and Legacy," the film "Blackboard Jungle" is cited as is the British TV series (as well as Avati's film), but Brigitte Berman's important film and James Robert Grover's "A Creative Aural History Thesis," nine and a half hours of interviews of people who knew Bix and an in-depth analysis of his music, are not. I hasten to add that references to these two works are provided, but again relegated to footnotes. They should be highlighted in the main text.

The musical legacy of Bix Beiderbecke was best analyzed in a highly schorlay manner by musician, author and jazz historian Randolph "Randy" Sandke in "Bix Beiderbecke: From a Musician's Perspective" by Randy Sandke, Annual Review of Jazz Studies, 9, 1997-98, edited by Edward Berger, David Cayer, Henry Martin, Dan Morgenstern, Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers- The State University of New Jersey and The Scarecrow Press, Inc., Lanham, Maryland and London, 2000, pages 165-260. Sandke is quoted once in the article, and not directly but in the form of a short phrase in Lion's book, a secondary source. It seems to me, and this applies not only to this example but to several others throughout the article, that this does not follow proper research and scholarly protocol: primary sources must be cited, not secondary sources that in turn give references to the primary sources. Also, this important reference should have been cited as a key reference in the section about Bix's musical style.

This brings me to the point I raised in a previous posting. The question of giving proper credit to the historians and scholars who were the primary researchers in the field of Bixology. The three giants were Philip Evans,Richard Sudhalter and Rich Johnson. It seems to me that an acknowledgment and/or dedication of the article to these leaders in the filed of Bixology would be appropriate. Without them, our knowledge and understanding of Bix, the man and the musician, would be considerably poorer.

In the section about Bix recordings, I am shocked that "Clementine" by Jean Goldkette, the last recording of Bix with Goldkette and a milestone in hot dance band history is not included.

I don't expect to see a comprehensive list of available Bix recordings on CD included in the article. Bit one particular set, the five volumes of "Bix Restored" should have been cited, it is the almost complete collection of Bix recordings (including alternates) in existence.

Important tributes to Bix are missing in the legacy section, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society Festivals in Davenport, Phil Pospychala's Tribute to Bix in Racine, and the 24-hour Bix program by Phil Schaap over WKCR the Columbia University Radio Station. The BBMS is cited in the section as being founded in 1971, but the yearly festivals are not mentioned.

It seems to me that the influence of Bix on other musicians is not accounted properly. For example, in discussing "Singin' the Blues," no reference is given to the two 1931 recordings of Fletcher Henderson, the first example in jazz history of a band playing homage to a musician by playing almost note for note the arrangement of the original recording.

I am probably forgetting other important points. But for now, this should suffice.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 7, 2010 9:40 AM

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 8:47 AM

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No Good Deed

First off, thanks, Brad.

Albert, I would like to take the opportunity to respond point by point if you have the patience.

* You write: "There is, on one occasion, too much subjective bias based on psychological claptrap."

Please understand that there is no such thing as objective bias. And if you find psychology claptrap, not everyone else does. I say this only to call to your attention your own bias in reviewing an article such as this.

* You write that "early in the article," the author "implants on the reader's mind a picture of Bix as a pervert. The relevant example relates to Bix's arrest where the Wikipedia article quotes Lion, 'He [Lion] dismissed the seriousness of the charge, but speculated that the arrest might nevertheless have led Beiderbecke to "feel abandoned and ashamed: he saw himself as suspect of perversion."'

I'm not sure what you mean by "a picture of Bix as a pervert." I don't know what a pervert looks like. Do you? The article does, however, suggest that the charge of molestation was made and that according to one biographer, this may have had an effect on how Bix saw himself. You may disagree, but this is a perfectly reasonable point for the article to make. You may find it to be "claptrap," but until your name is on the spine of The Definitive Biography of a Jazz Legend, your opinion just won't count as much. This may not be fair, but when writing an encyclopedia article, it is absolutely true. I would add this: your penchant for dismissing opinions you don't like as being biased and claptrap only reduces your authority. It's the academic equivalent of banging on your desk in class.

* You write: "Alternative views are relegated to a footnote, but there is only a reference to Rich's book. In view of the extraordinary lengthy and in-depth discussions of the arrest in the Bixography Forum, it seems to me that, at least, a footnote with a reference to one or more of the threads on the arrest posted in the Forum should have been included to provide some balance to the quote from Lion's book."

I agree with you here, but it wasn't up to me. You will find, on the page linked below, me arguing on behalf of such an inclusion. In the end, the Wikipedia editors determined that you do not fit the Wiki criteria as an expert because you are not contributing scholarship in peer-reviewed, fact-checked journals. As I explained on the review page, I think it makes the article worse, but them's are the rules. I also said -- and I may as well confess it here if you're going to go and actually read the page -- that I wouldn't go to bat for you as a scholar. I said that in part because of your tendency to dismiss opinions you don't agree with as "claptrap" and your, I think, unseemly concern over Bix being seen as a "pervert." Protecting Bix in this way is not an act of scholarship but of public relations.

There are few references to Rich Johnson's book because a) while working on the article, I was not long in possession of the book; b) much of what I might have cited it for was either redundant or irrelevant to the article; and c) I find Johnson's scholarship on the arrest to be highly problematic. I'm happy to discuss that further with you, but this post is not the place.

Anyway, here's the link to the Wiki Feature Article review page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_candidates/Bix_Beiderbecke/archive1

* You write: "But the uninformed reader, righ[t] off the bat starts with the notion that Bix was a pervert. True, the article gives the phrase 'suspect of perversion' but we know that readers soon forget the word 'suspect' and remember the word perversion."

You seem to know what's in readers' minds while at the same time objecting to Lion claiming to know what's in Bix's. You also underestimate readers' intelligence. I happen to think that the possibilities raised by Lion are both interesting and important. That they are quoted accurately and in context suggests that your argument ought not to be with me, but with Lion.

* You write: "In the section 'Legend and Legacy,' the film 'Blackboard Jungle' is cited as is the British TV series (as well as Avati's film), but Brigitte Berman's important film and James Robert Grover's 'A Creative Aural History Thesis,' nine and a half hours of interviews of people who knew Bix and an in-depth analysis of his music, are not. I hasten to add that references to these two works are provided, but again relegated to footnotes. They should be highlighted in the main text."

No, they shouldn't, any more than an article on George Washington takes the time to acknowledge all of the people who did research on the man. The point of the "Legend and Legacy" section was to engage how Bix, after his death, transformed from an actual person into a Romantic legend, and how that legend entered the culture in various and interesting ways. The thesis and the documentary are perfectly good sources of information on the man, but they are not significant contributions to his cultural legacy (or reflections of said legacy) in the way that "Blackboard Jungle" and "The Beiderbecke Affair" are.

* You write: "It seems to me, and this applies not only to this example but to several others throughout the article, that this does not follow proper research and scholarly protocol: primary sources must be cited, not secondary sources that in turn give references to the primary sources. Also, this important reference should have been cited as a key reference in the section about Bix's musical style."

Then you should revise that section of the article . . . except that, as you stated yesterday, you don't actually believe in the Wikipedia enterprise. So it strikes me as unhelpful that you now feel like lecturing me -- who actually went to the trouble to improve the article -- on how I should have done it, and what sources I should have used. Wikipedia has its standards, but this is not a dissertation and you are not my director. I did not cite primary sources, but I did to the best of my ability -- when it was me writing -- cite reliable sources.

