"I'll Be A Friend With Pleasure" by Bix Beiderbecke

I'll Be A Friend 'With Pleasure' is cornetist Bix Beiderbecke's next-to-last appearance in a recording studio. His last recording session took place only one week later.

This Sept. 8, 1930 date was organized around a group of Bix's close, long-time friends. The label credits trumpeter Ray Lodwig as the group's director; he takes the muted trumpet chorus that opens up the record. Other band members included Boyce Cullen on trombone, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, and Pee Wee Russel on clarinet and alto sax, Min Leibrook on string bass, Irving Brodsky on piano, and Gene Krupa on drums.

The band plods along all the way through Wes Vaughn's warbly falsetto vocal, but then Bix and Jimmy Dorsey both play beautiful choruses, bringing the record to a satisfying close. It is possible that the phrase 'With Pleasure' is a reference to the Camel Pleasure Hour radio broadcast, which at the time included Bix in its studio orchestra.

The record player is an Orthophonic Victrola model VE4-4X, or "Granada". The "E" in the model number indicates that the Victrola is fitted with a synchronous A/C motor instead of a wind-up motor. The machine has a full "orthophonic" playback system (for electrically-recorded records) including the special orthophonic sound box with a duralumin diaphragm and a folded exponential horn inside of the cabinet. Although the gigantic Credenza Victrola produced deeper bass, the Granada had the most accurate overall frequency response of all the acoustic Orthophonic Victrolas. The serial number indicates that this machine was probably manufactured in 1926.

I shoot my video with a Sony Digital 8 format camera. For audio, I use a Shure SM-57 microphone on a stand placed about 4 feet in front of the Victrola horn. Although I normally use "soft tone" needles, this video was made with a "bright" or "loud" tone needle. The mic is plugged directly into the video camera. The videos are edited with Windows Movie Maker. I use Sound Forge 9 to clean up the audio, but don't worry -- you're hearing the record exactly as the Victrola plays it!

For more great music, videos, and trivia from this era, please visit my website, http://www.virtualvictrola.com.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bix
• Beiderbecke
• Friend
• Pleasure
• 1930
• jazz
• Jimmy
• Dorsey

[joomuck]

My uncle, who played with Paul Whiteman, introduced me to Bix when I was 15 and I am now 65. It was the beginning of a life long romance with his music. Your recording is fantastic.

[axis009]

This is really lovely. Thanks for posting.

[up2space]

bix is and always will be a martyr he was the man and was thrown to the curb they exploiters of jazz he was the greatest soloist at the time. too much hooch. not enough money.

[alkuhn1]

Thanks. Bix lives, hopefully, after we all are gone. Thanks for the great tune. alkuhn1

[mmay519]

@joomuck

Who is your uncle? What a great connection!

[colette10ful]

Not to be a spol-sport, but if Bix died in 1931 and you are 65 as of two years ago, that would have made it 1944 = doesn't quite add up.... ???

[grafonolafavorite]

Very nice!

[hotjazz9569]

Just returned from the El Coyote restaurant in Los Angeles enjoyed with my friend from New York, Bob Greene, a superb Jelly Roll Morton inspired piano player. He raved about this tune with Bix, Goodman, Dorsey and Gene Krupa. I could not wait to find it on U-Tube when I got home and WOW! What a wonderful gem. Bix coming in strong after the vocal, and what a soulful melody. It immediately starts to swing like crazy--all together--the whole band!!! What a gift! Bix at his BEST!!! Great!!!

[luvmyrecords]

@bigsidcatlett I'm thinking he means Bix's music.

[bigsidcatlett]

Bix died in 1931, 79 years ago. Whoever you met wasn't Bix.