Introduction

    This discography attempts to list the first issues, including matrix and take numbers/letters, as well as recording companies, recording studio locations, and catalogue numbers, of all recordings in which Bix Beiderbecke participated, complete with recording dates and places, personnel, instrumentation, and solos and/or break designations.

    First issues (or, in the case of records, test pressings thereof) are the sources for all subsequent reissues of any artist's work. Since almost every day new reissues are being published, this discography lists first issues only. In addition, each entry will have a link to a picture of the record label as well as a link to the soundtrack.

    This discography is based principally on the pioneering work of Philip R. Evans and William Dean-Myatt in "Bix, Man & Legend" (1974) by Richard M. Sudhalter and Philip R. Evans. Additional sources are Vittorio Caselli, Evert "Ted" Kaleveld and Liborio Pusateri, "The Bix Bands, A Bix Beiderbecke disco-biography (1972); Brian Rust, "Jazz Records 1897-1942" (1974); Marc Richard and Philippe Baudoin, "Intégrale Bix Beiderbecke, Masters of Jazz" (1991-1995); Philip R. Evans and Larry F. Kiner with William Trumbauer, "Tram, The Frank Trumbauer Story" (1994);  Philip R. and Linda K. Evans, "Bix, The Leon Bix Beiderbecke Story" (1998); the group assembled around Richard M. Sudhalter and Scott Wenzel for the edition of the Mosaic set, "The Complete Okeh & Brunswick Bix Beiderbecke Sessions" (2001); Don Rayno, "Paul Whiteman, Pioneer in American Music, Volume I: 1890-1930 (2003); and Jean Pierre Lion, "Bix, The Definitive Biography of A Jazz Legend" (2005). 

    However, an ongoing thorough and meticulous review of all of Bix' recorded work regularly reveals discrepancies between what can actually been heard on a given side and what is written in the works mentioned above. This discography is therefore, via the Bix Beiderbecke Forum, http://www.network54.com/Hide/Forum/27140, open for discussion and will be altered each time a general consensus on a certain subject is reached.

Abbreviations and Notes

    The following abbreviations for musical instruments are used.
(c) cornet – (tp) trumpet – (tb) trombone – (cl) clarinet – (as) alto saxophone – (Cm) C-melody saxophone – (ts) tenor saxophone – (bar) baritone saxophone – (bsx) bass saxophone – (reeds) reed section – (vln) violin – (bj) banjo – (g) guitar – (p) piano – (cel) celeste – (tu) tuba – (sb) string bass – (bb) brass bass  – (d) drums – (perc) percussions – (voc) vocals.
The name of other instruments are not abbreviated.
Other abbreviations used are: (dir) director and (arr) arranger.
 

    The common names of musicians are given rather than their given names. Thus, we write Doc Ryker rather than Stanley Ryker. The spelling of the composers is as given in the ASCAP data base. Thus, we write Ted Fiorito rather than Ted Fio Rito.

    The number of bars in each solo and/or break is indicated in parentheses after the name of the musician. Only improvised solos and/or breaks are listed. The instrument utilized is given in some specific cases. Bix Beiderbecke playing open cornet is simply indicated as “Bix” and Frank Trumbauer playing C-melody sax is indicated as “Trumbauer.”

    Only issued takes are included in the main discography. Unissued takes are listed in appendix 1. Controversial recordings are listed in appendix 2. Other appendices will include arguments, contradictions, theories, non-Bix items, etc.

    Links to images of the record labels are provided, when possible, for every original issue on 78 rpm records. Some of the label scans were made by Hans Eekhoff from records in his collection. Hans Eekhoff also helped with the data for 1924-1926. Other label scans are from my collections of photographs and records, and others were kindly supplied by fellow Bixophiles Joe Giordano, Rob Rothberg, D. Scott Calhoun.

    Links to sound files for the first issue (either on 78, LP or CD) of every recording are provided. Unless indicated otherwise, all sound files are from http://redhotjazz.com  We are grateful to Scott Alexander for permission to provide links to his website.

    The following music file is from the "Bix Restored" series of CDs: http://www.originjazz.com/ : "Adoration" by Jean Goldkette and His Orchestra. We thank Michael Kieffer for kindly giving us permission to use these tracks.

    The music files are rm (real media) files. In order to play rm files, real player is needed. It can be downloaded (free) from   http://www.real.com/