Annual Festival Honors Jazz Genius
Bix Beiderbecke

A small stone on a knoll in Davenport, Iowa's Oakdale Cemetery marks the grave of “Roaring 20's” jazz legend Bix Beiderbecke. He died August 6, 1931, but the music he played and created lives on stronger than ever in the 21 st century.

Since 1972 and every year there after, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society, dedicated to preserving the music and legend of Davenport's hometown hero, has presented a Bix Festival that draws thousands, not only from the U.S., but also from around the world. “Bix Lives” is its appropriate slogan.

Operated solely by volunteers, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival has shown steady growth over the years, not only in attendance, but also in activities and educational programs targeted specifically at young musicians. Featured are jazz clinics and guest lecturers. The Society, seven years ago, created a Bix Beiderbecke Youth Jazz Band, made up of students from Iowa and Illinois high schools. The band program has won praise from students and the public alike.

A scholarship is awarded each year to one high school senior who plans to attend college, and two jazz camp scholarships are also given. Currently a program is underway to provide instruments and instruction to underprivileged children, and also traditional jazz workshop/seminars to youths and adults.

The four-day Bix Festivals are always happy, family-oriented affairs, held in mid-July at four quite different venues. Three are inside, and one is in beautiful LeClaire Park right on the banks of the rolling Mississippi River. There are trolley tours of places that shaped the musician and composer's early life, jazz liturgies at a lovely old church, and Festival bands playing tribute over Bix's grave.

The Festival always features at least 10 top jazz bands from many cities in the U.S. and others from parts of the world where Bix's music is widely admired and celebrated. The diverse tasks of putting on such large festivals falls to 11 volunteer board of directors members, aided by hundreds of volunteers. There are approximately 800 members in the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society Jazz Club. A large quarterly newsletter provides information about Bix, the annual Festival, and traditional jazz.

Bix is still remembered and revered in his hometown. An annual “Birthday Bash” is held on March 10, the date of Bix's birth in 1903. He was only 28 when he died. The “Bash” is co-sponsored by the Davenport Public Library, Friends of the Library, and the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society.

info@bixsociety.org
www.bixsociety.org