Long an admirer of cornetist/composer Bix Beiderbecke, Dick Hyman pays tribute to the gifted but short-lived jazz legend by interpreting the songs Bix recorded in a series of piano solos, mixing transcriptions of Beiderbecke's solos (and occasionally, others' as well) with his own improvisations.
One exception is Hyman's original composition "Thinking About Bix," a warm, easygoing piece that captures the spirit of the era.
The pianist's buoyant setting of "Singin' the Blues" and playful rendition of "Ostrich Walk" prove captivating, while his jaunty interpretation of "'Tain't So, Honey, 'Tain't So" is lots of fun.
But the obvious high points of this CD, recorded not long before Hyman's 81st birthday, are Beiderbecke's rarely performed works for solo piano.
The shimmering impressionist air of "Candlelights," the subtlety of "In the Dark," the Gershwin-flavored "In a Mist," the constantly shifting "Flashes," and the loping treatment of "Davenport Blues" all glisten in Hyman's gifted hands.
Stride pianist Mike Lipskin (a protégé of stride pianist Willie "The Lion" Smith) joins Hyman in a lively duo rendition of "You Took Advantage of Me.".
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thinking About BixDick Hyman | Dick Hyman | Play | 03:58 | 9 MB | 14 MB |
| 2 | Ostrich WalkEddie Edwards | Dick Hyman | Play | 02:55 | 6 MB | 11 MB |
| 3 | I'm Coming, VirginiaWill Marion Cook | Dick Hyman | Play | 05:23 | 12 MB | 18 MB |
| 4 | Jazz Me Blues | Dick Hyman | Play | 03:43 | 8 MB | 14 MB |
| 5 | CandlelightsBix Beiderbecke | Dick Hyman | Play | 04:33 | 10 MB | 15 MB |
| 6 | 'Tain't So, Honey, 'Tain't SoWillard Robison | Dick Hyman | Play | 02:43 | 6 MB | 9 MB |
| 7 | Since My Best Gal Turned Me DownRay Lodwig, Howdy Quicksell | Dick Hyman | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 11 MB |
| 8 | In the DarkBix Beiderbecke | Dick Hyman | Play | 06:02 | 13 MB | 21 MB |
| 9 | Clementine (From New Orleans)Henry Creamer, Harry Warren | Dick Hyman | Play | 02:49 | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| 10 | Lonely MelodySam Coslow, Hal Dyson | Dick Hyman | Play | 05:10 | 11 MB | 19 MB |
| 11 | In a MistBix Beiderbecke | Dick Hyman | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 14 MB |
| 12 | Sweet Sue (Just You)Will J. Harris, Victor Young | Dick Hyman | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 11 MB |
| 13 | Wringin' and Twistin'Frankie Trumbauer, Fats Waller | Dick Hyman | Play | 04:51 | 11 MB | 17 MB |
| 14 | FlashesBix Beiderbecke | Dick Hyman | Play | 02:56 | 6 MB | 10 MB |
| 15 | Davenport BluesBix Beiderbecke | Dick Hyman | Play | 05:22 | 12 MB | 18 MB |
| 16 | You Took Advantage of MeLorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers | Dick Hyman, Mike Lipskin | Play | 02:28 | 5 MB | 9 MB |
| 17 | Singing' the Blues (Till My Daddy Comes Home) | Dick Hyman | Play | 03:20 | 7 MB | 11 MB |
| 66 mins | 152 MB | |||||
| 66 mins | 242 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bix Beiderbecke | Composer |
| 2 | Con Conrad | Composer |
| 3 | Will Marion Cook | Composer |
| 4 | Sam Coslow | Composer |
| 5 | Henry Creamer | Composer |
| 6 | Hal Dyson | Composer |
| 7 | Eddie Edwards | Composer |
| 8 | Will J. Harris | Composer |
| 9 | Lorenz Hart | Composer |
| 10 | J. Tamblyn Henderson | Design, Editing, Executive Producer, Mastering, Producer |
| 11 | Dick Hyman | Composer, Main Personnel, Music Notes, Piano, Primary Artist, Producer, Soloist |
| 12 | Keith O. Johnson | Engineer |
| 13 | Sam M. Lewis | Composer |
| 14 | Mike Lipskin | Piano, Primary Artist |
| 15 | Mike Lipskin | Main Personnel, Piano, Primary Artist |
| 16 | Ray Lodwig | Composer |
| 17 | Howdy Quicksell | Composer |
| 18 | William Roarty | Design |
| 19 | Willard Robison | Composer |
| 20 | Richard Rodgers | Composer |
| 21 | Paul Stubblebine | Editing, Mastering |
| 22 | Frankie Trumbauer | Composer |
| 23 | Fats Waller | Composer |
| 24 | Harry Warren | Composer |
| 25 | Victor Young | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |