Affix the Bix. Beiderbecke fans want new U.S. stamp

A new online petition is lobbying the United States Postal Service (USPS) to create a stamp featuring legendary jazz cornetist, pianist and composer Bix Beiderbecke.

The quarterly meeting of the deciding committee may consider it in a submission to the Postmaster General. Criteria includes a requirement of “extraordinary contributions to American society and culture.”

That certainly rings true for Beiderbecke, one of the first and most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s. A self taught musician, he was a key member of The Paul Whiteman Orchestra, one of the most popular and well paid bands of the day. Beiderbecke popularised ‘Dixieland’, a signature style of early traditional jazz. He died early, aged 28.

Randy Sandke who created the petition states, "Bix Beiderbecke was one of the most significant figures in the history of American music. Although primarily a cornetist, he also was an accomplished pianist. Noted for his purity of tone and inventive solos, he used modern harmonic structures in a departure from the traditional New Orleans jazz styles. Bix influenced countless jazz musicians in his short life and his recordings still stand as classics today.”

Convincing the USPS Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee to put forward a stamp design can be a lengthy process, taking up to three years in some cases. This petition hopes to have over 1000 signatures before it is submitted.

View and sign the petition here

Bix Beiderbecke stamp mock up.