Bix's influence can be felt in the playing oddly enough of Miles Davis. Bix employed the French Impressionist sounds of Debussey with suggestions of whole tone scales such as in "In A Mist". The birth of the cool used much of this kind of harmony that came from "classical" modern music. Chet Baker is another who might have indirectly been affected by Bix. Bix's ability as a composer is like Django in that it was there but not continued. Bix was ahead of his time harmonically in jazz. One of the best jazz guitar accompanists that ever lived played behind him Salvatore Mansano otherwise known as Eddie Lang. It's significant that Lang was the innovator of the jazz guitar in those days ahead of Django or anyone because nobody did what he did before him. That had to influence Bix too. He too died young of a botched operation. (Tonsils I believe). "I'm Coming Virginia" and "Singing the Blues" sounds as fresh today as it did when it was recorded by Gennett. Bix lives!

Frank Hamilton