In A Mist

In A Mist

  • The Origin of the Music;
  • The OKeh File Card of  “In A Mist”;
  • The Sheet Music of “In A Mist”;
  • Other Sources of the Sheet Music of “In A Mist”;
  • The Origin of the Title;
  • Bix’s Public Performance of “In A Mist”;
  • In A Mist of Bixology?
  • The Composition;
  • Commentaries (under construction);
  • Some Recordings of “In A Mist”;
  • A Piano Roll of “In A Mist”;
  • An Arrangement of “In A Mist” for Piano;
  • An Arrangement of “In A Mist” for Accordion;
  • Fred Elizalde’s Public performance of “In A Mist” in 1929;
  • The Case of the Two “In A Mists”.

 

 

The Origin of the Music

In A Mist is undoubtedly the most important and famous of all of Bix Beiderbecke’s compositions. It is well documented that Bix recorded In A Mist on September 9, 1927, but when did he compose it?

Presumably, Bix had been thinking about the composition for perhaps as many as three years prior to the recording. It is widely known that, whenever a piano was available, Bix would sit down and play what many have described as “beautiful chords”.

Indeed, there is credible evidence that the seeds of In A Mist go back as far as 1924. For example, Jess Stacy (who later was to record all of Bix’s piano compositions) relates that in 1924 he heard Bix play

A song called Baby Blue Eyes with the same harmony he used years later on In A Mist.

(“Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story” by Philip R. and Linda K. Evans, p.157)

Cecil Huntzinger states that in 1925:

Bix would play a few tunes on his horn, then would switch to the piano. We’d just listen and enjoy. He was playing In A Mist although he didn’t have a name for it. Try to imagine, hearing it in 1925.

(“Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story” by Philip R. Evans and Linda K. Evans, p. 182)

Paul Mertz states that in 1926:

I remember hearing what was to become In A Mist for the first time here [the Billihurst Hotel in Detroit].

(“Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story” Philip R. Evans and Linda K. Evans, p. 235)

Hughes Panassie in “Hot Jazz”, p. 121 provides some information:

The principal motif of this piece [In A Mist] was found by Bix while he was improvising on a piano…  Bix remembered this motif, which was beautiful, and recorded it with improvisations on it.

 

As a matter of fact, the principal theme of In A Mist was widely known among his fellow musicians prior to his recording it. Evidently, throughout his active life, Bix was generating new musical ideas and trying them on any piano he could get his hands on. Most of his improvisations were not recorded, but, fortunately, In A Mist was captured on wax.

The circumstances surrounding the recording are of interest. As related in “Bix: Man and Legend” by Richard M. Sudhalter and Philip R. Evans, Tom Rockwell, an OKeh Records executive, had heard Bix’s improvisations at the piano during recording sessions of the Frank Trumbauer Orchestra. Tom was impressed and asked Frank to convince Bix to record what became known as In A Mist.

At first, Bix was reluctant, but eventually he agreed. There were also problems during the recording session. The first take was too long.

On the second take, Frank tapped Bix on the shoulder fifteen seconds before the three-minute allotted time. Bix added the appropriate coda and successfully completed the piece in the required time. The recording was mastered and issued. The rest is history.

 

 

The OKeh File Card of  “In A Mist”

GENERAL PHONOGRAPH CORPORATION
Record Laboratories
(However, “General” is crossed out and replaced with “OKeh”)

DATE Sept. 8, 1927 W81426-a
W81426-B = use
Recorded by H Size = 10″
Catalog No. 40916
Coupled with W81450-a
Special Catalog No.
November 15, 1927
Selection…In A Mist
By…Bix Beiderbecke Accompanied by…
Composed by…Beiderbecke
From…
Publisher…Robbins Music Corp Copyright…Yes, 1927
Address…799 – 7th Ave, NYC sent copyright info.
9-12-27
Remarks…piano solo

The contents of the file card were copied by Scott Wenzel from the Sony Archives. I am grateful to Scott for sending this information and for his permission to reproduce it here.

 

 

The Sheet Music of “In A Mist”

The sheet music was published about a year later, on November 18, 1928, by The Robbins Music Corporation of New York as “Paul Whiteman Presents a Modern Composition for the Piano — In A Mist — by Bix Beiderbecke.”

The first page of the music includes under the title the phrase “Edited by William H. Challis“.

The circumstances surrounding the publishing of the music are also of interest. As related by Bill Challis (Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story, by Philip R. and Linda K. Evans, p. 302-303):

He [Jack Robbins] wanted to publish it [In A Mist] because he knew the Paul Whiteman connection was a good outlet. [Paul Whiteman was part owner of the Robbins Corporation; hence several of its publications were part of the Paul Whiteman presents series] Jack asked me if I’d do the arrangement.

Jack had a definite idea as to the format. He wanted a rhythmic opening, then he wanted a melodic middle part, along the lines of Rhapsody in Blue. Bix didn’t take too long to write the melodic part. When Bix could find the time, he’d come to my apartment, where we did the arranging. When we first started, we’d get down about four bars. Never more than eight or ten. We crawled and it took us six months to do the arrangements. Bix would play each part two or three times. He was very patient as he wanted to complete the work.

The recorded version and the published version differ in several ways. As pointed out by Geoffrey J. Haydon in his Ph. D. dissertation:

An entire section, present in the published work, is omitted in the recorded version. Other differences are due to the improvisational nature of some sections of the piece. Bix’s right-hand single and double note melodies feature different material in each version.

Undoubtedly, both versions were improvisations. Bill Challis complained that during the transcription sessions, Bix would not replay a given part in the same manner.

The improvisational style of Bix’s playing is clearly understood by Bill Challis:

One thing I hate to hear is for people to play In A Mist and improvise the tune. It is already an improvisation in itself. Play it the way Bix put it down!

(Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story, Philip R. Evans and Linda K. Evans, p. 303)

 

 

Other Sources of the Sheet Music of “In A Mist”

“In A Mist” was also published in “Play Like A Pro. 72 piano Arrangements with the Professional Touch,” Edited by Stuart Isacoff and Becca Pulliam. 1994. Ekay Music, Inc., 333 Adams Street, Bedford Hills, NY 10507. ISBN #: 0-943748-62-3. “In A Mist” appears on pages 110 to 111 and is transcribed by Don Wilhite. In the opinion of Steen Hoffman from Denmark, the arrangement is incomplete, leaving out several choruses.

I am grateful to Steen Hoffman for having sent the above information.

A book of sheet music called “Ragtime”, compiled by David A. Jasen and published by Big 3 Music contains all four piano compositions by Bix.

An arrangement (improvisation) on “In a Mist” by Mary Lou Williams is found in a book of piano solos called also ran across an arrangement (improvisation) on “In a Mist” by Mary Lou Williams in a book of piano solos called “The Genius of Jazz Giants-Book 3, Masters of Boogie-Woogie”. This really does honor the piece, writes Caroline Kraft, who kindly alerted me to the existence of this source.

 

 

The Origin of the Title

There are varying -and contradictory- accounts as to how the title of the most famous of Bix’s compositions was conceived. In the seventeenth segment of the Bix program broadcast in 1971 by WMUB, the radio station of Miami University in Ohio, Frank Trumbauer tells about the recording session of September 9, 1927, for the OKeh Recording Company. Frank first describes the various attempts to get the recording done within the allotted time.

Following the completion of the successful take 2, Frank then tells how the title came about. The following is an exact transcription of Frank’s words:

In reviewing the master, we realized that we had something very significant -at least we thought we did, but we couldn’t find a title for it and Tommy Rockwell, the recording manager of the OKeh Company at that time, said ‘well this thing is all confused’, he says ‘it’s kind of foggy; after all we can’t call it fog or haze; why don’t we call it In A Mist?’ And that’s how the title was born.

In “Tram – The Frank Trumbauer Story” by Philip R. Evans and Larry F. Kiner, p. 76, Frank Trumbauer provides a different account of what transpired when the successful recording was completed:

Okay – said Tom

But what will we call it?

Well, I thought to myself, Bix was certainly in a fog when he made it. And then it hit me. Fog. Mist. In A Mist. That’s it -“In A Mist.”
Yes, that’s the true story of how it got its title.
The success of this composition is musical history.

 

An account similar but not identical to the previous one is provided in “Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story” by Philip R. and Linda K. Evans, p. 280:

Tom Rockwell asked what the title was. Since Bix was somewhat in a fog when he recorded it, someone suggested using that idea in the title. Frank quickly changed “In A Fog” to the more evocative “In A Mist”.

A third – and different – account is related in “Bix: Man and Legend” by Richard M. Sudhalter and Philip R. Evans, pp. 211 and 217. At the completion of the recording session, the recording engineer asked Bix for the name of the composition. Bix replied that he had not thought about it. Since Bix and Tram had a recording date for the following week, it was proposed that they come up with a title by then. The story is taken up by Esten Spurrier (Bix’s high school friend) who relates what Bix had told him. It was not until October 5, 192,7 that the question of the title was brought up again.

As he recalled the story to Spurrier, the first person he [Bix] spied on upon arrival was the recording man who had supervised the piano solo session.

How about that title, Bix? Thought of something yet?

Gosh, I don’t know – he answered, parking himself at the keyboard. In truth, he hadn’t given the matter a moment’s thought.

Don’t ask me that one today, man, I’m just in a fog.

With all the predictability of the commercially conditioned mind, the official -whose name has been lost to recollection-recoiled in delight.

Hey! That’s perfect! We’ll call it “In A Fog”

Bix, said Spurrier, scarcely hid his annoyance: “Aw c’mon, man. That’s corny. And besides, it sounds all wrong heavy, like a guy with a hangover. That’s not the way I hear it.

I like it – the OKeh man repeated, Unless you can come up with something better, it stays in.

After kicking it around for a while – said Spurrier, the word “Mist” replaced “Fog.”

Bix said he thought it more in keeping with his feeling for the thing. So “Mist” it was and “Mist” it stayed.”

Obviously, we have several interpretations, which, not only differ in detail but are contradictory.

Frank Trumbauer himself provides two contradictory accounts. In one, he credits Tom Rockwell with the idea of the title. In the other, Trumbauer assigns to himself all the credit for the title. If we are to accept Spurrier’s account of what Bix told him, it does not seem likely that Trumbauer could be responsible for the title. The October 5, 1927 recording date was scheduled for Bix Beiderbecke and His Gang, a group which did NOT include Frank Trumbauer.

According to Esten Spurrier’s account of what Bix related to him when asked for a title, Bix complained of being in a fog, and someone in the studio suggested the word “Mist”. That “someone”, unless he happened to be hanging around in the studio, could not have been Trumbauer, since he was not one of the musicians who took part in the recording session on that day. Nor could it have been Tom Rockwell in view of Spurrier’s account of the role of the recording man in the discussion of what title to use.

Which version are we to accept? Who had the idea for the title? Was it a single individual? Was it a collective effort? I think that the Spurrier account is the most believable; but will we ever know?

 

 

Bix’s Public Performance of “In A Mist”

On Sunday, October 7, 1928, at 8:30 p.m., Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra presented a concert in Carnegie Hall.

 

This was the third in a series of experimental concerts. This particular occasion was the premiere performance of the “Paul Whiteman Presents” fall tour which consisted of eighty concerts or dances in twenty-two states and Canada.

 

For the Carnegie Hall concert, the orchestra, which consisted of twenty-six regular members, was augmented by twelve violins.   

  • Violin: Kurt Dieterle, Charles Gaylord, Matty Malneck, Mischa Russell.
  • Trombone: Boyce Cullen, Wilber Hall, Bill Rank, Jack Fulton.
  • Trumpet: Charlie Margulis, Bix Beiderbecke [cornet], Eddie Pinder, Harry Goldfield.
  • Saxophone: Chester Hazlett, Frank Trumbauer, Charles Strickfaden, Red Maier, Rube Crozier, Izzy Friedman.
  • Banjo: Mike Pingitore.
  • Guitar: Austin Young.
  • Bass: Mike Trafficante, Min Leibrook.
  • Drums: George Marsh.
  • Piano: Roy Bargy, Lennie Hayton.

