Bix Beiderbecke was one of the most important figures in the early years of jazz, his trumpet and cornet performances influencing a host of contemporaries and later performers within the genre. Despite the brevity of his career - he succumbed to alcohol abuse at the age of 28 - he recorded a substantial body of work, both with his own early small bands such as the Wolverine Orchestra, and with the leading orchestras of the time led by Jean Goldkette, Frankie Trumbauer and Paul Whiteman. This great value 50-track 2-CD set brings together recordings from across his career, from his first session in 1924 through to his final session with Hoagy Carmichael in 1930. It features not only Bix, but many other top names of the era, and is a fine cross-section of Bix's work. It has been carefully selected to avoid duplication with any tracks on our existing Bix Beiderbecke CD on the Fabulous label (FABCD144) so the two together will provide a fine overview of his work.

This double-CD from French RCA in their Jazz Tribune series (a reissue of an earlier double-LP) gives one a good overview of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke's Victor recordings. More serious collectors will want to acquire this music as part of a more complete series (since all of his solos are significant), while beginning collectors are advised to pick up his Columbia reissue CDs (which feature Beiderbecke in smaller groups) first. The 36 performances on this two-fer mostly focus on his sideman's appearances with the large dance orchestras of Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman during 1926-28, although there is one 1924 track ("I Didn't Know") with Goldkette, and a few later sessions from 1930. Highlights include "Clementine," "San," "There Ain't No Sweet Man," "From Monday On," and "You Took Advantage of Me."

-- Scott Yanow, AllMusic.com

This is an addendum to the acclaimed "Bix Restored" series that featured meticulous restoration of every recording on which cornetist Bix Beiderbecke played. The highlight of this volume is three newly discovered alternate takes of recordings featuring Beiderbecke: one by Paul Whiteman's orchestra and two by Frankie Trumbauer's orchestra, one of which, "Futuristic Rhythm," contains the best and most significant new solo by Bix to be discovered in nearly three decades. The rest of the CD is filled with the reverberations of Bix's influence on his contemporaries between 1927 and 1939. On this CD, you will hear the work of well-known horn men like Jimmy McPartland and Bobby Hackett, as well as more obscure disciples such as Andy Secrest and Stirling Bose. Also included are other performers such as Bing Crosby, Benny Goodman and Red Norvo, showing that Bix's influence was not limited to cornetists and trumpeters. The package also features a new essay on Bix's influence by renowned author, Bix scholar and cornetist Richard M. Sudhalter.