* You write: "It seems to me that an acknowledgment and/or dedication of the article to these leaders in the filed of Bixology [Sudhalter, Evans, and Johnson] would be appropriate. Without them, our knowledge and understanding of Bix, the man and the musician, would be considerably poorer."

The acknowledgment is in the citations, Albert. They're the people who are cited. Anyway, this is an encyclopedia article about Bix Beiderbecke; it's not a tribute to Dick Sudhalter, Phil Evans, and Rich Johnson.

* You write: "In the section about Bix recordings, I am shocked that 'Clementine' by Jean Goldkette, the last recording of Bix with Goldkette and a milestone in hot dance band history is not included."

I didn't make that list, and you or someone else is free to change it. I would only caution you that the list should be relatively short. In fact, I would encourage someone to create a new article with a full discography.

* You write: "Important tributes to Bix are missing in the legacy section, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society Festivals in Davenport, Phil Pospychala's Tribute to Bix in Racine, and the 24-hour Bix program by Phil Schaap over WKCR the Columbia University Radio Station. The BBMS is cited in the section as being founded in 1971, but the yearly festivals are not mentioned."

So the Bix Festival in Davenport is cited, and a link is duly inserted, taking the curious reader to a new Wikipedia article that will inform him or her that the festival is, indeed, yearly. This is how online encyclopedias work, and it strikes me as completely reasonable. These other things -- Racine, WKCR -- were not mentioned and I agree they should have been.

* You write: "It seems to me that the influence of Bix on other musicians is not accounted properly. For example, in discussing 'Singin' the Blues,' no reference is given to the two 1931 recordings of Fletcher Henderson, the first example in jazz history of a band playing homage to a musician by playing almost note for note the arrangement of the original recording."

The key word here, I think, is "properly." Properly to you. Many things could be added to this article -- we could add ad infinitum. But I believe it's a good article and one that is necessarily brief, and there is nothing improper about such an omission.

In the end, Albert, what bugs me is just the enormous lack of generosity that permeates your response. I won't speculate from whence it comes, but I want to say again: thank you to everyone who helped with the article over the years. And thank you to those who might be motivated to continue to make it better. The fact that it has gotten this far serves as a benefit, I think, to the legacy of Bix Beiderbecke and his music.

Posted on Oct 7, 2010, 1:02 PM

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I Agree...

With Albert on this. Why oh why was that arrest stuff included? An article like this reaches out to those who don't know who Bix is, and if he deserves to be famous, it should be as a great great musician, not as someone with a story of his life tailor made for Hollywood canon fodder bs. It should inspire newcomers to learn to listen to what great music really is, not cater to sensationalism and egotistical arm chair psychiatry. Years back, I'm sure I remember Albert stressing innocent until proven guilty, and I don't know about American law, but I'd think the father would not have had any say in any stay of prosecution. It would strictly be up to the police if they had evidence or not. Seems not only not right to include that story, but maybe slanderous even. I don't know. It just wasn't necessary. Other than that, great job.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 12:49 AM

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I do not agree

Carl, the "arrest stuff" was included in the Wikipedia article because it is part of the factual account of the events in Bix's life. If it weren't there already I'd've felt duty-bound to include it myself. And a certain amount of speculation goes on about it whether you or Albert thinks it's reasonable or not. This, too, is a fact. After all, it is an encyclopedia article, not a marketing device. I happen to agree with Brendan in that I think you, like Albert, give the article's readers too little credit for sorting out for themselves what they may deem important. I know that as a brand-new Bix fan just three short years ago I was put off by his compulsive drinking and the lies he told his folks in his letters, never mind the arrest. But his story and his music kept me coming back for more, and thinking about those things -- and his arrest and why it may have happened and how it may have affected him -- has only helped me appreciate Bix more as a person, a human being, as well as a consummate artist. And I will accept my Golden Claptrap Award with pride.

Others may think differently, and I'm fine with that. But withholding factual biographical information that makes you or me or Albert uncomfortable serves Bix not at all. Ignore it or call it trivial or even harmful if you wish, that is certainly your right, but do not presume to judge for others what information they may or may not be exposed to. I'm of the opinion that the arrest was kept secret for far too long -- so long that actually getting to what really happened, or didn't happen, is no longer possible; I'm also quite aware of the vilification I'm in for for saying that in public. And to his great credit, Albert did publish the text of the arrest documents first, and on this very forum: that is duly reported in the article's notes. But guilt or innocence aside, the arrest itself is sensational, it really happened, and Hollywood had nothing to do with that. Bix's short life was dramatic. There's no getting around that, just as there's no getting around the fact that Bix's music has had a dramatic effect on each of us.

Nobody has said that the arrest is why Bix should be famous. You make that assumption yourself. And do, please, take note of the fact that the Bix article had no sound samples whatsoever to give that new, curious reader a taste of the glorious music Bix made until Brendan put them in there. If you'll take the time to read the Featured Article discussion that he links to in his post above yours, you'll discover that the decision that it was absolutely crucial that they be included was enthusiastically unanimous.

For all that, I enjoy your posts on this forum -- which I have always recognized and appreciated as a powerful and influential part of the Bix world -- and I always look forward to reading them, Carl, whether I agree with you or not.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 7:30 AM

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A Clarification

There is no way to know what effect, if any, Bix's arrest had on him. No witnesses have provided information, Bix did not leave any diaries or writings on this subject, and there are no relevant interviews. Therefore, any discussion of how the arrest affected (if at all) Bix is necessarily speculative.

My objection is to bringing the arrest early in the article and providing only one interpretation/fabrication (I use the word fabrication because the quote from Lion's book involves reading Bix's mind), the one that depicts Bix as a pervert.

There are several interpretations to the possible effect of the arrest on Bix'. Here are some from my posting in http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1093643314

1. Bix was traumatized by the experience.
2. Bix was mildly affected by the experience.
3. Bix was sent to Lake Forest Academy as a consequence of the arrest.
4. Bix's attending Lake Forest Academy had nothing to do with the arrest.
4. Bix was not affected by the arrest.
5. The ties between Bix and his parents became stronger as a consequence of the arrest.

Let me expand on # 5. I could argue, and there is no documentation that would disprove this scenario, that, in fact, the experience strengthened the affective/emotional ties between Bix and his family. If the parents were convinced with absolute certainty that Bix had not committed the alleged act, in the face of an unjust accusation, they are compelled to provide strong moral support to their son, and their love for and devotion to him become deeper; and this in turn is reciprocated by Bix. This interpretation/speculation is perfectly plausible, not a fabrication.

When there are a variety of choices (all equally plausible, not contradicted by the facts)) to speculate about the effect of the arrest on Bix, why choose only the one presented in the text, the one that depicts Bix in the worse possible way?

Another possibility, particularly since we have absolutely no documentation, is to simply present the facts in the text, a few interpretations in a footnot and.leave the reader to decide, Or just present the facts.

My point is that there are several wasy of handling the arrest, but the authors of that section in the Wikipedia article made the deliberate decision to make Bix look like a pervert.

Albert

By the way, welcome back to the forum.

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 8, 2010 12:13 PM

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 10:00 AM

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On Perversion

Albert, you write: "My objection is to bringing the arrest early in the article ..."

Of course, when you're writing a chronological summary of Bix's life, and the arrest happened when he was eighteen, before he professionally recorded and accomplished all of the things for which he would be renowned, then it pretty much has to come early.

You write: "... and providing only one interpretation/fabrication ..."