 

According to Thomas A. DeLong, Pops: Paul Whiteman King of Jazz, New Century Publishers, 1983, p.124:

On October 7 an eager audience of 7,000 gathered to hear Paul’s latest concert program, with its anticipated innovative works, colorful novelty numbers, and uniquely contrasting medleys.

The “highbrow” compositions performed in the concert were George Gershwin’s Concerto in F and Ferde Grofe’s Metropolis (the first public performance). The concert was:

An exhibition for the remarkable virtuosity and precision of Whiteman’s players. Willie Hall, armed with a trombone and bicycle pump, played a Grofe oddity entitled Free Air, or Variation Based on Noises from a Garage. Chet Hazlett presented his own Valse Inspiration. The Sweet Trio vocalized Melody Out of the Sky. Mike signed in with his banjo perennial, Linger Awhile. An unusual twist was the premiere of a keyboard work by Bix, whose singular talent now began to focus on the piano. Bix joined Bargy and Hayton in a three-piano rendition of Bix’s own In A Mist.

 


Richard M. Sudhalter and Philip R. Evans, Bix: Man and Legend, p. 256,  provide a description of Bix’s presentation:

The program went off without incident, and when the time came for In A Mist, it was a determined Bix who left the brass section and walked forward to where his concert grand had been wheeled out for him.

There, in Carnegie Hall, with the eyes of thousands on him, Bix Beiderbecke, a self-taught pianist, playing a composition he himself had written, with two pianists he deeply admired providing discreet accompaniment. It is only too possible to speculate on what was in his mind at this supreme moment.

Roy Bargy provides a small insight:

Everyone applauded loud and long, and Paul called for Bix to come forward and take a bow. He did, with a sort of nervous yet characteristically polite “Thank you”, made a real quick dip toward the audience for a bow, and hurried back to the section, as though embarrassed about the whole thing.

This must have been one of the most satisfying moments in Bix’s professional life. At a time when he was becoming quite serious about musical composition and turning more and more toward the piano as the vehicle for his prodigious musical inventiveness, performing his own piano masterpiece in one of the world’s top concert halls was undoubtedly one of the highest points in Bix’s career.

 

Addendum

On July 25, 2001, in answer to my question as to whether this concert was the first jazz concert to take place in Carnegie Hall, Robert Hudson, Assistant Archivist, Carnegie Hall wrote:

In fact, the 1928 Whiteman concert was not the first “jazz” concert at Carnegie Hall. That distinction belongs to James Reese Europe, whose Clef Club Orchestra played Carnegie Hall on May 2, 1912. Also, W.C. Handy gave a concert here (that included Fats Waller) on April 27, 1928. Whiteman himself had appeared in Carnegie Hall three times prior to the October 7, 1928 concert. For me, the real thrill about the October 7, 1928 concert is that we can now confirm Bix Beiderbecke definitely played at Carnegie Hall and that he joins the long list of jazz legends that have performed here, to whose company he truly belongs.

 

 

In A Mist or Bixology?

The OKeh record 3150 was issued in the United States as In A Mist. Simultaneously with the release in the US, there were releases in France and England under the title Bixology.

In addition, subsequent reissues in the US were also under the title Bixology. The name Bixology was undoubtedly inspired by Trumbology, a recording made by Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra on February 4, 1927 (the same day that the immortal Singin’ the Blues was recorded).

 

 

The Composition

Dick Hyman analyzes Bix’s piano compositions – “Modern Suite” – in two articles published in the April and May 1985 issues of “Keyboard”. The first article focuses on “In A Mist”, while the second covers the remaining compositions, “Candlelights”, “Flashes” and “In The Dark”.

Mr. Hyman explains that Bix’s piano compositions were transcribed by Bill Challis because Bix had no formal musical training. This has consequences in that:

Because of Bix’s reliance on Challis’ notation, there are some hazardous hand positions in the sheet music.

Mr.Hyman proposes and provides an example of:

What seems to be a more sensible distribution between the hands.

Mr. Hyman points out that Bix’s version in his 1927 recording is substantially different from later recorded versions by other artists. First, a slow, lyrical section is not included in Bix’s version.

Second:

Later interpreters have tended to play the piece more slowly and gracefully, although this tends to pull down the sprightliness of the subsequent jazzy sections.

Mr. Hyman speculates that Bix’s version may have been vivace because of the time constraints associated with 78 rpm recordings. In support of his hypothesis, he cites the fact that Challis’s published transcription is marked moderato. Mr. Hyman concludes his article by stating that:

The piece may be performed at several different tempos and work in different ways. My own preference is for a slower interpretation than Bix’s recordings, but not so slow as to turn the dance rhythm into a nocturne.

The last comment is highly perceptive. “In A Mist”, as recorded by Bix, is a jazz composition. Although the tempo may be varied, the spirit of that truly great piece of music must not be tampered with.

 

 

The Case of the Two “In A Mists”

Title: Jazz Piano Roots: The Case of the Two “In a Mists”
Author: Hyman, Dick
Reference: Piano Today  26:2 [Spring 2006] p. 25
IIMP Citation Number:     00452744

    

Dick Hyman

I recently prepared a transcription for the Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation of a piece I’ve been playing in two different forms since I was a teenager. The back story, as journalists say, is complex and goes like this:

Bix Beiderbecke’s only solo piano recording, In A Mist, took place in New York on September 9, 1927. The piece, his own composition, also released under the title Bixology, seems to have been in the making for several years; his friends described him as frequently extemporizing similar material on whatever piano was available. He was 24, already an experienced performer on cornet with the Jean Goldkette Orchestra, and had gigged around the Midwest since dropping out of school.

Although he had become known as a startlingly inventive soloist, both on cornet and piano, Bix’s reading skill had always lagged behind, and to notate the new piece for publication, Bix sought the services of Bill Challis, a close associate who had arranged many of the scores for the Goldkette Orchestra. As printed the following year, In A Mist bears a credit for Challis for ”editing.”.

