Founded by Bill Donohue | Years active 1971 (1971)-present | |
Dates Late July and/or early August Location(s) Davenport, Iowa, United States | ||
The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival is an annual tribute to the famed jazz cornetist, pianist and composer, held in Davenport, Iowa, Bix's hometown. It is one of the largest jazz festivals in the United States. It is held on the weekend after the Bix 7 Road Race, another Davenport event that commemorates Beiderbecke.
The Bix Fest is a four-day music festival with many traditional jazz bands attracted from around the world. It is held the first weekend of August, to commemorate the anniversary of Bix's passing on August 6, 1931.
The musical performances are held in downtown Davenport. Additional events include a Saturday morning tribute at Oakdale Memorial Cemetery. Jazz is played over Bix's grave in the Beiderbecke family plot. This event draws huge crowds annually. Also, on Sunday morning, a jazz liturgy is held at the First Presbyterian Church in Davenport. The church was the Beiderbecke family's home church, where Bix's mother, Agatha, was the church organist. A band from the festival performs at this event. On the Sunday evening of the Bix weekend there is an 'Afterglow' event. Four bands are scheduled to perform at this event.
The festival began in 1971 when Bill Donahoe's Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Band traveled to Davenport, Iowa to play music at Bix's grave on the 40th anniversary of his death. The Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Society was founded in 1972, to help keep the memory and musical accomplishments of Beiderbecke alive.