For the eleventh year in a row, I traveled to Davenport, Iowa for the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival. This makes about 15 Bixes that I have attended, starting intermittently in 2001. One change in the format that was introduced last year and which I appreciated, was extending sets from 45 minutes to one hour (except Thursday evening, when they were 45 minutes). Also carried over from last year’s premiere was a three-hour (optional at extra cost) luncheon cruise on the Celebration Belle on the Mississippi, where one of the festival bands performed. This year it was the Jazz-O-Maniacs led by multi-instrumentalist TJ Muller.
The traditional gig, also optional, at the Knoxville Tap in nearby Milan, IL, again occurred on Wednesday evening. The Tap (which, curiously, only has bottled beer, none on “tap”) is an old roadhouse where visiting bands played back in the day. This year I arrived in time to attend, and it was an evening well spent. Music was provided by TJ Muller on banjo, guitar and trombone; Andy Schumm on clarinet, alto and cornet; Steve Pikal on bass; Michael McQuaid (from England) on clarinet and alto; Paul Asaro on piano, and Josh Duffee on drums. The $20 fee included a picnic-style meal, but drinks were extra. What I enjoyed, in addition to the music, was the fact that all the bar patrons kept quiet while the band played. I don’t know if there were people in the house
