Bud's Corner

Bud shares his knowledge and expansive music collection to uncover the life and music of Bix Beiderbecke.

Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist, and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical approach and purity of tone. His solos on seminal recordings such as "Singin' the Blues" and "I'm Coming, Virginia" (both 1927) demonstrate a gift for extended improvisation that heralded the jazz ballad style, in which jazz solos are an integral part of the composition. Moreover, his use of extended chords and an ability to improvise freely along harmonic as well as melodic lines are echoed in post-WWII developments in jazz. "In a Mist" (1927) is the best known of Beiderbecke's published piano compositions, and the only one that he recorded. His piano style reflects both jazz and classical (mainly impressionist) influences. All five of his piano compositions were published by Robbins Music during his lifetime.

What is Bud's Corner?

Bud's Corner was a Jazz radio show, running continuously Sunday evenings from 1983 to 1993 on Prairie Public Radio in Bismarck, ND. In each episode, Robert "Bud" Lundberg shares the life and music of a musician through his deep knowledge and personally curated music collection. Throughout his lifetime Bud meticulously brought to life the history of Jazz. He attended many now-famous jazz festivals, scoured record stores across America for obscure recordings, and developed a jazz appreciation society for the people of North Dakota.

Robert Lundberg made personal recordings of each radio show and these recordings are the only archive remaining of his decade-long passion for his music. They are presented in this podcast exactly as he recorded them almost 40 years ago.