Guy Baker On The Emotional Power Of Bix Beiderbecke - Ahead Of The EFG London Jazz Festival

As we look forward to our 2015 EFG London Jazz Festival Cadogan Hall concert on November 22^nd we spoke to the highly acclaimed trumpet player Guy Barker who is appearing for us in the role of Bix Beiderbecke. 

The show, A TributeTo Paul Whiteman – Bix, Bing and Rhapsody In Blue, is directed by vintage jazz maestro Keith Nichols who worked with Guy back in the late 80’s on their collaboration  “The Bix Beiderbecke Project”.   

Bix was one of the first big stars of jazz but he died tragically young at 28.  He joined Paul Whiteman in 1927 and stayed for a little under two years until ill health caused by bootleg liquor got the better of him.  

His soloing with the WhitemanOrchestra alongside such stars as Bing Crosby and Frankie Trumbauer are amongst some of the greatest moments in early jazz.

(RP: Richard Pite. GB: Guy Barker):

RP:  Guy, we’ve seen you in previous years at the London Jazz Festival in the role of conductor, composer and arranger – is this concert a rare chance to see you playing again?

GB:  Yes, at one time trumpet playing was my whole life but over the last few years the writing has taken over.   I’ve been playing quite a bit more lately and when the opportunity to do this concert came along it gave me the chance to dust down the old 1927 Conn Victor cornet.

  

RP:  Ah, now this is the same model instrument as played by Bix?  I believe that this instrument has a quite distinctive sound and is mellower than the trumpet.

GB: Yes, when I told the great classical trumpet player John Wilbraham that I was involved in a Bix project many years ago he kindly gave me his Conn Victor.   Mainly it’s the musician and not the instrument that makes the sound but having the same instrument as Bix certainly helps me to get closer to the spirit of his playing. 

The Paul Whiteman Orchestra ft. Bix Beiderbecke

From Monday On

RP:  Tell me about hearing Bix for the first time and what you thought of him.

GB:  Well, I first heard recordings of him when I was a teenager.  The first trumpet players I heard that made me feel that this was the kind of music I wanted to play were Louis Armstrong and Rex Stewart.  I came to Bix’s recordings a little after this.

The Keith Nichols Paul Whiteman Orchestra

Singin' The Blues

RP:  Oh, I’d assumed that you’d started with the more modern players and worked backwards.

GB:  No, I pretty much listened to the great jazz trumpeters in almost chronological order but when I was fourteen I was playing in the Crouch End All Stars and got sacked for being too modern.  Later I heard that they wanted someone to play more like Bix so that inspired me to get hold of an album of his playing and when I listened to that sound I got pretty hooked on it.

Music Director Keith Nichols

RP:  Guy, your association with the Whiteman show’s musical director Keith Nichols goes back a long way doesn’t it?

GB:  In the late eighties I got a call from Keith asking if I’d be interested in being involved with his Bix Beiderbecke project.  I told him I was surprised that he had asked me but he said he didn’t want to use a vintage jazz specialist as they would already have their own voice – whereas he could mould me from scratch or, in other words, sit there and do as I was told!   So I bought every Bix record I could find and paid regular visits to Keith who worked with me on getting the correct phrasing and nuances of the Bix style.  I remember him telling me that Bix was the first cool trumpet player and the forerunner of players such as Bobby Hackett and Chet Baker. 

Chet Baker

RP:  Do you have any favourite Bix recordings?

There are certain things of his that have a really emotional effect on me – his playing on I’m Coming Virginia in particular and the solo on From Monday On is very beautiful.  Sometimes there is a kind of nostalgia which I find very touching.  I also love Bix’s piano piece In A Mist which I recoded as a duet with bassist Alec Dankworth.

Bix Beiderbecke

"I'm Coming Virginia"

RP:  As an experienced arranger what do you make of the sound of the huge Whiteman orchestra that Bix was a part of?

I think it’s a glorious sound.  Very intelligent and entertaining and full of beautiful, subtle moments, particularly in his use of strings. 

RP:  Thanks Guy.  I very much look forward to sharing the stage with you on the 22^nd November to recreate this glorious music.

A Tribute to Paul Whiteman – Bix, Bing and Rhapsody In Blue is at the Cadogan Hall SW1 (one minute from Sloane Square tube) at 3pm and 7pm on Sunday November 22^nd.  Tickets are available here. 

The Jazz Repertory Company Concert Showreel