Remembering Bix

Dick Hyman, one of the most accomplished and versatile musicians of our time, is especially known as an authority on early jazz. After a lifetime of playing and studying the music of Bix Beiderbecke, Hyman recorded this solo program of music associated with Bix, including all five original pieces Bix wrote for piano. Hyman arranged other numbers Bix performed with various groups and plays and improvises upon these in his distinctive, brilliant style. Thinking About Bix was recorded at Skywalker Sound in California using custom-made microphones, electronics and high-resolution digital converters.

Dick Hyman, one of the most accomplished and versatile musicians alive, is especially known as an authority on early jazz. After a lifetime of playing and studying the music of Bix Beiderbecke, Hyman announced he’d like to record for RR a solo program of music associated with Bix, including all five original pieces Bix wrote for piano. (Most likely, these are a recorded first.) Hyman arranged other numbers Bix performed with various groups, and plays and improvises upon these in his distinctive, brilliant style. The title track is an infectious Hyman original reminiscent of the period. An attractive bonus is a piano four-hands performance with Hyman’s friend and stride authority, Mike Lipskin.

This album set is a homage to a (often forgotten) legend and key figure in jazz. Besides Louis Armstrong, American jazz cornetist and pianist Leon Bismark “Bix” Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s. With his unusual purity of tone and a gift for improvisation, he helped to invent the jazz ballad style and hinted at what, in the 1950s, would become Cool jazz.

Er war der wohl erste „coole“ Jazzmusiker und damit prägend für kommende Generationen: der Kornettist und Pianist Leon „Bix“ Beiderbecke. Am 10. März 1903 wurde er in den USA als Sohn deutscher Einwanderer geboren. Der Jazz von heute wäre wahrscheinlich ein anderer, ohne seinen tragischen Helden mit dem samtweichen Ton. Nur allzu kurz erklang Beiderbeckes wunderbare Musik: Sein verheerender Alkoholismus setzte seinem Leben früh ein Ende – er starb mit nur 28 Jahren in New York – offiziell an einer Lungenentzündung, in Wahrheit an jahrelanger Selbstzerstörung.

Browse your photos in 3D with Bix's Photo Book! Bix's Photo Book can be used as a realtime 3D photo browser or to create photo book animations for use in your DVD productions and computer presentations.

Bix's Photo Book can be used as a realtime 3D photo browser or to create photo book animations for use in your DVD productions and computer presentations. A true 3D photo book: Press the space bar and Bix's Photo Book will turn the page for you in a wonderful smooth 3D animation!

Bix's Photo Book is a cute 3D animated photo browser featuring realtime shadows and dynamic lighting.Your photo book can be exported as a movie file for use in your DVD productions, computer presentations, Podcasts and websites.Because Bix's Photo Book works in 3D, the camera position, rotation and zoom factor can be easily adjusted allowing you to view your photo book from any angle.Press space and Bix's Photo Book will turn the page for you in a great smooth 3D animation!Bix's Photo Book is fully personalizable. You can change the background picture, the paper colour, the paper texture, the shininess of the photos, the shininess of the paper, the camera position, the light position.

Bix's Photo Book can be used as a realtime 3D photo browser or to create photo book animations for use in your DVD productions and computer presentations.