Transformations In a Mist

Have you ever wanted to appreciate and enjoy something so much that you could almost taste it, yet no matter how you twisted your cultural taste buds, you remained indifferent to its charms? Such is the case with “In a Mist,” the unusual 1927 piano piece composed and originally recorded by Leon ‘Bix’ Beiderbecke, a man who made his mark on the cornet not the keyboard. Its existence doesn’t quite fit, but then again, little in Beiderbecke’s life adds up—except for his remarkable musical gifts. In a strange way, then, “In a Mist” is par for the course: yet another fascinating Bixian anomaly.

In many ways, though, this is a very American story of unlikely transformation. Raised by straight-laced parents in turn-of-the-century Davenport, Iowa—hardly a hotbed of innovative musical culture—Bix (I can’t bring myself to identify him as “Beiderbecke,” that ungainly, distinctly un-jazzlike moniker) somehow became obsessed with jazz, an African American art form then in its infancy. He taught himself cornet and, in a brief but potent career (roughly 1923–1931), not only established himself as a brilliant horn player but also carved out a stylistic path distinct from that of the magisterial Louis Armstrong.

Let that sink in. Here’s a guy in his twenties finding and perfecting an innovative style—one that emphasizes lyricism, harmonic experimentation, and rhythmic ease—while Armstrong is simultaneously creating what we have come to know as jazz itself. In grand American—dare we say Gatsbyesque?—fashion, Bix writes his own rulebook. Armstrong and other African American visionaries had assuredly laid the paving stones of the new music, but Bix almost immediately took a daring detour.

After creating his own series of masterful improvisations in both small and large jazz ensembles, Bix muddied the stylistic waters even further by indulging his passion for classical music. I’m not familiar with the work of the American composer Eastwood Lane, but judging from Bix’s own four keyboard pieces—said to be heavily influenced by Lane—I’m not rushing off to immerse myself in the art of this now-forgotten figure. “In a Mist,” with Bix at the piano, was recorded in 1927. For me, it has obvious historical interest, but if Bix’s name weren’t attached to it, I’m not sure I’d give it a second listen. It’s stiff and, lacking any improvisation, staid and, well, a bit self conscious. Nor should we overlook Bix’s enthusiastic yet rudimentary piano skills.

Yet in the right hands, “In a Mist” can be successfully revived, and in 1964, Clark Terry was just the man to breathe new life into it. Where Bix played the cornet, a smaller horn, Terry was highly accomplished on both trumpet and flugelhorn (hence the title of the album on which “Mist” appears: The Happy Horns of Clark Terry). How does Terry bring charm to a piece I had found distinctly lacking in charm? Most likely through three ingredients.

The first is the trademark warmth and tonal beauty of Terry’s flugelhorn. The addition of brief bursts of improvisation doesn’t hurt, either. In just a few bars, Terry displays his phenomenal technique, enlivening the performance with sparkle and wit. Lastly, Bob Hammer’s thoughtful arrangement brings contemporary zest to this period piece. By isolating and highlighting the work’s contrasting themes, Hammer even introduces a fresh touch of modernism.

Bix, ever the forward thinker, would have approved.