As you know, not many biographers, critics, or historians have written about Bix's arrest because (as I understand it) family members and biographers conspired to keep it a secret. As such, there are few interpretations out there from which to choose. I find Lion's to be reasonable speculation; you do not. That's fine. We can agree to disagree. (And readers can make up their own minds.) But I don't think Geoffrey Ward should be quoted on the subject; he didn't have the correct facts from which to make interpretations. And I don't believe that Rich Johnson's book is a reliable source on the subject, either. That leaves Lion, or am I forgetting some other reliable secondary source? As you say, the article would not suffer without such an interpretation, but I simply don't agree with you about the consequences of this interpretation.

To wit, you write: "The authors of that section in the Wikipedia article made the deliberate decision to make Bix look like a pervert."

In this case, I am the author (although I appreciate you not making that assumption), and as such, I'm hoping you will expand on your assertion that I deliberately made Bix look like a pervert. I honestly don't know what you mean.

For your convenience, and the convenience of other forum readers, the text in question is pasted below:

On April 22, 1921, a month after he turned eighteen, Beiderbecke was arrested by two Davenport police officers on a charge brought by the father of a young girl. According to biographer Jean Pierre Lion, "Bix was accused of having taken this man's five-year-old daughter into a garage and committing on her an act qualified by the police report as 'lewd and lascivious.'"[26] Although Beiderbecke was briefly taken into custody and held on a $1,500 bond, the charge was dropped because, according to an affidavit submitted by the father, "of the child's age and the harm that would result to her in going over this case."[27] Until recently, biographers have largely ignored this incident in Beiderbecke's life, and Lion was the first, in 2005, to print the police blotter and affidavit associated with the arrest. He dismissed the seriousness of the charge, but speculated that the arrest might nevertheless have led Beiderbecke to "feel abandoned and ashamed: he saw himself as suspect of perversion."[27][28] Beiderbecke fans and scholars continue to argue over this incident's relevance and importance.[29]

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 11:32 AM

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Re: On Perversion

I agree with Barbara Wascher that the incident probably should have been included in the article. However, the choice of the particular word "perversion" might have been a little unfortunate. Nevertheless, it wasn't really Brendan Wolfe's word, and he only quotes Lion's speculation that Bix might have been concerned about being accused of perversion. He does not say that Bix was or was not guilty of any act of the sort.

However, unless they read carefully (and not all readers do), readers may primarily remember the word perversion. (Humans do note the salacious.) Of course, Brendan is not responsible for incorrect assumptions not actually justified by the text. Still, it might have sufficed to say that Bix and his family might have been troubled about the stigma of the accusation itself, just or unjust. Lion is engaging in psychological speculation of his own here, but it's his book and there has been no shortage of such musings about Bix's personality in general among Bix's earlier biographers either.

As I read the earlier comments on this issue, it seems the "witnesses" were a couple of boys or young men, and it is, of course, possible they themselves might have been involved and named Bix to cover themselves; Bix was not said to have been identified directly by the victim. It's possible he was angry at the accusers but didn't suffer any guilt. But since it is now apparently impossible to learn more, we just can't know if he was involved or an innocent fall guy or whether he felt any lasting guilt, rightly or not.

There is evidence that Bix's family--especially his brother, sister, and mother--continued to have a close relationship with him, sending bits of news to the local paper about his compositions, participation in his sister's wedding, hiring by Whiteman, radio broadcasts, etc., which suggests that they were not particularly socially embarrassed, and indeed were proud of his accomplishments. When visiting Davenport, Bix seemed to see old friends, play with local bands, go to movies, and keep up family ties, so at least on those occasions, he did not seem to be especially troubled about the effects of the arrest. Does that mean he was never troubled by the incident? We don't know. That is about all that can be safely said--not that more won't be.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 1:30 PM

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Recividism

To jump into the discussion of this sad subject once more-- I was just going to stay away from it once and for all, but oh well, here goes -- I still maintain that perverts/pedophiles/molesters are RECIDVISTS. There was never another incident of Bix being arrested or accused or even suspected of any such thing --even for someone who could charm and fib as glibly as he did in his schoolboy letters home to his folks (and a lot of that was flavored with a tone of not wanting to worry and upset his parents, as well as the natural proclivity for a teenager to avoid getting into trouble about his bad grades, truancy and boozing -- we do not know Bix's specific motives but his excuses read pretty transparantly enough to give the impression of an indulged boy convincing his parents that he really is behaving himself).

But all the wheedling and justifications in the world, had he continued on in that vein -- and he attempted reassurance in his "don't worry about me, mom and dad" letters home for the remainder of his life-- would not have been able to cover Bix's tracks with the parents of little girls, cops, judges, and so forth if he had EVER been guilty of such a reprehensible penchant. Tram, Goldkette, and Paul Whiteman would not have been able to keep successfully bailing him out of trouble and hiding that kind of crimninal behavior. Yet, no other police reports have surfaced; no interviewed colleague/pal of his shamefacedly confessed, "But there was this problem about the poor guy besides the booze; I don't like to say, but --". The universal sad commentary divulged by those who worked with Bix always centered around his ongoing struggle with alcoholism. . . . but not degeneracy.

Bix's arrest record continues to consist of speeding a car, and the accusation of lewdly soliciting the attentions of a child, both incidents while in his late teens. We don't know what the possible involvement, guilt, or credible witnessing of the other two young men near the garage, also teenagers like Bix, may or may not have been. Bix had many, many friends and no one ever hinted at such a thing being his problem, and since all the other beans about Bix have been spilled concerning his ventures into troubled conduct with drinking, involving some speakeasy brawls and slovenliness, and resulting in the eventual ruination of his health, would anyone likewise keep something of such disturbing proportions a secret?

So, the account of the arrest been Out There for people to draw what conclusions they will. What we know is simply from the documentation, and whatever the level of speculation or interpretation of what actually transpired and what anyone may have been thinking or feeling at the time, it doesn't make someone's biographical assessment of the situation necessarily a bad one, but it also shouldn't be used to unfairly color the portrayal of the musician as an artist and a person. It's just too bad an admirer of Bix's genius reading about this incident for the first time may recoil in shock, yet hopefully follow it up with "Yeah, but. . . . ". However people's opinions may potentially be influenced, the overwhelming accounts of Bix the kindly friend, the sweet guy, the decent fellow, will continue to outweigh the chapter of a distressing and unfortunate incident in his short life.

Laura

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 8:04 AM

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Stupid Spelling of Recidivist

Well, this awful cold in my head has been fumbling my fingers more that usual. The word I meant to splash out is Recidivist. Recidivism. I bungled into misspellings twice. I'm typo-prone anyway, but even without being doped to the gills on NyQuil a cold can just render a person to the point of mush-brained fogginess -- I always get embarrassed. I talk too fast and I type too fast!

'Nuff said.

Laura

Posted on Oct 11, 2010, 10:01 AM

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Re: Recidivism

Thank you, Laura. Your comment brings a note of common sense to all of the psychological speculation. (I wouldn't term Lion's musings "claptrap," since anyone would be affected by such an accusation, but speculation it remains.) You are right: if Bix had molested children as an adult, it seems most likely we would have heard of it. One case in point is Ralph Berton's memoir, which I felt was rather egocentric, being more about the Berton brothers than about Bix himself. Ralph describes what could be (and was by brother Vic) called a "crush" on Bix, a thirteen-year-old's adolescent admiration that was almost worshipful. If Bix had had any such inclination toward children, wouldn't that have been an opportunity? And would not Ralph have written about it? (I know--this is speculation on my part.) But Ralph describes that during the time Bix stayed with the Bertons he did nothing more than snore in Ralph's bed, remarking offhandedly that the "youngest child's bed is always the guest room."

