[Dixielandjazz] QC Times Bix Article

[Kurt]

FYI - This is the Bix Festival Quad-City Times article that has stirred up
the hornet's nest...

Bix kin critical of Q-C Jazz Festival

By Tony Robinson, Quad-City Times

The annual Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival held last month in downtown
Davenport came under fire last week for a lack of both ethnic and musical
diversity. But organizers vigorously defend the event, saying it is
successful and they are dedicated to preserving the music and memory of the
late, great Davenport musician.

About 10 members of the Beiderbecke family from across the nation traveled
to the Quad-Cities July 24-27 to listen to the traditional jazz music. They
were among what organizers say was an estimated turnout of 12,000, which
would be a record if the final count holds up.
But at least one Bix descendant was critical of the jazz band lineup’s lack
of variety. Steve Beiderbecke, Bix’s great-nephew, trekked to Davenport from
Lakeshore, Colo., for the festival. He said he was disappointed not to see
any minorities performing among the 11 jazz bands and little diversity in
the audiences. He pointed out that Bix Beiderbecke solidified his reputation
as a great musician while playing with black jazz performers during the
“Roaring Twenties” even when racial tensions in the country were high.

“He was a white man playing a black man’s music,” said Beiderbecke, whose
display of paintings joined vendors at the Bix Street Fest. “He alienated
himself from his family and white friends because color was secondary to his
passion: the music. The festival should evolve into something he actually
stood for.”

He also claims festival organizers are “stuck in time,” saying they should
modernize the jazz music to attract more youth to the concerts.

“During the ’20s and ’30s, (Bix) was groundbreaking, innovative and
impressive,” Beiderbecke said. “That’s something that I didn’t see
represented at this year’s fest.”

Manny Lopez, a prominent Davenport trumpeter and former music director of
the Quad-City Jazz Festival, said he and his 13-year-old Manny Lopez band
groups never have been invited to the Bix event.  Lopez said he has attended
the Bix Jazz Festival for more than 10 years and rarely has seen a minority
musician there, much less an entire band of color.

“I don’t know what the deal is,” said Lopez, whose band plays various genres
of jazz, including traditional. “I figured they would’ve asked me by now,
but maybe they just don’t hire many local bands.”

The jazz festival was founded in 1972 along with the Bix Beiderbecke
Memorial Society. Festival organizers say any lack of diversity shows that
minority musicians no longer play the traditional jazz that reflects the
sounds of Bix Beiderbecke. Lopez agreed and also said there is an overall
lack of minority bands in the Quad-Cities.

Rich Johnson, the Bix Jazz Festival music director, said the event is
deep-rooted in tradition and fails to attract minority musicians because
they have moved on to different genres of jazz.
“I attend festivals similar to the Bix Fest across the country for scouting,
and if anybody wants to call us racist, more than 75 festivals across the
nation are racist too,” he said of Steve Beiderbecke’s comments. “Minorities
would come out if we modernized the music, but then it wouldn’t be the same
Bix Jazz Festival,” said Johnson, who has been associated with the society
for 25 years.

Society president Rich Voss echoed much of what Johnson said, adding that
“if there are traditional black jazz bands out there, all they have to do is
submit a demo tape or CD” and they would be considered if they play the kind
of music the Bix event preserves and promotes. . Johnson said his
organization is not about to change the music tradition.

“We work year around without pay to put this on. If (the family) wants to
take over the festival, be my guest.”

Contact the city desk at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom at qctimes.com
<mailto:newsroom at qctimes.com>.