Search - Bix Beiderbecke :: Bix Restored, Vol. 5

The most "listenable" of the Bix Restored series

"Gimpy" Peach Johnson | 10/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a way, I'm sorry to see the final volume of the "Bix Restored" series finally hit the music store shelves. With each installment that has come out, I've eagerly awaited the next. What to wait for now? Well, my hat is off to the fine folks at Sunbeam/Origin Jazz Library for a spectacular end to a spectacular series!



Unlike the previous four volumes which contained three CDs each, the fifth and final installment contains only one disc. The disc was planned to demonstrate the "Bix influence" in recordings by other musicians. However, the producers changed the playlist to include *three* (count 'em, three!) newly discovered alternate takes featuring Bix. According to the notes, these represent the first major Bix discoveries since the 1970s. And what beauties they are. Bix is only briefly heard in the first of the three, "Old Man River," but his remarkable solo in "Futuristic Rhythm" and a short part in "Raisin' The Roof" (both with Frankie Trumbauer's Orchestra) are worth the price of the disc alone. Fortunately for us, the producers adopted a "cost is not an issue" attitude towards restoring the sound of these newly discovered alternates. Apparently, the originals were either cracked or severly worn. With that in mind, the finished quality on the CD is quite impressive (even if a few minor flaws remain).



The rest of the disc contains 23 recordings from the 1920s and 1930s that capture the Beiderbecke "essence." I was impressed with the Bix-like cornet or trumpet-playing on many of them, especially those by Fletcher Henderson's Band (Rex Stewart), Duke Ellington's Orchestra (again, Rex Stewart), Hal Kemp's Orchestra (Mickey Bloom), the Night Club Kings (Norman Payne), and Ray Miller's Orchestra. For the Ray Miller track, the identity of the Bix-like cornetist is unknown, but many have speculated through the years that it may have been Bix himself. As a side note, the recording of Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra playing "Singin' The Blues," with Rex Stewart copying the famous Bix solo, is the version recorded for Victor, NOT the more commonly heard Brunswick recording made a few weeks earlier.



Other tracks of particular interest to me were Red Norvo's beautiful rendition of "In A Mist" (on marimba), Bing Crosby's Bix-like scat on "Sweet Sue," Hoagy Carmichael's hard-to-find original 1927 Gennett recording of "Stardust," and what must certainly count as among the "hottest" sides Nat Shilkret ever directed, "Add A Little Wiggle."



As with the previous Bix Restored volumes, this CD comes with a nice booklet (24 pages) with plenty of illustrations, notes by Bix expert Richard Sudhalter, and full discographical information for each track. I was happy to see that they even included label scans for the three newly-discovered Bix alternates, so we can see what these rarities look like.



This is really a first-rate production all-around. The audio restoration by Michael Kieffer, John R. T. Davies, and Seth Winner is excellent. The pacakging attractive and the music absolutely top-notch. To me, this is the most "listenable" disc of the Bix Restored series. Previous volumes contained multiple takes of the same Whiteman semi-classical pieces in a row. It's nice to have them for comparison, but when I put on a CD to listen to in the car or while working at home, I don't need to hear "Metropolis" twice in a row or "It Was The Dawn of Love" three times in a row. I'm not complaining--I'm glad they presented the complete recordings and alternates in chronological order, it makes finding titles easier, but it can be a bit tiring on the ears. This fifth volume, on the other hand, contains a nice variety of jazz and dance band sides, pleasantly programmed with no back-to-back alternate takes of the same piece. I've played this disc straight through a dozen times already and it doesn't get tiring.



Even though there are only three tracks that feature Bix, this is a collection that is sure to delight Bix fans. Highly recommended!"

Uh, no.

Robert Barker | Burbank, CA | 02/26/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"As much as I wanted this to be the capstone to the incredible Bix Restored series, it's not. I have Volumes 1 and 4, and Volume 3 just arrived today from Amazon. I can't wait. I didn't need Volume 5. The 1st three tracks are mildly interesting, for the completist, but only because they have Bix on them. That's the problem with the other 23 tracks, no Bix. You keep waiting for the jolt of genius, if only for a few bars, that lift an ordinary song into the stratosphere. That feeling is not there on any of the other cuts. The conundrum for Bix/Hendrix/Charlie Parker/Buddy Rich tribute albums is that they're missing Bix/Hendrix/Parker or Rich. These individuals have such idiosyncratic styles that defy anyone to match their virtuosity, or more importantly, their soul. So, you hear a lot of watered down Bix on these tracks, a lot of Bix wannabes, and nobody gets there. You pine for Bix. Red Norvo playing 'In A Mist' on marimba looked promising, sounded ludicrous. Even the great Fletcher Henderson Orchestra playing 'Singin' the Blues' only illucidated the reality that Bix was beyond all jazz players, not just white ones. (His only equal being Armstrong). Please, don't let this review color your attitude towards the other 4 volumes, which are wonderful."