Thank you, Albert, for the extended Lion quote. I noticed again in the paragraph ahead of Wolfe's quote were, as I mentioned, certain verb forms which indicate that what follows is speculative analysis on his part. Speculation is acceptable in biographical writing if stylistic signals that that is what it is. Sudhalter talks about Bix's personality as well, but he indicates in his biography and in the preface to Lost Chords that he intends to alternate factual information with interpretation and analysis and uses "writerly" devices to indicate where he shifts from one to the other. Other authors such as James Lincoln Collier speculate about Bix's "problem" as rooted in various aspects of his personality. Here on the Forum we have discussed, in addition to chronic, early onset alcoholism, other physiological causes--depression, the toxicity of bootleg gin, ADHD, etc,--all more or less plausible possibilities, but obviously not clinical diagnoses that we can now make.

Part of the fascination with Bix is the disjunction between his masterful musical gifts and the increasing disorder of his ability to protect those gifts in daily life. I don't think there is subsequent evidence that the Ivens episode was a significant cause of that. Still, it happened and it is out there in the public record now, so biographers will have to cite it or be accused of bias.

Posted on Oct 12, 2010, 6:31 AM

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Re: No Good Deed

I note, from the last paragraph in your posting, that you appear to have been annoyed when you wrote the post, "what bugs me is just the enormous lack of generosity that permeates your response." That's no good. When one is governed by the emotion of being bugged, reason and logic cease to function properly. Case in point, you write, "your penchant for dismissing opinions you don't like as being biased and claptrap only reduces your authority. It's the academic equivalent of banging on your desk in class." I point out that, here, you don't address any specific issue that I have raised; you make a general statement, with no backing, about me, as an individual with a penchant for dismissing opinions that I don't like. I have seen this before, a primitive form of arguing - making observations about the messenger, not about the issues. If you feel the need to use this approach, please go ahead, be my guest if it gives you satisfaction.

Going back to my penchant. I don't have a liking or disliking of opinions. I analyze opinions and provide my rational arguments to argue against them when it is appropriate. For example, when I refer to the quote that Bix "saw himself as suspect of perversion' as psychological claptrap, I am not dismissing an opinion because I don't like it. I have a powerful, rational argument against it which apparently you failed to understand. There is no way to know what effect, if any, Bix's arrest had on him. No witnesses have provided information, Bix did not leave any diaries or writings on this subject, and there are no relevant interviews. Therefore, any discussion of how the arrest affected (if at all) Bix is necessarily speculative. In particular, the reading of Bix's mind is clearly psychological claptrap. I use the expression advisedly. Claptrap meaning nonsense. Psychological because it applies to reading Bix's mind.. As to the indirect (but oh! so obvious) swipe at me as a professor, the academic equivalent of banging on your desk in class, I would like to inform forum readers that I hold five teaching awards, three from Stony Brook graduating classes, one from the Chancellor of the State University of New York (for excellence in teaching, one of two given yearly to professors in the whole of Stony Brook), and the Stony Brook Alumni Teaching Award It would appear that I did not bang on my desk in class.

I could go on responding specifically to some of your comments. But I don't want to burden Forumites; I have the impression that they are getting a bit tired. I have made some general points, and some specific ones, and they should suffice. As far as I am concerned, this discussion is no longer productive.

Albert Haim

Forum Owner

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 8, 2010 12:07 PM

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 11:59 AM

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Re: No Good Deed

Brendan and I don't always see eye to eye by any means, but I agree with him on this, too. And you are continuing to metaphorically bang your desk -- in my opinion, of course -- by insisting how powerful and rational your argument is and by invoking your quite impressive academic credentials as, apparently, some sort of defense against an argument you yourself said was no good, then indulging in the mind-reading exercise of gauging the relative fatigue of whoever might be reading this in the forum that, yes, we all remember you own.

It is, of course, your right to see the inclusion of the Lion quotes in the Wikipedia article as making Bix look like a pervert. It is not logical, though, for you to insist that "the authors of that section in the Wikipedia article made the deliberate decision to make Bix look like a pervert."

If the reading of Bix's mind, as you put it, is "psychological claptrap," then so, too, is reading Brendan's to determine his motives for including those quotes while ignoring his cogent arguments for doing so.

Thanks for the discussion, Albert, and for the welcome back.

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 1:33 PM

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Logic

When logic is suspended, I am afraid that I find it incumbent upon me to respond; but be sure, Barbara, that I am not banging on the desk, literally or figuratively. It is not my style. I may be vigorous and forceful in making my arguments, but I always use logic and reason.

Let me explain again. Following the inclusion of the facts about Bix's arrest in the Wikipedia article, the author had several choices. One possible choice was to quote Lion, a quote that puts Bix in the worst possible light, that of a pervert. Another was to make no comment about the possible consequences of the arrest. There are other possibilities, and some of these were listed in one of my previous postings. The author indeed had several choices. It is clear that he made a choice, and it was deliberate, not random, haphazard. By deliberate, I mean careful in considering and deciding. Therefore, the author made the deliberate decision to quote Lion, and as a consequence of his deliberate decision, Bix is made to look like a pervert. It is simple and straightforward reasoning.

Albert

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 2:29 PM

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Re: "I Agree, In Part"

Rereading Albert's comment on Brendan's inclusion of Lion's quotation, that Bix might "feel abandoned and ashamed: he saw himself as suspect of perversion," it occurs to me that this fragment's language is rather awkward, perhaps a case of imperfect translation from French to English.

The thought seems inverted. The use of the colon separates the first clause, which carries a suggestion of the subjunctive mood--i.e., a supposition or possibility--from a declarative clause--a statment of fact or action. Here, the placement of the colon seems wrong, since in English grammar a colon usually indicates that the second clause is going to offer support for the first. However, what follows here is a simple declarative sentence stating that Bix DID see himself as suspect.

Further, the word "perversion" is also from the French and may carry a different weight and shade of meaning in that language.

I don't have the original quotation in French, but it seems it might better have been rendered into English this way:

"If Bix did see himself (read: were to have seen himself) as SUSPECT of perversion, he might have felt abandoned and ashamed."

Please excuse the sentence parsing here, but I think the second statement is clearer, less inflamatory, and perhaps closer to the intending meaning of the statement. (Sorry, I know I'm guilty of psycho-grammar analysis of Lion here, but that is the way I read this passage initially in his book.)

Words are imperfect, but what else do we have?

Posted on Oct 8, 2010, 5:18 PM

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The Original French Text and Two Translations.

Glenda, your point about the possible loss in translation is new and important. Therefore, I will comment.

Here is the original text in French.

Cet incident humiliant laissera des traces profondes sur un jeune homme destabilizé par un échec scolaire. Ses relations avec sa famille en seront modifiées de façon irreversible. Le jeune prodige, l'enfant exceptionnel que ses parents avaient exhibé avec fierté, éprouvait désormais un sentiment d'abandon et de honte: il était devenu à ses propres yeux un raté, et se croyait soupconné de perversion. Comment sa mère pourrait-elle l'aimer encore , alors quil ne s'amait plus vraiment lui-même.

The translation in the English edition.

This humiliating incident will leave scars in a young man already discouraged by his school troubles. His family relations were irreversibly modified. The young prodigy, the brilliant child who had made his parents so proud, would henceforth feel abandoned and ashamed: he saw himself as suspect of perversion. How could his mother still love him, now that he had no faith in himself?

My translation (literal rather than free).

