Bix Centennial All-Stars: Barbara Rosene, James Langton, Manhattan Rhythm Kings (vocals); Dan Levinson (alto & C-melody saxophones, clarinet); Jack Stuckey (alto saxophone, clarinet); Scott Robinson (tenor & C-melody saxophones, clarinet); Vince Giordano (bass saxophone, bass); Pete Martinez (C-melody saxophone, clarinet); Randy Sandke, Randy Reinhart, Jon-Erik Kellso (cornet); Dan Barrett (cornet, trombone); Harvey Tibbs (trombone); Mark Shane, Dick Hyman (piano); Howard Alden, Matt Munisteri (guitar); Greg Cohen (bass); Joe Ascione (drums).
Producers: Doug LaPasta, Dan Levinson, David White.
Recorded at Peter Karl Studios, Brooklyn, New York on April 7-10 & July 11, 2002. Includes liner notes by Chip Deffaa and Randy Sandke.
Personnel: Hal Shane, Barbara Rosene, Brian Nalepka (vocals); Howard Alden, Matt Munisteri (guitar); Dan Levinson (clarinet, alto saxophone, C-melody saxophone); Jack Stuckey (clarinet, alto saxophone); Peter Martinez (clarinet, C-melody saxophone); Vince Giordano (bass saxophone); Dan Barrett (cornet, trombone); Jon-Erik Kellso, Randy Sandke , Randy Reinhart (cornet); Dick Hyman (piano); Joe Ascione (drums).
Audio Mixers: Dan Levinson; Peter Karl; Randy Sandke .
Liner Note Authors: Randy Sandke ; Chip Deffaa.
Recording information: Peter Karl Studios, Brooklyn, NY (04/07/2002-07/11/2002).
Editors: Dan Levinson; Peter Karl; Randy Sandke .
Photographer: Frank Driggs.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Bill Rank; Doc Ryker; Itzy Riskin; Paul Mertz; Dick Voynow; George Johnson ; Don Murray ; Min Leibrook; Frankie Trumbauer; Bob Gillette; Howdy Quicksell; Jimmy Hartwell; Al Gande; Tom Gargano; Bill Challis; Steve Brown ; Ray Lodwig; Tommy Dorsey ; Vic Moore; Bix Beiderbecke; Chauncey Morehouse.
Arrangers: Dan Levinson; Peter Ecklund.
If one has been subjected to a great deal of contemporary jazz, especially the more challenging sort, it's difficult to remember just how joyous jazz was in the beginning. Even the best players like Louis Armstrong played happy music. The Bix Beiderbecke Centennial All Stars celebrate one such happy stylist, the late, great Bix Beiderbecke. Given the attention Beiderbecke received from Ken Burns' Jazz, it seems ironic that the cornet player considered himself "a failure musically and personally," as the album's liner notes state. Just about everyone, from peers like Hoagy Carmichael to the wonderful musicians that compose the All Stars, however, beg to differ. Celebrating Bix! does just that by creating fresh arrangements for 19 pieces that date back to Beiderbecke's heyday. Most interestingly, perhaps, the cornetist's solos have been scored for a full battery of instruments, giving the contemporary listener a chance to enjoy the breadth of an artist's work in many contexts. The basic arrangements on pieces like "Deep Harlem" and "Riverboat Shuffle" include a lively mixture of pianos, trombones, clarinets, and, of course, cornets. The solo work by cornetist Randy Reinhart, pianist Mark Shane, and alto Jack Stuckey is superb. The liner notes are extensive and include a short introduction, an essay on Beiderbecke, and a breakdown of the song choices. In this way, a listener new to one of the keenest innovators in jazz can absorb his biography and music at once. Celebrating Bix! is a jubilant, overflowing tribute that shows the listener just how much life remains in classic jazz. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.
Professional Reviews
JazzTimes (8/03, p.146) - "...Well over 70 minutes of what happens when you imbue a labor of love with modern technology..."
