A 1981 documentary about Bix Beiderbecke—the innovative jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer who died in 1931, at the age of 28—makes you wonder about the films that could have been, tnyfrontrow writes.
As in many of the most sophisticated fiction films, the prime action in the 1981 documentary “Bix: Ain’t None of Them Play Like Him Yet” takes place in the interstices and beneath the surfaces. Bix Beiderbecke, the innovative jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer, died, in 1931, at the age of twenty-eight, leaving behind a few hundred 78s, a legend of a self-destructive artist, and a cache of stories guarded by those who knew him.
Beiderbecke’s fortunes with Goldkette were limited, the film says, by Edward King, the head of the band’s label, who had a negative view of his advanced style. As Goldkette’s then-pianist, Paul Mertz, tells it, King found Beiderbecke’s solos out of keeping with the tone of a popular band, and Goldkette was forced to cut them back. In 1927, when Goldkette was having financial trouble and let Beiderbecke and other band members go, Beiderbecke was hired by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.
Beiderbecke had a lustrous, enticing, yet reserved tone and a piquant chromaticism, worlds apart from the excitement and kaleidoscopic expressivity of Armstrong’s playing; rather, Beiderbecke’s laconic precision anticipated the introspective tension of Miles Davis’s work, two-plus decades ahead. But he was active at a time that offered little professional opportunity for the sophisticated jazz soloist.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Honk the goose, whose extraordinary bond with Dallas filmmaker Cheryl Allison went viral, has diedThe goose she discovered and rescued at Turtle Creek — and the subject of her forthcoming documentary — died unexpectedly in his sleep on Feb. 1.
Read more »
With ‘Book of Boba Fett,’ Star Wars Has Become the New MarvelThis week’s TheBookOfBobaFett shows that Star Wars has gone full Marvel, and there’s no turning back.
Read more »
Racial representation in ads can only benefit brands: KantarMarketers should not hesitate to diversify advertising, as multiracial campaigns can resonate with all demographics if the messaging is authentic.
Read more »
U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush calls for a hearing on systemic racism in the NFLThe Super Bowl is on February 13, but the offseason beyond that has already kicked off.
Read more »
Another Mom Reported to Child Services for False Positive Drug Test from Poppy SeedsA Chicago hospital tested a pregnant woman without consent and subjected her to intense scrutiny.
Read more »