I haven't really explained the title of this blog. The only thing that really tells you what the blog is actually about is the little tagline below the title. I'm assuming you know who Bieber is, but I would actually be surprised if many people knew who Beiderbecke was. Well, I guess it's about time I let you know.
Leon Bismark Beiderbecke (nicknamed "Bix") was a early jazz cornet player born in 1903. Along with Louis Armstrong, Bix was one of the first prominent soloists of the 1920's. He taught himself everything he knew, and ended up having a very large influence on jazz. While Armstrong liked to showoff to crowds by pushing into the upper register (high notes), Bix found a way to be interesting by exploring new harmonies and rhythms. According to jazz critic Terry Teachout, Bix and Armstrong were "the two most influential figures in the early history of jazz." A pretty bold statement for someone you've probably never heard of. So why haven't you heard of him? Well, unfortunately, Bix died in 1931 of pneumonia at the age of 28 (he was also known to be a hard alcoholic, which may have contributed to his death). Interestingly, he was one of the first in the trend of American music stars with an incredibly short and successful career that ends in a tragic death (Charlie Parker, Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, etc.). He also falls victim to the fact that most people have never heard of the most famous 20s jazz musicians. Ever heard of Sidney Bechet, King Oliver, or Fletcher Henderson? Didn't think so?
So why did I pick him as the namesake of this blog? Well, to be honest, it was just because it sounded clever....but, there are some legitimate reasons. First, like internet innovator Justin Hall, Beiderbecke was an innovator to jazz that most people have never heard of. He played a big role, and it is really too bad that he died so young. Who knows how much more he would have done for jazz. Oh, and by the way, Bix was a better musician that Justin Bieber will ever hope to be.
