Bixology is the alternate title of
Bix Beiderbecke's piano-composed etude, "In a Mist." In the wonderful world of reissued classic jazz,
Bixology is also a logical choice for the title of a
Beiderbecke anthology. Indeed there are several on the market that share this heading. Issued in 1999, the Giants of Jazz
Bixology is a haphazard grab bag of 25 recordings culled from
Beiderbecke's all-too-brief career. Opening with the fabulous "Jazz Me Blues" as played by the Wolverines on February 18, 1924, this overview skims through some of the records
Beiderbecke made in cahoots with his C melody saxophone-toting friend
Frankie Trumbauer, tosses in "Trumbology" which is a spotlight feature for
Trumbauer (and not
Beiderbecke); touches upon
Beiderbecke's magnum opus the "Davenport Blues," and stumbles over several more Wolverines sides as if accidentally or unconsciously treading a path already trodden. The producers then saw fit to sample the sounds of
Beiderbecke with the
Jean Goldkette Orchestra, dole out a few more examples of
Beiderbecke as a leader and finish off with "Bessie Couldn't Help It," a twilight offering from the ailing alcoholic cornetist who sat in with
Hoagy Carmichael's group on September 15, 1930. It's always wonderful to hear
Beiderbecke, but better anthologies are available. This one seems as unsavory as its sloppy cover art, a smudged and blotted attempt at portraiture that bears little resemblance to the
Bix Beiderbecke we know and love. Who is that creature trapped in careless sketchy pigments? It looks like a cross between movie mobster
James Cagney and rock promoter
Bill Graham of Fillmore fame. The effect is oddly unpleasant.
Beiderbecke was such an interesting looking fellow.