This humiliating incident will leave deep traces [scars?] in a young man destabilized by school failure. The relationships with his family will be modified in an irreversible manner. The young prodigy, the exceptional child that his parents showed proudly, felt a sense of abandonment and shame: he was in his own eyes a failure, and he believed himself to be suspected of perversion. How could his mother still love him, when he no longer really loved himself?

Two observations. First, there is one phrase, immediately following the colon. not included in the official translation, "he was in his own eyes a failure." Second, the colon is in its proper place (but note that English is not my native language and I learned it mostly by reading and listening, not in a formal class environment). There is a statement before the colon, "would henceforth feel abandoned and ashamed (official translation) or felt a sense of abandonment and shame (my translation)." Following the colon is the explanation for that feeling. In the original French, two parts to the explanation, he felt he was a failure and he believed to be suspected of perversion. In the "official" English translation, only the second of these appears. So, to me it seems that the order of presentation makes sense. By the way, perversion in French also has the meaning of deviation from normal sexual practices.

Whether one reads the original French text or the translations, it is pretty clear that Lion is telling the reader how Bix himself feels, what Bix believes. Indeed, psychological claptrap.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 9, 2010 7:58 AM
This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 9, 2010 5:09 AM

Posted on Oct 9, 2010, 4:49 AM

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Thanks, both of you:

Glenda, for noticing the possible translation loss in the first place; and Albert, for your own translation from the French and pointing out the differences between yours and the published version. I find this sort of thing utterly fascinating, and differences in opinion as to its validity aside, this is some wonderful stuff.

Posted on Oct 9, 2010, 9:58 AM

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Buddy Morrow

by hal smith

Was Buddy Morrow, the last of the Whiteman alumni?

This message has been edited by ahaim on Oct 1, 2010 5:55 AM

Posted on Sep 30, 2010, 10:55 PM

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More from the Avery Collection

Rob kindly sends this link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/world_news_america/9046352.stm

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Sep 30, 2010 2:18 PM

Posted on Sep 30, 2010, 2:17 PM

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michael savage

by hal smith

Radio talk show host sicko Michael Savage said on last nights show on WOR AM Empire Boardwalk's music and show are terrible. but don't take it to heart he hates everything and everyone.

Posted on Sep 28, 2010, 12:15 AM

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Then why listen to him?

by Mark Dworkin

Posted on Sep 28, 2010, 7:27 AM

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Re: Then why listen to him?

by hal smih

Because I like to hear more then one opinion,weather I agree with them or not.

Posted on Sep 28, 2010, 10:53 PM

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Re: Why listen?

"Weather" changes daily. Apparently this guy does not. He sounds like an equal opportunity hater.

Why not use your time to check out someone whose opinions are, say, a bit more nuanced?

Posted on Sep 29, 2010, 8:07 AM

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Re: Why listen?

by hal smith

Sorry but I don't look at the world though rose colored glasses.

Posted on Sep 29, 2010, 11:02 PM

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Letter sent from The 44th Street Hotel

I stumbled across this earlier today on James Lileks' website (Lileks is a
terrific newspaper columnist/blogger out of Minneapolis) ... a found letter sent
from the 44th Street Hotel in late August 1928. No Bix connection except the close proximity ...
although Bix was probably on the road with Whiteman on August 23.

The contents of the letter can be seen at:
http://www.lileks.com/misc/girlinnyc/index.html

Posted on Sep 27, 2010, 6:43 PM

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The Dead Art of Writing Letters

From the content of the letter, I deduce that Charlotte and Elizabeth were high school friends, had graduated earlier in 1928 and were bound for college. So Charlotte was probably 18 years old. Compare the quality of her writing with "texting" by 18-year old girls nowadays. There is one page missing.

Charlotte mentions Jesse Crawford, Paul Ash and Roxy and His Gang.

Jesse Crawford

was an organist -The Poet of the Organ- who played at the Paramount Theatre

in New York City between 1926 and 1933. There are lots of videos on youtube. Here is a song I like a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9aOspoaryw&feature=related

Paul Ash and His Orchestra played in movie theatres in Chicago and New York. Among the members of his band were Harry Barris and Danny Polo, who recorded with Bix. Here is an example of how the band sounded in 1927.

http://www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ash/aintthatagrand.ram

Roxy was Samuel Rothafel, a showman who had radio programs in the 1920s and 1930s. Between 1927 and 1931 he appeared Mondays, 7:30 to 8:30 pm over the Blue Network. The gang played in the Roxy Theatre, a 6000-seat palace in New York City.

I have been undable to identify the Adelphian Roof Garden and John McGlynn.

Rosalie was a Broadway play, music by George Gershwin and Sigmund Romberg, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and P. G. Wodehouse (connection to Bix). One the songs in the show was "How Long Has This Been Going On?" An excellent recording by Fred Elizalde in

http://www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/elizalde/howlong.ram

Also a version by the OKeh Melodians with Sylvester Ahola in WBIX # 2 (Dec 1999!!!!). Go to 28 min 15 sec in

http://bixography.com/wbix2.ram

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Sep 28, 2010 7:28 AM

Posted on Sep 28, 2010, 6:26 AM

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How Long Has This Been Going On? Thanks to Rob.

I mentioned in my previous posting that this song, written by Gershwin was from the show "Rosalie." It was first introduced in 1928 in the show "Funny Face" (which was initially called "Smarty.")

In my previous posting, I gave links to sound files of the song "How Long Has This Been Going On" by Fred Elizalde and by the OKeh Melodians. Rob alerts me that the tune recorded by Elizalde and the OKeh Melodians is NOT the Gerswhin tune. It is an entirely diferent song. Here is, courtesy of Rob, the record label of Elizalde's recording.

It will be seen that the composers are Davis and Wendling (Benny Davis and Pete Wendling).

Rob gives a link to the Gershwin tune, recorded by Ella Fitzgerald.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbTQWdnpjBk

It is a standard, recorded by tens of singers and bands. Here is the version by Peggy Lee with Benny Goodman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQuHkb1o6w8&feature=fvst

The Davis and Wendling tune was also recorded (May 10, 1928, my brother's birthday!!!) by The Piccadilly Players. Listen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_TZsSELCwE

There is a third entirely different tune also titled "How Long Has This Been Going On" composed by Richard Rodney Bennett.

Albert

Posted on Sep 29, 2010, 5:42 AM

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Radio Hits by Lileks

Visit http://www.lileks.com/30s/music/index.html

Albert

Posted on Sep 28, 2010, 6:44 AM

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A Bix Look-Alike? A Photoshopped Bix? What gives?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnZfJnkMyNo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YhfXoJLrr4&feature=related

Translation by Google "Recorder recorded the song in the operetta performances Island love the National Theatre of Moravia and Silesia. Music Stelibského Joseph, Jarek Mottl wrote the libretto. The photo Stelibský."

Albert

Posted on Sep 27, 2010, 6:49 AM

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Bix look-alike

by Jamaica

The eyes are quite similar - skull widest at temple and forehead. Eyebrows are different than Bix's, different nose, different mouth, but an interesting resemblance!

Posted on Sep 27, 2010, 6:58 AM

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Finzel's Arcadia Orchestra of Detroit

With his usual generosity, Enrico sent this terrific photo of Finzel's Arcadia Orchestra of Detroit.

Enrico tells me that the date on the back is Oct 24, 1923. I believe that the photo was taken in the Arcadia Ballroom in Detorit. Finzel's Arcadia Orchestra of Detroit appeared nightly between 1923 and 1925. Trumpeter William Finzel was the leader of the band. They band made several recordings between 1922 and 1925 for OKeh in New York, Chicago and Detroit. The Jan 28, 1925 recording in Detroit (1925) of "Laff It Off" is notable in that it is the first recording made in front of a large live audience (with portable recording equipment). [See Note 1]

The pianist in the band was Justing Ring, later to become director for OKeh records in New York, and even later wiht Pathe(Perfect) and Decca.

