I’m Coming Virginia
CD Storyville – STCD 6009
Johnny Hyman, better known as Johnny Wiggs (1899–1977), started to play cornet at an early age and became professional playing in different bands in his hometown New Orleans after 1925. He chose, however to become a teacher of other things than music and dropped out of the scene until making a comeback 1949 joining in the revival of the early jazz.
He was caught between two major sources of inspiration. One from Bix Beiderbecke that must have been overwhelming considering his great records in the 1920’s and one from King Oliver that probably was even more overwhelming since he heard him playing live at Tulane University and other places.
In this duet recording session, it’s the first mentioned musician that rules, and Wiggs was joined by another devoted Bix-fan, the pianist Armand Hug. They chose to quote Bix literally from his recorded cornet playing and from the published piano pieces that he composed.
Recorded in New Orleans in 1955. It starts with piano and a quote from Candlelights, and then Wiggs does a faithful rendition of Bix’s first chorus on his and Trumbauer’s classic 1927 version. Then Armand Hug takes a piano solo that is his own but somewhat in Bix style. After a break there is the second Bix chorus from Wiggs and to finish an interpretation of the classic coda.