A museum for a legendary jazz musician will be created in the Quad Cities. The BixBeiderbecke Museum and World Archives group has announced its plan for the first-ever Bix Museum, located at the River Music Experience in Davenport.
President of the museum, Howard Braren, said the 15,000 square foot Bix Museum will have a classroom for students, the musician's last piano, and archived items such as letters Bix wrote and received.
“We have from the Phil and Linda Evans collection precious photos and recordings that they took during their lifelong work of researching Bix and his music, of national figures that played with Bix in the Whiteman orchestra and other places during his career that have never yet been heard or shown,” Braren said.
Bix Beiderbecke was born in Davenport and became a world-renowned jazz musician in the 1920s.
Braren said Bix is still influential today, which is why he wants to preserve and exhibit the musician's life and career.
“This is the place where Bix still lives in the hearts and minds of people,” Braren said.
“We have the Bix Run every year. We have the Bix Festival every year. This is where we should have the Bix Museum.”
The Bix Beiderbecke Museum and World Archives group has raised $200,000 so far. It hopes to raise $625,000 with an additional $250,000 endowment.
