Bix lives!
More than a century after his birth, jazz pioneer's legacy endures
Thoughts for the day
This is a special day for those of us who are fans of a certain kind of jazz. March 10, 1903, is the day Bix Beiderbecke was born in Davenport, Iowa.
For those who aren't jazz aficionados, the name Bix Beiderbecke probably just sounds like a bunch of consonants and vowels pressed together, but for those of us who are into jazz, particularly the early variety, Bix is one of the giants.
The thing with Bix is there is just so little for us to go on.uff was recorded in an era where everybody aimed their instruments at a tin horn. When better recording methods developed, much of what he was doing was buried in larger bands or hampered by his alcoholism. With Louis Armstrong we have decades of recordings to go through. Bix made his first recording in 1924. By 1931, he was gone, the blueprint for the image of the tragic trumpet player.
When I listen to Bix, it's obvious that this was a man who was musically ahead of his time. Each listen reveals nuances I have never heard before. He fell in love with Armstrong’s playing, legend has it, when he met him on a riverboat in 1920, but from there he developed his own sound. His playing is the polar opposite of Armstrong’s hot jazz. Bix was playing cool jazz decades before it was a genre. And that doesn’t even touch on his piano compositions.
The societies and museums who memorialize him today say that through his music, Bix lives. As I get older, and watch the artists and friends I know and respect pass away, I understand that truth. I’m thankful for their bodies of work because, in those moments, they are tangible. I can touch their thoughts, their souls. In those moments, they are alive.
The Six
No. 1
Gerrymander watch: The New York Times has a story noting A Potential Rarity in American Politics: A Fair Congressional Map. For years, the congressional map has favored Republicans. That may be about to change, as the nation’s 435 districts look like they may be relatively equally divided between those that lean Democratic and Republican. Many had predicted Republicans would use redistricting to engineer control of the House.
No. 2
Still no baseball deal. Another week of games canceled. Players are all over Twitter telling fans they want to play, it’s all the owners’ fault. But have you noticed a change in the way the media covers this stalemate? A little more anti-billionaire and labor-sympathetic? You aren’t the only one. The Washington Post with The ‘stunning’ shift in how the media covers MLB labor strife.
No. 3
A pair of pieces from The Atlantic are good reads today. The first explores the irrationality of current masking policy. Toddlers must mask, five-year-olds don’t?
No. 4
The second has the writer thinking about our tribal, knee-jerk reactions — whatever side we are on — and the need to “look more carefully at exactly what we’re all fed up with.”
No. 5
'Black Panther' director Ryan Coogler was briefly handcuffed after being mistaken for bank robber in Atlanta in January, TMZ reports. Coogler had passed a written note to a teller asking them to discreetly hand him his cash, according to a police report. The bank teller called 911 believing it was a bank robbery. Police said the large withdrawal triggered an alert. When police determined his innocence, the handcuffs were “immediately removed. Coogler was in Atlanta shooting the "Black Panther" sequel.
"This situation should never have happened. However, Bank of America worked with me and addressed it to my satisfaction and we have moved on," Coogler said.
No. 6
He joined Navy in 1943, serving overseas during WWII, and stayed in until 1946. In 1948, he enlisted in the Army and became a combat photographer, retiring in 1966. In 1991, he volunteered and was called to active duty with the Army in support of Desert Storm. He also spent 35 years as a part-time photographer at The Syracuse Newspaper. Hal Slate, former Pacific Stars and Stripes photographer who served in 4 wars, has died at the age of 96.
Quote of the Day
“By what mechanism does empathy, which has rewarded me so richly as both an artist and a man, morph into knee-jerk hard-heartedness? How exactly did I become a man who wants to scream “What did you expect?” at someone I care for and whose husband is on a ventilator, his life slipping away? That I’m clearly far from alone in my exasperation is cold comfort, as is the distinct possibility that the past few years have taught many of us that there are limits to everything, including, perhaps, basic kindness.” — Richard Russo, “My Father, The Fool” in The Atlantic
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About
Christopher Six is a passionate advocate of community journalism with more than 30 years in the media, corporate communications and marketing. An award-winning designer, columnist, illustrator, photographer and newsroom leader, he is a respected voice in journalism ethics. A veteran reporter, he has created and taught news writing seminars for community colleges and the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association.
Editor’s Note
Pick Six is published most Mondays-Fridays. Sharing of stories does not equal endorsement, however, personal thoughts and commentary on those stories are 100 percent my own.