There is a lot of information in the internet, google "Finzel 's Arcadia Orchestra of Detroit" and/or "Willima (Bill) Finzer." Here is sheet music with the Finzel band on the cover.

There is youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EzduEIiVd0

The record label gives credit to "Incidental piano by Justin Ring"!!

Thanks, Enrico.

Albert

For additional photos see http://books.google.com/books?id=cFxZRg_Z24kC&pg=PA73&lpg=PA73&dq=finzel+arcadia+orchestra&source=bl&ots=sbkE924T71&sig=_sFOTUH9AO87YIb0z-SnBvfBe3c&hl=en&ei=wXCfTMmCJIH_8AbYxIDWDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CAkQ6AEwATgU#v=onepage&q=finzel%20arcadia%20orchestra&f=false

Posted on Sep 26, 2010, 9:16 AM

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Wolverines, Original Wolverines, Dick Voynow, Husk O'Hare and Fred Hamm.

Of course, the Wolverine Orchestra is the group that Bix made his first recordings with. They waxed 13 issued recordings (not counting issued alternates) between Feb 1924 and Sep 1924. When Bix left and was replaced by Jimmy McPartland, the Wolverine Orchestra recorded two additional sides,

In the 1927-1929 several recordings were issued with the name Wolverines.

1. Original Wolverines. Dick Voynow, Jimmy McPatland, Mike Durso, Maurice Bercov, g, Basil Dupre, Vic Moore. Two sessions.

Oct 12, 1927 Royal Garden Blues, Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble, A Good Man Is Hard to Find, The New Twister.

May 24, 1928. (McPartland replaced by unknown trumpet; unknown ts, gfs, v added). Limehouse Blues, Dear Old Sotuthland.

2. Husk O'Hare's Wolverines. One session. Jan 10, 1928. "Milenberg Joys, My Daddy Rocks Me.

3. The Wolverines. ?Dick Voynow ?Fred Hamm, t, Dusty Rhodes, unknown musicians, Frank Sylvano, vocal. Two sessions.

Feb 26, 1929. He, She and Me.

Mar 25, 1929. My Castle in Spain Is A Shack in the Lane, Some Sweet Day.

4. Wolverines. Sid Pritikan, bj, unknown musicians, vocals by Frank Sylvano or Harry Maxfield. Perhaps connected to Benny Meroff. Three sessions.

Dec 14, 1928. Sweethearts On Parade, I'll Get By.

Dec 31, 1928. There's A Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder, Sonny Boy.

Jan 29, 1929. "I'll Never Ask For More, If I Had You, I Faw Down and Go 'Boom!'

The Wolverines. Really The Tennessee Tooters. Louis Katzman dir: Red Nichols and another, t / Miff Mole, tb / ? Alfie Evans, cl, as, ts, bar / Arnold Brilhart, cl as /Fred Morrow, cl, ts / unknown p / Tony Colucci, bj / Joe Tarto, bb / ? Vic Berton, d. New York, September 20, 1926. Crazy Quilt, You're Burnin' Me Up

In addition to the name Wolverine, all these recordings have another common link, they were all recorded in Chicago.

WARNING: Some of the information above may be incorrect. I found the discographies somewhat confusing in trying to compile the above list.

I want to comment on Dick Voynow's reviving of the band under the name of "Original Wolverines". My impression is that this band didn't really have a particular style. I focus on two recordings.

A Good Man Is Hard To Find. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofO5JDBvST0 They sound somewhat like the Five Pennies to me, especially at the beginning and the end in the ensemble work. I also think that Mike Durso was strongly influenced by Miff Mole. Royal Garden Blues is also in the Five Pennies vein.

The New Twister. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBubm3MyztY Sort of a hybrid between the Bix and Tram and the Bix and His Gang styles.

There are more recordings in http://www.redhotjazz.com/owolverines.html

Dear Old Southland. http://www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/OWolverines/dearold.ram The clarinet is influenced by Frank Tescehmacher and the saxophonist by Frank Trumbauer.

Opinions?

Albert

Posted on Sep 25, 2010, 2:26 PM

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Re: Original Wolverines....

Albert, I can't disagree with your categorization of "The New Twister." The musicianship is good: Jimmy McPartland was in excellent form that day, his Bixian attack and bright tone is full swing.

Posted on Sep 25, 2010, 2:44 PM

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Saving Ralph Ellison's record collection from the dumpster

Read http://www.newstimes.com/default/article/Woog-s-World-Saving-Ralph-Ellison-from-the-671989.php

There is a connection to Bix. The individual who saved the collection is Bryant Weeks, the actor who Played Bix in "Bix, An Interpretation of A Legend."

You can attend a lecture by Weeks at the Westport Public Library about the collection.

Todd Bryant Weeks on Ralph Ellison's Record Collection

Thursday, October 7, 2010
7:30 pm
McManus Room

Staples High School graduate and jazz historian Todd Bryant Weeks plays selections and give background on Ralph Ellison's record collection, giving new insights into this literary master. Ellison, who had originally intended to become a classical composer "utilized a multidisciplinary approach and drew on music, photography, and the fine arts as sources of inspiration and cultural pride." Todd Bryant Weeks

Here is what Weeks looked like in Avati's film.

Albert

Posted on Sep 25, 2010, 5:51 AM

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Fascinating Article

Thanks for posting this. I'm an admirer of Ralph Ellison's work anyway, and it was wonderful to read about his eclectic tastes in music (Leontyne Price is one of the supreme operatic sopranos, especially in her Verdi interpretations -- I own most of her recordings, both complete opera sets and recital, and consider Berlioz' Nuits d'Ete to be among her most sublime), as well as Ellison's collection spanning from the early 30's in jazz and classical.

I hope someone in this Forum attends TB Weeks' lecture and writes about it --

and forgive the gushy chick stuff, but he sure looks great! :D

Laura

Posted on Sep 25, 2010, 4:51 PM

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WHEN AMERICA WAS AMERICA

by hal smith

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/ Most of the thugs will be out in November!!! We need industry not garbage from China.

Posted on Sep 25, 2010, 2:10 AM

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Amazing photos

Thank you for posting this link. What fantastic photos! Were they shot on Kodachrome? If so, that's a remarkably durable film stock.

Posted on Sep 26, 2010, 7:45 PM

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These photos - and lots more - on Shorpy.com

A number of these photos are included in the "Pie Town" image gallery on Shorpy.com http://www.shorpy.com)

Shorpy has the most amazing collection of high-definition vintage photos I've found on the web.

