THE GOLDEN YEAR
A 1927 photo shows
handsome, fresh faced Bix impeccably clothed.
Sir Gallahad with Mona Lisa grin.
Was he smiling because this was the year
he had the jazz world in his hip pocket?
Bix was Lamont Cranston with cornet.
Mangod in '27 for Goldkette,
The Broadway Bellhops, Chicago Loopers,
Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Bix and His Gang,
Trumbauer and part of Tram, Bix, and Lang.
Nightly jamming in after hours clubs,
blowing each superbly crafted sequence,
slugging every "do it fluid"
as if he'd already read his obituary
in next day's New York World Herald Tribune.
No one enjoyed life more than Bix Beiderbecke.
No soul posessed greater talent,
was self critically sterner,
or paid in dearer currency.
Perhaps at times each drink took him
one bar closer to a song so
perfect as to still his demons;
and then, on recognition's cusp
excess destroyed its memory.
