"In a Mist" is a 1927 composition for piano by Bix Beiderbecke.

Background

"In a Mist" was first recorded by Beiderbecke as a piano solo on September 9, 1927 in New York and released as OKeh 40916 backed with "Wringin' an' Twistin'" which was recorded with

Frankie Trumbauer Orie Frank Trumbauer (May 30, 1901 – June 11, 1956) was an American jazz saxophonist of the 1920s and 1930s. His main instrument was the C-melody saxophone, a now-uncommon instrument between an alto and tenor saxophone in size and pitch. He a ...

and Eddie Lang. Bix Beiderbecke performed the composition on piano accompanied by

Roy Bargy Roy Fredrick Bargy (July 31, 1894 – January 16, 1974) was an American composer and pianist. Biography Born in Newaygo, Michigan, he grew up in Toledo, Ohio. In 1919, he began working with Charley Straight at the Imperial Piano Roll Company in ...

and

Lennie Hayton Leonard George Hayton (February 14, 1908 – April 24, 1971) was an American musician, composer, conductor and arranger. Hayton's trademark was a captain's hat, which he always wore at a rakish angle. Early life Hayton was born in New Yor ...

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

on October 7, 1928 at a jazz concert presented by

Paul Whiteman Paul Samuel Whiteman (March 28, 1890 – December 29, 1967) was an American bandleader, composer, orchestral director, and violinist. As the leader of one of the most popular dance bands in the United States during the 1920s and early 1930s, W ...

Style

"In a Mist" mixes elements of late impressionism with early jazz. While written in C-major, the piece is heavily chromatic. Bix mostly plays on the fourth and fifth, often inserting sharp or flat accidentals, while avoiding the tonic to increase tension. Harmonically, the piece features melancholic, rich chords; the swing tempo gives the piece a zippy, joyful quality. These tensions drive the piece, finally settling on a hopeful C-major.

Cover versions

* Red Norvo, on marimba, 1933. * Frankie Trumbauer, 1934, including Charlie and Jack Teagarden, Roy Bargy, and Dick McDonough and released as Brunswick 6997. * Lilian Crawford, 1934, released as Champion 16817. * Manuel Salsamendi, 1935, recorded on Argentinian Odeon. * Benny Goodman, 1936 radio broadcast. * Jess Stacy, recorded from a Benny Goodman Camel Caravan broadcast. * Bunny Berigan and His Men, 1938 * Larry Clinton, 1938 * Alix Combelle, 1941 *

Mel Henke Mel Henke (August 4, 1915 – March 31, 1979) was an American jazz pianist, Chicago bandleader, composer, arranger and jingle writer. Henke studied at the Chicago College of Music, then played with Chicago groups with Mitch Todd, Frank Snyder (musi ...

with the Honeydreamers, 1947, as Vitacoustic U-669 * Jimmy McPartland, 1949, with Marian McPartland on piano. *

Harry James Harry Haag James (March 15, 1916 – July 5, 1983) was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet-playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he reorganized ...

, 1950 on Columbia 38902. * Sal Franzella * Ralph Sutton, 1950 on Commodore. * Jess Stacy, 1950 on Columbia. * The Les Jowett Seven, 1957 * Red Nichols, 1953 * Dill Jones, 1955, the first British recording * Jimmy McPartland, 1956 * Tom Talbert, 1956 * Sauter-Finegan Orchestra in an arrangement by Eddie Sauter * Les Jowett, 1957 * Manny Albam, 1958, with Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal, Bob Brookmeyer, Jerome Richardson, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Pepper Adams, Milt Hinton, Osie Johnson, and Eddie Costal. * Lou Busch, 1958 * Michel Legrand, 1958 * Dick Cathcart, 1959 * The Metropolitan Jazz Octet, 1959 * Johnny Guarnieri, 1961 * Lew Davies, 1962 * Ralph Sutton, 1963 * Clark Terry, 1964 * Armand Hug, 1968, released on Dulai. * Len Bernard, 1968 on Swaggie. * Ralph Sutton, 1969 * Dill Jones, 1972, on the Chiaroscuro album ''Davenport Blues''. * Jack Crossan, 1972 * Freddie Hubbard, 1972 * Bucky Pizzarelli, arranged for guitar, 1974 * Geoff Bland, 1974 * Dick Hyman, 1974 * Swingle Singers, 1975 * Trace, 1975 * Keith Nichols, 1975 * Armand Hug, 1976 * Dave Frishberg, 1977 * Kenny Werner, 1978 * Ry Cooder, 1978 * Vintage Jazz Band, 1978 * Eddie Higgins, 1978 * Charlie Byrd, in a guitar duet with Laurindo Almeida, 1980. * Franca Mazzola, 1981, released on Carosello. * Bucky Pizzarelli, with son John, Jr., 1984 * Lou Stein, 1984 * Bob Haggart, 1986 * Marco Fumo, 1987 * Saint Louis Stompers, released in 1988 in Argentina. * Joe LoCascio, 1988 * Morten Gunnar Larsen, 1989 * Protosynthesis Ensemble, 1990 * Cesare Poggi, 1991 *

