(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- The legendary jazz musician Bix Beiderbecke will be celebrated by cornetist Mike Davis and his all-star group, the New Wonders, with the Bickford Theatre’s popular Bix Beiderbecke Birthday Bash tonight (Monday, March 12) at 7:30pm. Joining Davis will be Dan Levinson on clarinet, Joe McDonough on trombone, Jared Engel on banjo, Dalton Ridenhour on piano, Jay Rattman on bass saxophone, and Jay Lepley on drums.
Bix was born in Davenport, Iowa, on March 10, 1903 and taught himself to play the cornet largely by ear. He died tragically in 1931 at the age of 28, but during his brief life he became one of the earliest great jazz improvisers along with Louis Armstrong. He is in the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame, the International Jazz Hall of Fame, the American Jazz Hall of Fame, the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, and on the ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame. His records have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and are in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Mike Davis is in the vanguard of young musicians bringing traditional jazz to prominence in the New York music scene. The Wall Street Journal called him an “eloquent trumpet prodigy,” and he is much in demand for his ability to capture the sounds of those great musicians of the Jazz Age. His New Wonders Band takes its name from the model of cornet played by Bix and has been called an “unexpected delight” by The New York Times. The band provides a link back to the exciting 1920s when jazz swept a war-weary world.
“Bix Beiderbecke was one of the first jazz musicians to improvise distinct solos in live performances and on records,” says Mike Davis. “His unique voice on the instrument continues to influence jazz improvisers today and we are thrilled to be a part of this annual celebration at the Bickford. We’ll be playing some of his best-know recordings including ‘Singing the Blues,’ ‘Rockin’ Chair,’ and one of his most popular tune, ‘Riverboat Shuffle.’ And we will again feature some of the vocal numbers most closely associated with Bix.
The New Wonders have announced their first CD entitled simply “The New Wonders” which will be available at the concert. The CD features classic jazz from the 1920s and 30s including the music of Bix Beiderbecke and Red Nichols. The band will have a CD release party on Tuesday, March 13, at the Norwood Club in Manhattan, but promises to play several numbers from it at the Bickford. Norwood is a members-only club so tickets must be purchased in advance.
Tickets for the Bix Beiderbecke Birthday Bash are $17 in advance and $20 at the door and may be purchased online at morrismuseum.org, by phone at (973) 971-3706, or in person at the Bickford Theatre Box Office. The Morris Museum’s Bickford Theatre is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, NJ, and offers free parking and full accessibility. Box office hours for phone sales are Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Walk-up hours are Tuesday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Photo by Jane Kratochvil