The differences between the recorded and published versions of In A Mist are both great and small: great in that the recording entirely omits a pretty, slower section marked Tranquilly and substitutes a more rhythmic passage. The small differences are those variations an improvising jazz player tends to make when repeating material, offering equivalent but not identical figures (compare bars 7 and 81).

All of this proved to be important for a proposed dance series by the Twyla Tharpe Dancers back in 1979. Twyla had choreographed ”The Bix Pieces,” which included In A Mist, and had been performing it to a series of recordings. For the new season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, an on-stage pianist and orchestra would perform the music live. I was called in to arrange and perform the whole sequence, and it was the first time I encountered the problem of the two In A Mists: the dancers were used to the recorded version, and it wouldn’t do for the pianist to play the considerably different published version.

Since I was familiar with the piece at that time, I made an approximate version of the recording for my own use, a little more detailed than a lead sheet but not altogether exact, and we performed ”The Bix Pieces” live a number of times. I don’t believe the dance has been done with piano and orchestra since that time. Recently, however, the possibility of another live performance has come up, not necessarily by Twyla Tharpe’s dancers nor with me as the pianist, so I was commissioned to get the recorded version on paper so that it might be accurately read by another player. This is the result of those efforts.

The following pages include the sheet music as detailed below:

IIMP Citation Number: [00452745]
Author: Beiderbecke, Bix
Document Title: “In a Mist”
Reference: Piano Today 26:2 [Spring 2006] p. 25-30
Abstract: The sheet music of Bix Beiderbecke’s “In a Mist” for solo piano, transcribed by Dick Hyman from the 1927 recording by the composer, is presented.

 

 

Commentaries (under construction)

 

 

Some Recordings of In A Mist (in chronological order)

 

  • Bix Beiderbecke. Piano solo. Recorded in New York for OKeh Records on September 9, 1927.
  • Red Norvo. Xylophon solo, 1933. Reissued in CD “Dance of the Octopus”, HEP (IRE) 1044.
  • Frankie Trumbauer. Arranged for orchestra (includes Charlie and Jack Teagarden, Roy Bargy, and Dick McDonough, among others). Recorded in 1934 and released as Brunswick 6997.
  • Lilian Crawford. Piano solo. Recorded in 1934 in Richmond, Indiana, and released as Champion 16817.
  • Manuel Salsamendi. Piano solo. Recorded in 1935 on Argentinian Odeon.
  • Benny Goodman. Arranged for orchestra. In CD “Airplay”. Originally a transcription of a 1936 radio broadcast.
  • Jess Stacy. Piano solo. Recorded from a Benny Goodman  Camel Caravan broadcast of 1938.
  • Bunny Berigan and His Men. Recorded in 1938. Reissued in the album “Bunny Plays Bix”.
  • Larry Clinton. Arranged for orchestra. 1938 or 1939. Issued in CD “Larry Clinton and His Orchestra: Live in 1938 and 1939”, Jazz Band, 2000.

 

  • Unknown. 1940? Vinyl test pressing, perhaps Decca was ever issued. Arrangement for harpsichord (really a Novachord, an early electric keyboard instrument) and wind octet. Information about the test pressing and a streaming file of the music can be found on Norman Field’s website.

 

The oddest version of IN A MIST here was acquired when a classical flute-playing friend of mine, who also collects 78s of flute solos, called and said he had 2 single-sided vinyl test pressings he didn’t want. He’d bought them because hand-written on the labels was: ‘Harpsichord and woodwind ensemble’. But when he played them, they sounded more like Jazz, so he offered them to me. He had paid £1 each for them, so without playing them I offered him £2 each, which he initially refused because it was too much! I played a bit of one side. They were obviously (British) Decca tests, but they were dubbed and the quality was very poor. The master numbers were written on the labels and dated to May 1941. It was indeed something like a wind octet, but the harpsichord was obviously a nova chord, an early electric keyboard instrument. The piece was of the BACH GOES TO TOWN genre.

I was very busy with gigs at the time and it was several weeks before I got around to playing the other test. Oh, Joy! It was IN A MIST! The hunt was on! I sent a tape and full details to Steven Walker, who is a great authority on British Ragtime, Jazz, and Dance music. He got the late Sandy Forbes to check the Decca files, and Behold! The numbers were blank.

The record was certainly never issued, and we don’t know whose group it is or anybody on it! Arthur Young was the main performer on the nova chord with Decca at the time, but Steve thinks the playing of the group is not up to the standard of anything that could be associated with Young. Indeed, the poor standard of playing, especially on IN A MIST is probably the reason the session was rejected. But why the masters should have been poorly dubbed (there’s even a hum) and then pressed into vinyl (which didn’t come into use here until 1949, I believe) remains a mystery, or why it was never entered in the files. Indeed, whoever cut the dubs did not even bother to lock the run-off groove (by disengaging the cutting head from the feed-screw for just over one revolution before lifting the cutter), so when the pickup gets to the end of the run-off, it carries on across the label.

The labels are written in ball-point pen (after ~1950), and as you can see from the price ticket on the companion disc, they have passed through the well-known second-hand record shop Violet May’s in Sheffield, Yorkshire, for 20p (~30c). The £ was decimalised in 1970.

Oh yes, at least Steve knew the name of the other tune: MIND, THE HANDEL’S HOT!

Since originally writing this, some simple and rather obvious research was prompted by comments on the 78-l by Andrew Hornzy and David Lennick. They thought the group’s sound was intended to resemble that of the Alec Wilder Octet. I should have looked into the title MIND, THE HANDEL’S HOT in the first place! It was recorded for Decca by Arthur Young with Hatchett’s Quintette in April 1940 and was composed by Dennis Moonan, who was a member of the group, playing clarinet, sax. and viola. (Master DR4580-1, Decca F7591).

It, therefore, might be possible that, a year later, In the absence of definite information, a theory might be that Young assembled this group in order to create a sound similar to the Alec Wilder Octet (which I confess to my shame, I have never heard…), but the results never attained a suitable standard for the issue.  But why the masters aren’t entered in the Decca files is still a mystery. And why the tests are dubs and not masters: who knows?