Posted on Sep 27, 2010, 8:03 AM

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It's that time again: WBIX # 179

Radio Program # 179. (loaded on 09/23/2010) Bix's Fellow Musicians: The Underrated Bobby Davis. 58 min 42 sec
(I believe there is lot of misinformation in the article from Answers.com about Bobby Davis. As far as I know, Davis never recorded with Teagarden or Armstrong. Chicago is not what comes to mind when thinking of Bobby Davis career. He was a New York musician.) See note

Real Audio

Streaming audio file. Download file. 14.0 MB

mp3 files

Streaming mp3 file bixography.com/wbixmp3/WBIX179.m3u

Download file bixography.com/wbixmp3/WBIX179.mp3 82.6 MB

Last Night In the Back Porch. Varsity Eight. Chorus and whistling by members of the band. Sep 6, 1923.
California Ramblers. Louisville. Aug 8, 1923.
California Ramblers. It Had To Be You. Apr 18, 1924.
Golden Gate Orchestra. I Want To Be Happy. Sep 16, 1924..
Goofus Five. I Had Someone Else Before I Had You. Mar 16, 1925.
Goofus Five.I Like You Best of All. Vocal by Ernie Hare. Mar 16, 1925.
University Six. San. May 12, 1926.
University Six. Ace In the Hole. May 12, 1926.
Cliff Edwards and His Hot Combination. Since I Found You. Dec 1926.
Cliff Edwards and His Hot Combination. I Know That You Know. Dec 1926.
University Six. Who's That Knocking At My Door. Vocal by Arthur Fields. Aug 31, 1927.
University Six. Zulu Wail. Aug 31, 1927.

WBIX #180 will be uploaded on Ocoberr 29, 2010.

Enjoy!

Albert

Note. The information in http://www.answers.com/topic/bobby-davis-jazz-artist was obviously taken from

http://stevensorchestra.tripod.com/id22.html

April, 2000, Trumpeter/Saxophonist Bob Davis stated he remembers Harry Gottis as a Ragtime style piano player. Mr. Davis also indicated that Art Isenhart was the most schooled and the best pianist from the entire area. Bob Davis left Savanna during the 1940's to make a living solely as musician for more than a decade playing as a trumpeter and saxophonist in many bands in Chicago. He purchased a home and lived in Maywood, IL during these years. During the 1940's he knew famous musicians who frequented Chicago establishments. He knew Trombonist and big band leader Jack Teagarten, Trumpeter and Band Leader Louis Armstrong, Trumpeter and Band Leader Roy Eldridge. Bob Davis stated he decided to leave Savanna and live in Chicago because he was influenced by the music played by black musicians. He often frequented and played in what were called "black and tan" establishments in the Chicago area. Bob Davis's mother was a sister to Van Bibber of the Van Bibber-Hansen American Legion Bands in Savanna, Illinois from the 1930's to the 1950's. Bob Davis was one of the music students of Reverend A. Bremicker (The Music Man) from 1921 to the mid-1920's.
As a final note, Mr. Davis stated that he once had a considerable collection memorabilia of his music career, but that it was lost during the 1950's when a moving van he hired veered off a bridge into a river. Bob Davis was born February 16, 1912 and died November 15, 2000. When I last interviewed him in April 2000, he was still very astute and possessed a clear memory. For example, Bob remembered that Wayne King once took over a band from Clinton, Iowa when the bandleader became ill. This was before Wayne King moved to Chicago to attend Valparaiso University and begin his professional career as a musician between 1920 and 1923.

This Bob Davis is clearly another musician, not the Bobby Davis associated for so long with the California Ramblers.

I have been unable to find any biographical information about Bobby Davis. Oxford Music on line (which includes Grove Music online) gives two citations, both very brief mentions of Bobby Davis, one under Fred Elizald, one under Adrian Rollini. Bobby Davis is not included in Chilton's "Who's Who of Jazz." Davis is mentioned a few times in "Lost Chords" bu no biographical information is provided. Next time I go to the public library I will look Davis up in lists of passengers. He was in England in the late 1920s.

Posted on Sep 23, 2010, 11:54 AM

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Addendum to WBIX # 179

Rob tells me that I should have included "She Loves Me" by the California Ramblers in the Bobby Davis program. Indeed, I should have.

First, here is a link to a very interesting posting where I report that reed player John Otto discovered that a piece of Bix's solo in the Wolverines "Riverboat Shuffle" was interpolated by Bobby Davis in his solo in the California Ramblers recording of "She Loves Me."

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1232027176/

Rob kindly sent a scan of the record label and a better sound file of the recording. Thanks Rob!

bixography.com/SheLovesMeCalRambRob.wma

This was recorded on Sep 6, 1924. Two weeks earlier, on Aug 20, 1924, Bobby Davis recorded the same tune with the Varsity Eight. Listen

bixography.com/SheLovesMeVarsityEight.mp3

Here Bobby Davis does not interpolate the "Riverside Shuffle" fragment.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Sep 24, 2010 3:07 PM

Posted on Sep 24, 2010, 6:03 AM

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Another Interpolation of Bix's Music

Paul kindly sent an mp3 file of Armand Hug's May 19, 1956 recording of his own composition "My Old Time Sweetheart" with Phil Darois, bass and Charlie Duke, drums.

bixography.com/MyOldTimeSweetheartArmandHug.mp3

A piece of Bix's "In A Mist" is interpolated at the beginning and at the end, no accident; a deliberate quote.

I remind you of the album

Bix Hug.Jazzology JCE-83 (Volume 33 of the Jazz Piano Heritage Series). The New Orleans jazz pianist Armand Hug plays twenty two numbers associated with Bix, including the four piano compositions, as well as Davenport Blues, Singin' the Blues, I'm Comin' Virginia, I'll Be a Friend with Pleasure, and others.The liners for this album are written by John Perhonis). The interesting aspect of this recording is that Hug plays some of Bix's cornet solos note for note on the piano.

Albert

Posted on Sep 25, 2010, 5:15 AM

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American Federation of Musicians Carry-On Policy for Instruments (Petition)

Josh sends the following.

Albert

*************************

Please help your fellow musicians by signing the petition to protect and help us to carry-on our instruments when we fly throughout the world. Some airlines don't allow instruments on the plane, so they're thrown below the plane with everything else. Just imagine all the wonderful vintage instruments being chucked below by the baggage handlers - not a pretty thought for me!

You don't have to be a member of AFM to sign the petition, but every little bit helps in the end! Pass this on to all your friends and family who could help too! Here's the link for the petition (takes 30 seconds to complete).

http://www.afm.org/carryon

Thanks for your support!

Josh Duffee

Posted on Sep 21, 2010, 10:26 AM

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Interpolations of "Davenport Blues."

Frank v pointed out several years ago that a fragment of "Davenport Blues" is interpolated in Jean Goldkette's April 23, 1926 recording of "Gimme A Little Kiss Will Ya, Huh?" Listen to the coda

http://redhotjazz.com/Songs/goldkette/gimmekis.ram

I don't know if I am hearing things, but aren't there interpolations of "Davenport Blues" at 14 sec and 1 min 58 sec in Cliff Edwards Dec 1925 recording of "Since You Went Away'?

http://redhotjazz.com/songs/ike/sinceifoundyou.ram

Help! Please confirm or deny since I am writing an article about Davenport Blues and I want to include this, if correct.

Albert

Posted on Sep 21, 2010, 6:47 AM

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1. Who composed "Since I Found You"? 2. Another "Since I Found You."

1. There are several versions of "Since I Found You" in the Red Hot jazz site.

Cliff Edwards. http://www.redhotjazz.com/songs/ike/sinceifoundyou.ram

Waring's Pennsylvanians http://www.redhotjazz.com/Songs/waring/SinceIFoundYou.ram

For these two, the composers are given as Sidney Clare and Harry M. Woods

There is another version of the same song by Arthur Briggs ( with a somewhat Bixian solo by Briggs).

Arthur Briggs http://www.redhotjazz.com/songs/briggs/sinceifoundyou.ram

But the composers are given as Walter Donaldson and Gus Kahn.I am afraid that is in error. The Songwriters Hall of Fame lists all songs by either Donaldson or Kahn, and "Since I Found You" is not listed.