Bix Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...

movie soundtrack, 1991 * Eddie Daniels with Gary Burton, 1992 * Butch Thompson, 1992 * Eddie Daniels, 1992 * Mike Polad, 1993 * Guy Barker, 1993 * Charlie Byrd and the Washington Guitar Quintet, 1993 * Ralph Sutton, 1993 * Randy Sandke and the New York Allstars, 1993 * Sven-Eric Dahlberg, 1994 * Jess Stacy, 1995 * Roy Eldridge, 1995 * Lincoln Mayorga, 1995 * Eddie Higgins, 1995 * Beau Hunks, 1996 * Robert Smith, 1997 * Joseph Smith, 1998 * Duncan Browne, 1998 * London Symphony Orchestra, 1998 * Charlie Byrd, 1998 * Dick Walter, 1998 * Dean Cotrill, 2000 * Andy Bey, 2001 * Bucky Pizzarelli, 2001 * Mark Atkinson, 2002 * Dick Hyman, 2002 * Geoff Muldaur, 2003 * Vasari Singers, 2003 * Bratislava Serenaders, 2003 * Claude Bolling, 2004 * Philip Aaberg, 2004 * Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra East, 2004 * Heinz von Hermann, 2004 * Jim Martinez, 2004 * Westwind Brass, 2005 * Patrick Artero, 2006 * Don Baaska, 2007 * Wolfgang Kohler, 2007 * Brent Watkins, 2007 * Richard Dowling, ''Rhapsody in Ragtime'', 2007 * Ken Mathieson, arranged for two brasses, three reeds and three rhythms, ''Ken Mathieson's Classic Jazz Orchestra Salutes the Kings of Jazz'', 2008 * Bryan Wright, Rivermont Records, 2010 *

Bucky Pizzarelli John Paul "Bucky" Pizzarelli (January 9, 1926 – April 1, 2020) was an American jazz guitarist. He was the father of jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and double bassist Martin Pizzarelli. He worked for NBC as a staffman for Dick Cavett (1971) ...

, 2012 * Claudio Cojaniz, 2014 * Juliet Kurtzman and Pete Malinverni, ''Candlelight: Love in the Time of Cholera''

References

* ''Bix: Man and Legend'' by Richard M. Sudhalter & Philip R. Evens, Quartet, 1974. * ''Bix: The Definitive Biography of a Jazz Legend'' by Jean Pierre Lion with the assistance of Gabriella Page-Fort, Michael B. Heckman and Norman Field, Continuum Publishers, New York/London, 2004. * ''Remembering Bix'' by Ralph Berton, Harper & Row, 1974. * ''Bix Beiderbecke'' by Burnett James, Cassell & Co, Ltd., 1959. * "Our Language." Episode 3, ''Jazz'' (television miniseries) by Ken Burns, PBS Home Video/Warner Home Video, 2001.
Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke. Red Hot Jazz.com.
* ''Pops: Paul Whiteman, King of Jazz'' by Thomas A. DeLong, New Century Publishers, 1983,

External links

* {{authority control 1927 songs Instrumentals 1920s jazz standards