I’m soon upgrading my computer and will be able to get into MP3 and things like that, so I should be able to make this obscure version of IN A MIST available to anyone who collects versions of it. When that occurs, I’ll clean the sound up a little and notch out the hum.

In the meantime, you can hear a short, low-definition extract of it as a .WAV file right now. Maybe, afterward, you won’t want to hear it all!

Audio Player

 

  • Alix Combelle. Recorded January 10, 1941. For piano and a small group of French jazz musicians (“Le Jazz de Paris”), including Django Reinhardt’s brother, Joseph.  Reissued in CD “1940-1941” Jazz Chronological Classics # 751. 1994. The title of “In A Mist” is given in this recording as “En Souvenir.” I thank Jean-Pierre Lion for some of this information.
  • Charles Magnante. 1940s. Arranged for accordion quartet. World Transcription Record.
  • Mel Henke. 1947. For piano and vocal group (The Honeydreamers) Vitacoustic U-669 (78 rpm record). (I thank Bill Anthony  for providing the information about this version of “In A Mist.” To see the label, kindly supplied by Jean-Pierre Lion).

 

  • Jimmy McPartland. 1949. Arranged for orchestra. Issued on Unison. Marian McPartland on piano.
  • Harry James. 1949. Arranged for big band. Issued on Columbia.
  • Sal Franzella. 1940s? Jazz Quintette. Included in the 8-inch 33 rpm Lang-Worth  Transcriptions,  LW IN4.
  • Ralph Sutton. 1950. Piano solo. Issued on Commodore.
  • Jess Stacy. 1950. Piano solo. Issued by Columbia.
  • The Les Jowett Seven. 1957. For 7-piece band. In British Esquire LP “A Tribute to Les Jowett”. The pianist, who played and wrote the arrangement, was Terry Whitney. Les Jowett was a  Bix-inspired cornet player who died at age 35 in 1960. (I thank Malcolm Walton for first calling my attention to this recording and for providing information. I also thank Pat Bernham for the corrections and additional information. Pat writes,  “I was on some of the Les Jowett tracks playing guitar on the date when “In A Mist” was recorded. All this nis ow referenced in the book The Brighton Jazz Line by Keith Samuel and Peter Simpkins, EverGreen Graphics, UK 2002.”)
  • Red Nichols. 1953. Arranged for orchestra. Re-released in Audiophile ACD-2, “LORING “RED” NICHOLS AND HIS BAND -SYNCOPATED CHAMBER MUSIC.”
  • Dill Jones. 1955. Piano solo. First British recording of the number.
  • Jimmy McPartland. Arranged for orchestra (Cutty Cutshall, trombone; Bill Stegmeyer, clarinet; Bud Freeman, tenor sax; Romeo Penque, oboe; George Berg, bassoon; Marian McPartland, piano; Sandy Block, bass; George Wettling, drums. Recorded in 1956. Reissued in 1977 in the double LP MCA2-4110, “Shades of Bix, Jimmy McPartland and Boby Hackett”.
  • Tom Talbert. Arranged for orchestra. Originally recorded in 1956 and issued in Atlantic LP 1250. Reissued in CD “Bix Fats Duke”, 1993, See Breeze Jazz CDSB-3013..
  • Sauter-Finegan Orchestra. The arrangement is by Eddie Sauter and heavily features marimba player Joe Venuto. In “Under Analysis LP, RCA Victor LPM-1364.  Recorded in 1956.        I thank Daniel Krystkiewicz for providing this information. He writes, ” Under Analysis is an album of arrangements paying tribute to various musicians of the big-band era, and I  suspect the arrangement of In A Mist here was inspired by the 1933 recording by Sauter’s old employer Red Norvo, as well as by Bix himself.
  • Les Jowett. 1957. Jowett plays Cornet. Terry Whitney plays piano and is the arranger.
  • Manny Albam. 1958. In the LP “Manny Albam and His Jazz Greats: New York” with Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerome Richardson, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Pepper Adams, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson & Eddie Costal. Reissued in 2005 in Lonehill Jazz CD entitled “Manny Albam and His Jazz Greats.”
  • Lou Busch. Arranged for piano and orchestra. Released in 1958 in Capitol LP T 1702, “Lazt Rhapsody.
  • Michel Legrand. Arranged for orchestra. In the album “Legrand Jazz”, 1958.
  • Dick Cathcart. Arranged for orchestra. In the album “Bix MCMLIX”, 1959.
  • The Metropolitan Jazz Octet. Arranged for orchestra. In the album “The Legend of Bix”, 1959.
  • Johnny Guarnieri. 1961. Piano solo. First shown on the TV program “Chicago and All That Jazz.” Later issued by Sounds great.
  • Lew Davies. 1962. Orchestra. In LP album Command R 33 829/RS 829 SD – Strange Interlude.
  • Ralph Sutton. Piano with drums and bass. In album “Ragtime”, 1963.
  • Clark Terry. Arranged for orchestra. In 1994 CD “Happy Horns”. Originally released in 1964.
  • Armand Hug. Piano solo. 1968. Issued on Dulai.
  • Len Bernard. Piano solo. Issued in 1968 or 1969 by Swaggie.
  • Ralph Sutton. Piano solo. 1969. In the album “Knocked-Out Nocturne.”
  • Dill Jones. Piano solo. In 1972 Chiaroscuro’s album “Davenport Blues.”
  • Jack Crossan. Clavicord solo. In album “Keyboard Kaleidoscope”, Westminster Gold WGS-8162, 1972. (I thank Mike Heckman for providing the information about this version of “In A Mist.”)
  • Freddie Hubbard. Arranged for orchestra. In CD “Sky Dive”. Originally recorded in 1972.
  • Bucky Pizzarelli. Arranged for guitar quintet. In album “The Bucky Pizzarelli Quintet Plays the Music of Bix Beiderbecke in Arrangements by Bill Challis”, 1974. Reissued on CD in 1988, on Audiophile DADCD-238.
  • Geoff Bland. 1974. Piano accompanied by Roger Bell’s band. Issued on Swaggie.
  • Dick Hyman. Piano solo. In double LP Set “Dick Hyman Plays Keyboard Classics of the Nostalgia Years.” 1974 Cadence Records CR 2001.
  • Swingle Singers. An eight-voice “a cappella group” directed by Ward Swingle. In CBS LP # 80947 “Rags and All That Jazz.” From 1975. (I thank Alex Revell for providing this information.)
  • Trace. Arranged for orchestra. In the album “Birds”‘ 1975.
  • Keith Nichols. Piano solo. Issued by One-Up in 1975.
  • Armand Hug. Piano solo. In the album “Bix Hug”, 1976.
  • Ralph Sutton. Piano solo. Issued in 1976 on the Dutch Riff label.
  • Dave Frishberg. Piano solo. Reissued in the CD “Getting Some Fun out of Life”. Originally recorded in 1977.
  • Kenny Werner. Piano solo. In Finnadar 9019 LP album “Piano Music”, 1978.
  • Ry Cooder. Arranged for salon-jazz orchestra. In the album “Ry Cooder Jazz”, 1978.
  • Vintage Jazz Band. 1978 Australian group from Brisbane.
  • Eddie Higgins. Piano solo. In the album “My Time of Day”, 1978.    Re-released as CD Solo Art SACD-128 in 1995.