Here is the cover of the sheet music.

2. There is a totally different song also called "Since I Found You" recorded by henry Busse and His Orchestra on Sep 20. 1929 with Scrappy Lambert doing a very good job on vocal. I don't know the composers (does anyone?), but here is an m3u (streaming mp3) file.

www.archive.org/download/HenryBusseOrch-SinceIFoundYou1929/HenryBusseOrchSinceIFoundYou1929_64kb.m3u

The tune recorded by Edwards, Waring's Pennsylvaniasn, Briggs (and many others, Vincent Lopez, etc) is so-so to my ears. But I like a lot the one recorded by Busse, perhaps because it reminds me of one of my favorite songs, "Why Can't You."

Albert

Posted on Sep 21, 2010, 9:13 AM

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Since I found You

by vince giordano

In my data base there's a

SINCE I FOUND YOU

PERKINS, RAY [m]

RUBY, HERMAN [l]

1929

FILM: FAST LIFE (1ST. NATIONAL & VITAPHONE)

FAIRBANKS, DOUGLAS

YOUNG, LORETTA

maybe this is it.

Posted on Sep 21, 2010, 12:40 PM

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Thanks, Vince, that's the one.

From the 78 discography on line

22140B

HENRY BUSSE & HIS ORCH

SINCE I FOUND YOU

55807=5

9/20/1929

HERMAN RUBY-RAY PERKINS

Here is the cover of the sheet music.

"Why Can't You?" was composed by the great team DeSYLVA-BROWN-HENDERSON. So there is no link between the two tunes.

Here is the Nat Shilkret's version of "Why Can't You?"

http://www.jazz-on-line.com/a/ramc/VIC51132-3.ram

Beautiful. Does anyone know who plays the lovely alto solo?

Albert

Posted on Sep 21, 2010, 2:36 PM

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Alto solo

by vince giordano

The alto solo sounds like Andy Sannella

Posted on Sep 22, 2010, 2:56 PM

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Sounds right. Thanks, Vince.

Compare with Andy Sannella's solos in the High Hatters's "Hoosier Hop." Provides confirmation of Vince's assignment.

In http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Sannella we read,

He [Sannella] was very much in demand and was hired by many conductors leading "house bands" for various record companies, including Nat Shilkretand Leonard Joy (both Victor Records), Ben Selvin (Columbia Records), Adrian Schubert (Banner Records and associated labels) and Bert Hirsch (Hit of the Week Records).

Of course, Andy was a close buddy of Mike Mosiello. They, and (speaking of accordionists in another thread) accordionist Charlie Magnante had a bunch of recordings in the Grey Gull label. We also have thread about a recording by Ray Miller. Guess what? Andy Sannella was a member of the Ray Miller orchestra in the first half of the 1920s.

We have discussed Andy in the forum fairly extensively. Here is a link with some great photos of Andy, courtesy of Enrico.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/27140/message/1235395335/

Albert

Posted on Sep 22, 2010, 5:14 PM

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Images for Bix @ Wikipedia

Hi, all. I'm looking for anyone who knows their way around image copyright and Wikipedia. I'm fairly close, I think, to getting the Bix Beiderbecke article on Wikipedia approved as a Feature Article, which means that it will get pride of place at some point on the Wiki home page, generating a lot of traffic to the page and -- who knows? -- maybe some new Bix fans.

The biggest obstacle at the moment are the images that accompany the article. On this page (link below), next to the bold bullet point that reads "Image Licensing Review," the images in question are linked and the problems explained:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_candidates/Bix_Beiderbecke/archive1

I don't know boo about adding copyright tags, or whether these pictures are in the public domain and if not, who owns them and might grant permission. Do any of you? I would love the help, and the clock is ticking -- they will be deleted soon unless we act.

Sans the famous 1924 image, I'm not sure Bix will make Feature Article.

Thanks for your help.

Brendan

Posted on Sep 19, 2010, 3:55 PM

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Copyright Laws Are Beyond Me.

Fortunately, when I was Editor of the American Chemical Society journal "Inorganic Chemistry," all I was responsible for was the scientific content and quality of submitted articles. The American Chemical Society had a whole office that checked copyright issues for every article submitted. I didn't even have to worry about grammar and spelling. There was a word editor who checked manuscripts once I had accepted the science.

Just one comment. For the date and place of the photo

you give as reference http://www.bixbeiderbecke.com/

I believe a better, and more specific reference, would be IAJRC Journal, Vol. 42, No. 2, June 2009. You can see a scan of the article right here.

Albert

This message has been edited by ahaim on Sep 20, 2010 10:43 AM

Posted on Sep 20, 2010, 10:42 AM

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I'm confused

by Brendan Wolfe

Thanks for your response, Albert. I hope that someone who is familiar with WikiMedia and copyrights can help with this issue before this image is deleted from the entry. In the meantime, doesn't the caption for the image in question say it was taken in Cincinnati in 1924? I'm confused what your article above clarifies in that respect.

Posted on Sep 20, 2010, 10:46 AM

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It has been generally assumed that the famous photo of Bix was ....

.... taken in Davenport in 1921. Even Evans and Evans assign 1921 and Davenport as the date and location. The evidence that the photo was taken in 1924 in Cincinnati is summarized in the article I cited. Knowing of the evidence, I then gave the date and place of the photo on the homepage of the Bixography. Since the photo is generally assumed to have been taken in Davenport in 1921, I thought a reference to the source with the evidence that it was taken, in fact, in 1924, in Cincinnati would be more to the point.

Albert

Posted on Sep 20, 2010, 11:33 AM

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Public domain

by Rob Rothberg

There are lots of unknowns in this equation, but I will posit a theory under which the photo must be in the public domain.

Im going to assume its a photo published in 1924.

A photo published at that time would be governed by the U.S. Copyright Act of 1909. Under the 1909 Act, the photo would have to be published with a copyright notice, consisting of the word copyright, the abbreviation copyr, or the familiar "c" in a circle, together with the copyright proprietors name and the year of publication. Im going to assume it was published with the requisite notice; if it wasnt, it would have entered the public domain in 1924.

The photo would be entitled to copyright with an initial term of 28 years from first publication, and to a 28-year renewal term. Im going to assume that the copyright was renewed before the end of the first term in 1952, so that the renewal copyright term would expire in 1980; absent renewal, the photo would have entered the public domain in 1953.

Enter the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, which replaced the 1909 Act. As originally written, the 1976 Act extended copyrights obtained between 1906 and 1949, provided that they were in their renewal terms between December 31, 1976 and December 31, 1977. (Weve assumed that the photos copyright was obtained in 1924 and in its renewal term between 1952 and 1980, so those conditions are satisfied.) The 1976 Act extends the term of such copyrights to 75 years from the date copyright was initially secured, so the copyright expired in 1999 at the latest.

Posted on Sep 23, 2010, 6:02 PM

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A Nice Visual and Aural Recreation of Old Jazz.

This comes through the courtesy of Paul.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xazu8SaCBc4

Angela Strandberg, on washboard, is Paul's daughter. She also plays piano and cornet!

Enjoy.

Albert

Posted on Sep 19, 2010, 11:49 AM

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Fantastic! Kinda reminds me of the group chorus

by Bob Kelley

toward the end of "Singin' the Blues," which I guess was a faint echo of the Dixieland style of everyone soloing at once.

Nice percussion and very nice clarinet (is that what that is?) solo.

I assume it's a piano laying down the chords, but in that straight four to the bar style, a guitar wouldn't sound that different.

Posted on Sep 19, 2010, 1:36 PM

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