Dick Hyman, piano solo – Thinking About Bix – Reference Recordings RR-116 (HDCD), 66:26 [Distr.. by Allegro] *****:
Bix Beiderbecke of Davenport Iowa was the first white jazz musician of note. He had minimal instruction on the piano and later mostly taught himself the cornet. He played the latter in two famous dance bands and appeared under his own name as well as in smaller aggregations. This was the Prohibition era and that was partly responsible for his succumbing to alcoholism and dying at age 28. His amazing artistry has been a beacon for numerous cornetists and trumpeters ever since, just as Charlie Parker is for saxists and Django for guitarists.
There are plenty of CDs and LPs of the original Beiderbecke recordings, and among them is one of the five unique piano solo pieces he composed and performed – In a Mist – probably the best-known of them. Although various trad-jazz pianists have recorded some of the piano pieces, this may be the first time all five of them are included, along with a dozen other tunes which Beiderbecke played or which are tied-in with the legend of Bix.
Four of Bix’s pieces were gathered in his Modern Suite for Piano. He used his performing experience in pop music as the basis for these piano works, but there is also a fascinating overlay of harmonic structure that clearly comes from Ravel, Debussy and even Scriabin. The other three titles are Candlelights, In the Dark and Flashes. The fifth piano piece is Davenport Blues, Bix’s first published composition.
Some of the other tunes were taken from original Bix 78s with either the Jean Goldkette Orchestra or Paul Whiteman. The final track is for piano 4 hands and adds fellow trad keyboardist Mike Lipskin. Pianist/organist/arranger/music director/composer Dick Hyman now has over 100 albums under his own name and is a specialist in ragtime and early piano styles. He’s recorded superb previous albums for Reference Recordings devoted to the music of Fats Waller, Ellington, a recital album and two swing-based CDs. This CD was recorded in the renowned studios of Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California – known for its extremely low noise floor. And using Keith Johnson’s custom-made mikes and electronics.
TrackList:
1. Thinking About Bix
2. Singin’ the Blues (Till My Daddy Comes Home)
3. Ostrich Walk
4. I’m Coming, Virginia
5. Jazz Me Blues
6. Candlelights
7. ‘Tain’t So, Honey, ‘Tain’t So
8. Since My Best Gal Turned Me Down
9. In the Dark
10. Clementine (From New Orleans)
11. Lonely Melody
12. In a Mist
13. Sweet Sue (Just You)
14. Wringing’ and Twistin’
15. Flashes
16. Davenport Blues
17. You Took Advantage of Me – Dick Hyman & Mike Lipskin
– John Henry