  • Charlie Byrd. Guitar duet with Laurindo Almeida. In CD “Charlie Byrd: Jazz Concord Heritage Series”, 1980.
  • Franca Mazzola. Piano solo. 1981. Issued on Carosello.
  • Bucky Pizzarelli with son John, Jr. In CD “Complete Guitar Duos”, 1984.
  • Lou Stein. Piano solo. In Audiophile album “Lou Stein, solo”, 1984.
  • Bob Haggart. Used as introduction and coda in 1986 Jazzology album “Portrait of Bix.”
  • Marco Fumo. Piano solo. Originally recorded in 1987, reissued in 1999 on CD “Last Time Rag,” Dynamic( Italy)
  • Saint Louis Stompers. Issued in 1988 in Argentina.
  • Joe LoCascio. Piano solo. In the cassette “In A Mist (The Music of Bix Beiderbecke).” 1988.  Cassette Tape GSS 1040.
  • Morten Gunnar Larsen. Piano solo. In CD “Maple Leaf Rag”, 1989.
  • London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble. Arranged for brass quintet. In Timeless CD “The London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble, The Influence of Jazz.” 1989. Last track of “Magnolia Suite.” The title of the track is not “In A Mist,” but “The Inner Bix.” I thank Rob Rothberg for calling my attention to this recording.
  • Protosynthesis Ensemble.  Arranged for several types of guitars, flute. In CD Protosynthesis: Jazz Classics – Classical Jazz, RVA Victor #60460, 1990.
  • Cesare Poggi. Piano solo. In CD “Bix, An Interpretation of a Legend”, 1991.
  • Eddie Daniels with Gary Burton. Arranged for clarinet, vibraphone, piano, bass, and drums. In CD “Benny Rides Again”, 1992.
  • Butch Thompson. Piano solo. In CD “Minnesota [sic] Wonder 88’s”, 1992.
  • Eddie Daniels. Arrangement for clarinet, piano, acoustic bass, and drums. In CD GRP9655, 1992.
  • Mike Polad. Piano solo. In CD “Piano Deco, Vol. I”, 1993.
  • Guy Barker.  Duet by Guy Barker Trumpet) and bass (Alec Dankworth) in CD “Isn’t It,” Spotlite SPJCD545, 1993.
  • Charlie Byrd and the Washington Guitar Quintet. Arranged for six guitars. In CD “Aquarelle”, 1993.
  • Ralph Sutton. Piano solo. In CD “Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 30”, 1993.
  • Randy Sandke and the New York All-Stars.  Recorded live in Hamburg, June 1993. In Nagel_Meyer CD “One, Two, Three – Jazz Live At The Musikhalle The First Three Concerts (1992-1993).
  • Sven-Eric Dahlberg. Pianist, in IMCD 029 entitled “Sven-Eric Dahlberg 1-2-3.” Recorded at Studio 12, Gothenburg, Sweden in June 1994.
  • Jess Stacy. Piano Solo. In CD “EC-STACY” ASV Living Era 5172, 1995.
  • Roy Eldridge.  For the jazz group. In 1995 CD “Heckler’s Hop,” Hep Records # 1030 CD.
  • Lincoln Mayorga. Piano solo. In CD “Sophisticated Innocence: American Novelty Piano Solos”, 1995.
  • Eddie Higgins. Piano solo.  In Solo Art # 124 CD entitled “In Chicago.” Issued in 1995.
  • Beau Hunks. Arrangement for nine saxophones, two guitars, string bass and drums. In CD “Saxophone Soctette”, Basta 3090 892, 1996.
  • Robert Smith. Piano solo which faithfully follows the Bill Challis published score. In the New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra CD (their volume 5) “Roll On Mississippi, Roll On”, 1997
  • Robert Smith. Piano solo. In the New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra CD “The Bix Beiderbecke Legacy”, 1998.
  • Joseph Smith. Piano solo. In Vol.4 -American Piano-Rhythm CD, Premier # 1028, 1998.
  • Duncan Browne. Guitar + ? In VV CD “Duncan Browne (+ Bonus Tracks)”, 1998.
  • London Symphony Orchestra. In  1998 Aleph CD was mostly devoted to Thelonious Monk’s compositions.
  • Charlie Byrd. Guitar solo. In Concord Records 4816 entitled “Charlie Byrd, The Concord Heritage Jazz Series.” Issued in 1998.
  • Dick Walter. Arranged for a large orchestra. In 1998 ASC CD “Secret Moves.”
  • Beau Hunks.  Arranged for nine saxophones. In 1998 Basta 30-9089-2 CD entitled, “The Beau Hunks Saxophone Soctette.” I thank Victor  Bronsgeest for calling my attention to this recording.
  • Dean Cotrill. In VV CD “A Moment With You”, 2000.
  • Andy Bey. Scat Vocal and Piano accompanied by orchestra. In CD “Tuesdays in Chinatown,” NK2 Encoded Music # 4223, 2001.
  • Bucky Pizzarelli. For acoustic, seven-string guitar solo. In Arbors Records CD # 19524 “One Morning in May,” issued in 2001.
  • Mark Atkinson.  For a trio consisting of two acoustic guitars and string bass. In Pacific Music CD “The Mark Atkinson Trio, II.” Issued in 2002.
  • Dick Hyman. Piano solo. In Arbors Records CD entitled “The Piano Giants at Bob Haggart’s 80th Birthday Party.” Issued in 2002.
  • Geoff Muldaur. Arranged for violin, cornet, trombone, clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax, and tuba. In 2003 CD entitled “A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke, Private Astronomy.”
  • Vasari Singers.  Arranged for the Swinger Singers with lyrics by Tony Isaacs. In CD “Deep Purple,”  Guild # GMCD 7267, 2003.
  • Bratislava Serenaders. Unknown arrangement. In the CD entitled “Cotton Club Stomp.” 2003.
  • Claude Bolling.  Piano solo. In Fremeaux and Assoc. CD “Ragtime Bolling and Boogie.” Issued in 2004.
  • Philip Aaberg.  In the CD “Windham Hill America.” Issued in 2004. I thank Sven Bjerstedt for this information.
  • Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra East.  In Summit CD entitled “Live at Birdland.” Issued in 2004.
  • Heinz von Hermann. For saxophone, piano, and string bass. In Jive Music CD JM 2047-2 “Hi Bix.” Issued in 2004.
  • Dick Hyman. Piano solo. In Arbors ARCD 19283 “If Bix Played Gershwin.” Issued in 2004.
  • Westwind Brass.  For brass quintet, trumpet, trombone, tuba. In LMP CD entitled “Jazztet.” Issued in 2005.
  • Jason Wanner. Piano solo. In CD “Nature Boy” was released in 2005.
  • Patrick Artero. In CD Nocturne 352 “2 Bix But Not Too Bix.” Arranged for a small jazz band. Issued in 2006.
  • Don Baaska. Piano solo. In the CD “In A Mist.” Issued in 2007.
  • Wolfgang Kohler. Piano solo. In Warwick Music “Two-Too” CD 123. Issued in 2007.
  • Brent Watkins. Piano solo. In “The Heroes of Parlortown, Volume 2.” Issued in 2007.
  • Dick Hyman. Piano solo. In  CD “Thinking About Bix,” Reference Recordings # 116. Issued in 2008.
  • Ken Mathieson.  Arranged for two brasses, three reeds, and three rhythms. On Lake Records, LACD 261 entitled Ken Mathieson’s Classic Jazz Orchestra Salutes the Kings of Jazz. Issued in 2008.
  • Bryan Wright. Piano solo. In Rivermont CD BSW-2212, Bryan Wright – Breakin’ Notes: Ragtime and Novelty Piano Solos. Issued in 2010.

