Bix Beiderbecke: From Monday On
Track
From Monday On
Group
Paul Whiteman & His Orchestra (featuring Bix Beiderbecke)
CD
Bix Restored, Volume 2 (Origin Jazz Library BXCD 04-06)
Musicians:
Bix Beiderbecke (cornet),
and a band featuring Charles Margulis (trumpet), Bill Rank (trombone), Harry Barris (piano), Steve Brown (bass), Bing Crosby, Charles Gaylord, Austin Young, Jack Fulton, Al Rinker (vocals)
.Arranged by Matt Malneck. Composed by Harry Barris and Bing Crosby
.Recorded: Liederkranz Hall, New York, February 28, 1928
Rating: 92/100 (learn more)
Paul Whiteman was like a giant, mostly benign mothership that swallowed up available musicians like Bix and his buddies. However, his relentless touring and recording schedule quickly took a toll on Bix’s health. The commercial pressure to record so many icky “sweet” tunes took its own toll, but that was mostly on later generations of critics. Bix just kept on improvising great solos, such as the one on “From Monday On.” (Granted, “From Monday On,” written by Bing Crosby and Harry Barris, isn’t nearly as icky as much of the Whiteman material.) Bix recorded three extant takes over two sessions, and each of his performances is distinctive and memorable. Here, on Take 6, he cuts through Crosby and company’s vocals like a swinging scythe.
Reviewer: Brendan Wolfe
Related Links
Bixology, an excerpt from a book by Brendan WolfeThe Dozens: Twelve Essential Bix Beiderbecke Performances by Brendan Wolfe
Remembering Bix by Ted Gioia
Bix Beiderbecke from jazz.com’s Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians
Tags: cornet
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