Jason Downes Entertainment presents:

This event has now concluded.

"BIX LIVES" Josh Duffee & Andy Schumm (Drums & Cornet, USA) with Michael McQuaid’s Red Hot Rhythmakers Jason Downes Entertainment is proud to present a special one-off concert featuring a collection of 11 local and overseas young jazz musicians. The evening will feature the music of the great Bix Beiderbecke and celebrate his remarkable life that ended at only 28 years of age. This will be a night of the highest quality music in one of Melbourne’s most prestigious and well-regarded venues:

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Melba Hall University of Melbourne, Royal Parade, Parkville.

Details: ➢ Friday 8th April 2011. ➢ Doors open at 7pm, concert from 8:00pm – 10:30pm: ➢ $27 /$30 – details below Purchase Tickets Now

Josh Duffee - Drums (USA)

Josh is an exciting drummer and academic expert on early American jazz. At 29 years of age, Josh is one of the great drummers of the early jazz tradition and one the world's experts on the music of Jean Goldkette and Chauncey Morehouse.

Andy Schumm - Cornet (USA)

His fate as a '20s musician was sealed one night after hearing Bix Beiderbecke's transcendent recording of "At the Jazz Band Ball" on an authentic Victor horn machine. Andy Schumm is a wonderfully versatile musician, playing a variety of instruments including cornet and piano.

Reviews

Participation by the two visiting American classic jazz specialists, Josh Duffy and Andy Schumm, really set the pace for the Bix Lives Concert at the Melba hall, Melbourne University on the 8th of April 2011. What better combination could there be than having them team with Jason and Michael and the Red Hot Rhythmakers to replicate Bill Challis’s arrangements for the original Jean Goldkette Orchestra from the late 1920s?

While Josh is an expert in the drumming styles of the 20’ and in particular the Goldkette drummer Chauncy Morehouse, Andy is an expert on Bix Beiderbecke’s cornet playing and teamed with Michael and Jason’s musical skills the music took off!

The highlights for me were “Ostrich Walk”, then “Idolizing”, so well sung by Tamsin West, “Singing the Blues”, the quintessential Bix showpiece but most of all, the “planned” encore piece, “My Pretty Girl” which was stand up ovation material. I have heard other live bands play this tune and heard recorded versions but none could equal the fire engendered by the band on that night.

As Josh Duffy said, “We too are young musicians playing what was the pop music of the day.” It was our privilege to get a feel for what it might have been like back then.

To the Melbourne jazz enthusiasts (and the concert going population in general), you missed the musical event of the year. Please Jason, will there be a repeat performance?

Bob Greaves, 28 April 2011