This is the product of many years of impassioned study. Bix Beiderbecke is one of jazz music's most enigmatic figures, and he has captivated listeners since his career began in the 1920s. He died at just 28, leaving many loose ends and inspiring much speculation. This book aims to clarify many of the myths created and the fictionalizations of Bix's life. French jazz scholar Jean Pierre Lion travelled the trajectory of Bix's life, from birth to death, to boarding school, on tour and beyond, to find the true story of this pivotal figure.
Lion puts the true legend of Bix into historical context, underlining the importance of the jazz scene that Bix not only participated in, but also helped to establish. The originality of Bix's style has roots in New Orleans jazz and such classical composers as Debussy and Ravel, and this biography traces the evolution of these various inspirations alongside the tale of the white cornet player. Historical ambience is created by descriptions of the Chicago of the 1920s - ruled by Al Capone and peopled with fast cars, flappers and hot jazz musicians - and Bix's personality is fleshed out by the inclusion of text from the 21 letters he wrote in his lifetime. The story is lively and emotional, the testament of a true fan and a true scholar.