Several of the versions listed above were found in the article “Recordings of the Piano Compositions of Bix Beiderbecke” by Ron Sweetman, IAJRC Journal, Vol. 36, No. 1, Winter 2002/2003.  I thank Bryan Wright for calling to my attention several of the versions listed above.

 

 

A Piano Roll of “In A Mist”

Brad Kay informed me (e-mail message of  9/16/99) of the existence of a Duo-Art piano roll of “In A Mist”, played by Constance Mering. According to Brad:

This roll obviously came out not long after the piece was published by Robbins. Her rendition is faithful to the score, although she takes some curious liberties with the time. The coda, for instance, is stretched to about three times the length of Bix’s OKeh rendering. She rolls many of the chords with her tiny feminine fingers, which is not surprising. There are a lot of big stretches in “In A Mist.” The last “C” chord involves tenths in each hand. To my knowledge, this item has never been mentioned in any of the reference books. Damn shame they didn’t ask Bix to do the roll. I wonder if he even knew it had been made.

 I found a source of the piano roll at www.pianorollshop.com/catalog_duoart_3.htm. –> NOT WORKING

The roll is advertised as:

Here is Bix Beiderbecke’s masterful jazz piano piece wonderfully interpreted by one of the queens of twenties piano, Constance Mering.

Constance Mering recorded several piano duets with Muriel Pollock. A CD published in 1998, “Keyboard Wizards of the Gershwin Era Vol. 6 – Lawnhurst, Pollock, Mering” (Pearl Records Historic Reissue GEMM CD 9206) features duets of Vee Lawnhurst and Muriel Pollock, and of Muriel Pollock and Constance Mering. According to the advertising for the CD, these three women:

Broke into the traditionally male preserve of popular music by posing formidable triple threats: performing, arranging, and composing .This disc features their extraordinary piano duet collaborations.

Constance Mering stopped recording in 1931.

 

Addendum

Alan Wallace writes on 12/13/00:

I own a player piano and have just recently obtained Mering’s “In A Mist.” I agree with Mr. Kay’s take on the role.  I would like to add that this roll has been reissued by the Keystone Music Roll Company in Penn. Their URL is http://www.keystonemusicroll.com/index.htm –> BROKEN LINK

 

 

An Arrangement of “In A Mist” for Piano

Caroline Kraft informed me that MaryLou Williams provides an arrangement (improvisation) of “In A Mist” in the book “Piano Solos, The Genius of Jazz Giants. Masters of Boogie-Woogie, Book 3, Compiled by David C. Olsen, CPP Belwin, Inc., 15800 N.W. 48th Avenue Miami, FL 33014.

 

 

An Arrangement of “In A Mist” for Accordion

Charles Magnante wrote a number of arrangements of classical jazz pieces. These were published in 1956 by the Robbins Music Corporation as a 48-page booklet. Among the pieces we find “In A Mist”, “Stompin’ At The Savoy”, “The Wang Wang Blues”, “China Boy”, and “Alice Blue”.

