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A YOUNG MAN WITH A HOT HORN
BECAME HERO OF FACT & FICTION



BIX AT AGE OF THREE



At Lake Forest, Bix (rear left) played so hot
for a dance that the headmaster, upset by
the resulting bunny hugging, made him stop.



Paul. Whiteman (1eft) took Bix (arrow)
away from Goldkette in 1927, kept him
until he died in 1931.- Whiteman played
“symphonic” style rather than Swing but
always hired hot players for key posts.



In 1922 Louis Armstrong, years ahead of his
time in Swing, was playing his colossal solos
with King Oliver in Chicago. A promising 19-



Beider-
becke heard him and realized immediately that
/le, that
by comparison his own playing was faltering
and “corny” (i.e. stale and outdated). Bix Beid-
erbecke was too fine a musician to be simply
an imitator. But he boldly decided to ab-
sorb Negro style, which white musicians then

year-old white trumpeter named “Bix

Armstrong’s music was true hot st



scorned to play. The decision was momentous.
It made Bix the greatest of white trumpeters
(he actually played cornet) and the most im-

In a musician’s pocket, the tattered snap-
shot at right was found in LIFE’ rch
for Bix pictures. Taken at an amusement
park it shows (seated, L. to 7.), Pec-Wee

Russell, M. Mesirow, Bix, Eddic Condon.









Page 54

portant of all white jazz influences. It also brought him early death and post-
humous fame. Last May, Young Man With a Horn, a novel by Dorothy Baker
based on Bix’s life, was published. A good book, it is now a best-seller.

Leon Bismarck Beiderbecke was born to a staid merchant of Davenport, Towa
in 1903. When he was 3 and still wearing bangs and dresses (as at left) he could



play one-finger pieces on the piano. ' Later he learned to play the cornet by
listening to phonograph records. Shipped off to Lake Forest Academy near
Chicago, the city which was fast becoming the country’s Swing capital, he stayed
in school only one year, left to start his Jjazz career, got jobs in small bands. After
1923, his style suddenly became mature. Around him gathered dozens of hot
cagarden, Russell, Dorsey, Freeman,
Trumbauer, ete. All were profoundly influenced and inspired by Bix. In 1927,
Bix reached the top. Paul Whiteman took him on as first trumpet.

When musicians talk about Bix’s playing, they gasp for adjectives. He had
tremendous drive and lift. His tone was rav ishing, his taste sure, his improvisa-





players who have since become famous-

tions amazingly rich. When musicians talk about Bix as a person, they recall
him as a dour, reticent man, with a small face that went tense and agonized
when he played as if he were trying to blow himself into his horn. His only
interest was music. After quitting work in the early morning, he would round
up other musicians, go off on long, exhausting, drunken “jam” sessions. He led
the irregular, dissipated life that swing players have always led.

Bix always felt frustrated. His music never satisfied him. He always wanted
to do things that were beyond the capacity of either his instrument or his mu-
sic. He drove himself too hard. In 1931, his worn, unhappy body broke down.
Bix caught a summer cold, quickly succumbed. He was only 27 when he died.





B i

Bix’s Rhythm Jugglers was an early record- The Wolverines, one of the early good white swing bands, gave Bix his first big job,
ing band. Bix (center) formed it when 20. The
trombonist is now great Tommy Dorsey.

in 1928. Like the band, Bix earned more reputation than money. He left the Wolverines
in 1924. In 1926 he joined Jean Goldkette who had the best white hot orchestra of his day.





N

B. BERRIGAN



E. FITZGERALD



.F. HENDERSON



T. WILSON



J. MARSALA





S.SMITH

{
C. BOSWELL

A
SLIM & SLAM









W e

HERE ARE 30 GOOD HOT RECORDS

IFE has compiled, from considered opinions of ex-
perts, a list of good swing records. Printed below,



* they form the nucleus of a good collection for those

who would like to know more about hot music. The
list does not include hard-to-get collectors’ items.
All these disks can be bought at stores which keep
a fairly complete hot stock. Included are some
items of special interest like the Beiderbecke piano
solo (Bix was almost as good on the piano as on the
horn) and the freak swing success, Flat Foot Floogie.



ALBERT AMMONS, PIANO: “BOOGIE
WOOGIE STOMP"; DECCA 749



LOUIS ARMSTRONG, TRUMPET:
“WEST END BLUES”; OKEH 41078

MILDRED BAILEY, VOCALIST: “’LONG
ABOUT MIDNIGHT"; VOCALION 3378



BIX BEIDERBECKE, CORNET: “RIVER-
BOAT SHUFFLE"”; COMMODORE 29-30



BIX BEIDERBECKE, PIANO: “IN A MIST"; OKEH 40916

BUNNY BERRIGAN, CORNET: “I CAN'T
GET STARTE BRUNSWICK 7949



CONNIE BOSWELL, VOCAL: “BOB WHITE”; DECCA 1483

EDDY CONDON'S WINDY CITY SEVEN: “CAR-
NEGIE DRAG"”; COMMODORE MUSIC SHOP 1500

BOB CROSBY’'S BAND: “SOUTH RAM-
PART STREET PARADE”; DECCA 15038

TOMMY DORSEY, TROMBONE: “STARDUST"; VICTOR 25320

DUKE ELLINGTON'S BAND: “CLAR-
INET LAMENT"”; BRUNSWICK 7650

ELLA FITZGERALD, VOCAL (CHICK WEBB'S
BAND): “A-TISKET A-TASKET”; DECCA 1840

BENNY GOODMAN, CLARINET:
“DON'T BE THAT WAY"; VICTOR 25792

BENNY GOODMAN QUARTET: “MOONGLOW"; VICTOR 25398

FLETCHER HENDERSON, BAND:
“MONEY BLUES”; COLUMBIA 383 D

GENE KRUPA, DRUMS: “BLUES
OF ISRAEL"”; PARLOPHONE R 2224



MEADE LUX LEWIS, PIANO: “YANCY SPECIAL'"; DECCA 819

JOE MARSALA, CLARINET: “HOT
STRING BEANS"; VOC. 4168

RED NORVO, XYLOPHONE: “BLUES IN E FLAT"; COL. 3079

KING OLIVER, TRUMPET: “DIP-
PER MOUTH BLUES”; OKEH 4918

ARTIE SHAW, CLARINET: “NIGHTMARE"; BRUNSWICK 7965

BESSIE SMITH,. VOCAL: “YOUNG WOMAN'S
BLUES”; COMMODORE MUSIC SHOP 5-6

STUFF SMITH, VIOLIN: “YOU'SE A VIPER"; VOCALION 3201

JOE SULLIVAN, PIANO: “HONEYSUCKLE
ROSE”; COMMODORE MUSIC SHOP 31-32;

JACK TEAGARDEN, TROMBONE: “DIANE"; COMMODORE 505
FATS WALLER, PIANO: “DINAH"; VICTOR 25471
-
TEDDY WILSON, PIANO: “BODY AND SOUL"; VICTOR 25115
MARY LOU WILLIAMS, PIANO: “OVERHAND'"; DECCA 781

MAXINE SULLIVAN, VOCAL: “LOCH LOMOND"; VOC. 3654

SLIM AND SLAM, VOCAL AND DOUBLE BASS:
“FLAT FOOT FLOOGIE”; VOCALION 4021