Audio Player

Charles Magnante (1905-1986) was a virtuoso accordionist. His radio and recording career started at sixteen. He performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on April 18th, 1939. He was president of the American Accordionist’s Association in 1950-51, 1955-56 and 1969-70.

 

 

An Arrangement of “In A Mist” for Orchestra

Larry Clinton made several arrangements of songs such as “Swing Creations for Orchestra.” One of these is an arrangement of “In A Mist” for drums, Bass, piano, violins, guitar, 1st Sax Eb Alto, 2nd Sax Bb Tenor, 3rd Sax Eb Alto, 4th Sax Bb Tenor, 1st & 2nd Trombone, 1st Trumpet in Bb, 2nd Trumpet in Bb and 3rd Trumpet in Bb.

 

 

Fred Elizalde’s Public Performance of “In A Mist” in 1929

Here are the contents of a souvenir program of  “The Melody Maker for the Invitation Concert for Musicians”  at the Shepherd’s Bush Pavilion, Sunday June 23rd. 1929. The concert featured Fred Elizalde and his Savoy Music and also Al Bowlly:

  1. “Singapore Sorrows”
  2. “She’s One Sweet Show Girl”
  3. (a) “A Precious Little Thing Called Love” (b) “Let’s Do It” (c) “The Broadway Melody”
  4. “Viljah” Valse
  5. The Jazz Band(a) “Savoy Stomp” (b) “Nobody’s Sweetheart”
  6. “Lover Come Back To Me” — Interval of 10 Minutes 
  7. “At The Turn Of The Tide”
  8. “Sweetheart Of All My Dreams”
  9. Fred Elizalde Will Play Some Piano Solos: Also “In A Mist”
  10. “Bataclan” In Three Movements, This Is The First Performance Of “Bataclan” Which Was Composed By Fred Elizalde For This Concert

God Save The King
Announcer: Mr Edgar Jackson (Editor: The Melody Maker)


The Personnel:

  • Jack Hill…First Bass Guitar
  • Tiny Stock…First String Bass
  • Bill Busby…Second String Bass
  • Billy Mason..Piano
  • Ronnie Gubertini…Drums
  • Mario Lorenzi…Harp
  • Nobby Knight…Third Trumpet
  • Chelsea Quealey…First Solo Trumpet
  • Norman Payne…Second Trumpet
  • George Hurley…First Violin
  • Jack Collins…Trombonist
  • Ben Frankel…Second Violin
  • Len Lee…Third Violin
  • Bobby Davis…First Alto Saxophone
  • Max Farley…Second Alto Saxophone
  • Fud Livingston… First Tenor Saxophone
  • Arthur Rollini…Second Tenor Saxophone
  • Adrian Rollini…Bass Saxophone
  • Al Bowlly…Vocalist & Guitar
  • Phil Cardew…Arranger & Relief Saxophone
  • Fred Elizalde…Leader

Fred Elizalde And His Savoy Music By Kind Permission Of The Directors Of The Savoy Hotel London, At The Shepherd’s Bush Pavilion, Sunday, June 23rd.1929!

Note all the Bix connections in addition to “In A Mist.” Chelsea Quealey and Norman Payne, great admirers and emulators of Bix; Bobby Davis and Adrian Rollini, who were with Bix in the New Yorkers band in 1927 and recorded several sides with Bix; Fud Livingston, a Goldkette side man in 1925 and composer and arranger of “Humpty Dumpty” recorded by Frank Trumbauer with Bix, Bobby Davis, and Adrian Rollini on Sep 28. 1927. No wonder Elizalde played Bix’s “In A Mist” at the concert.



Cover of the Program

Courtesy of Nick Dellow.



Review of the Concert

Gramophone Magazine, Jul 1929.  Courtesy of Nick Dellow.

THE WEST END AT SHEPHERD’S BUSH 

At the invitation of our excellent contemporary, The Melody Maker, some three thousand five hundred enthusiastic dance musicians and their friends assembled at the Shepherd’s Bush Pavilion on Sunday, June 23rd, to hear a concert by Mr. Fred Elizalde’s famous Savoy Band. The applications of another thousand had to be reluctantly refused.

The orchestra, which is the most advanced dance band in Europe, is perhaps not so good an ensemble as that of Jack Hylton or Bert Ambrose but is more interesting to listen to. While it contains some very bright stars, it also has its weak places, notably the strings section, as was obvious when anything more ambitious than ordinary dance music was attempted. The brass, with the exception of the first trumpet, was not always satisfactory, and the “slapping” of the double basses and the strumming of the banjo and guitar to emphasize the rhythm were sometimes overdone, especially when one of the wind instruments was taking a solo. But these defects were greatly outweighed by some clever piano playing by Elizalde himself, the strength of the saxophones and other reed instruments, and the first trumpet of Mr. Norman Payne, who took the lead at the last moment owing to the absence of Mr. Chelsea Quealey, who has been recalled suddenly to America. But where the band scores is in the brilliant arrangements and orchestration of Mr. Fud Livingstone and Mr. Phil Cardew, who make even the dullest dance tune something worth hearing.

I must pass over the performance of contemporary dance music, good as it was, to the event of the afternoon. This was a suite, Bataclan, composed specially for the occasion by Mr. Elizalde. I must confess that I awaited this with a certain amount of scepticism. I have heard many of these ambitious suites for dance orchestras and, without exception, I have never been able to get rid of the idea that their only merit has been to show off the tricks of the performers. Bataclan was different. It would be foolish to judge it at a first hearing, but it was good enough to make one forget the performers and listen to the music for its own sake. I should like to hear it performed by a really large orchestra where due prominence could be given to the strings. Mr. Elizalde, at the age of twenty-one, is undoubtedly quite exceptional in the dance world. Here is an opportunity for the recording companies. We get far too few records from Brunswick.

I must conclude with a word of praise for a composition by Bix Beiderbecke (Whiteman’s first trumpet) entitled In A Mist and for the final encore, which was that splendid piece of ragtime Tiger Rag. Finally, all credit is due to Mr. Edgar Jackson, editor of The Melody Maker, who was not only responsible for the organization but proved himself a born announcer.

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