| |
The music on this superbly re-mastered double CD in our Essential Collection series pays tribute to a great musician and covers a broad aspect of his glittering career.
Sidney Bechet was born in the home of jazz, New Orleans in 1897 and had already started to teach himself clarinet at the tender age of six! By seventeen he had already played with such greats as Freddie Keppard, Jack Carey and Buddy Petit and soon went on to play with Clarence Williams, Louis Wade, King Oliver, Tony Jackson and Benny Peyton. His legendary musical virtuosity not only led him to release the clarinet from its more traditional role but also effectively introduce the rarely heard soprano saxophone to jazz instrumentation. His recordings include wonderful music for RCA Victor and Mezz Mezzrow’s King Jazz label as well as those that helped to establish the legendary Blue Note label. Our double CD is full of brilliant and emotional playing made up mainly of various complete sessions most notably all the titles recorded by the Bechet - Spanier Big Four. Primarily known for his instrumental greatness, Bechet was also a prolific composer of such titles as Petite Fleur and Dans Les Rues. He also wrote some more serious longer works such as La Nuit Est Une Sorciere and La Connait Du Delta. He tried his hand at acting and was the author of a fascinating biography. He died in May 1959 at the relatively young age of 62 with 3,000 mourners attending his funeral.
CD1
1. Viper Mad - Noble Sissle’s Swingsters
2. Blackstick - Noble Sissle’s Swingsters
3. When The Sun Sets Down South - Noble Sissle’s Swingsters
4. Sweet Patootie - Noble Sissle’s Swingsters
5. What A Dream - Sidney Bechet & His Orchestra
6. Hold Tight (I Want Some Sea Food, Mama) - Sidney Bechet & His Orchestra
7. Jungle Drums - Sidney Bechet & His Orchestra
8. Chant In The Night - Sidney Bechet & His Orchestra
9. Blues For Tommy - Port Of Harlem Seven
10. Summertime - Sidney Bechet Quintet
11. Pounding Heart Blues - Port Of Harlem Seven
12. Careless Love - Josh White Trio
13. Milk Cow Blues - Josh White Trio
14. Four Or Five Times - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
15. Sweet Lorraine - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
16. Lazy River - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
17. China Boy - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
18. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight) - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
19. That’s-A-Plenty - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
20. Squeeze Me - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
21. Sweet Sue, Just You - Bechet-Spanier Big Four
CD2
1. China Boy (Different Take)
2. That’s-A-Plenty (Different Take)
3. The Sheik Of Araby - Sidney Bechet’s One-Man Band
4. The Blues Of Bechet - Sidney Bechet’s One-Man Band
5. Bechet Parades The Blues (St Louis Blues) - Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers
6. After You’ve Gone - Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers
7. V-Discs Blues (Bugle Call Rag/Ole Miss Rag) - Sidney Bechet & His New Orleans Feetwarmers
8. Save It, Pretty Mama - Art Hodes’ Blue Note Jazzmen
9. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans - Art Hodes’ Blue Note Jazzmen
10. Memphis Blues - Art Hodes’ Blue Note Jazzmen
11. Shine - Art Hodes’ Blue Note Jazzmen
12. St James’ Infirmary - Art Hodes’ Blue Note Jazzmen
13. The Darktown Strutters Ball - Art Hodes’ Blue Note Jazzmen
14. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate - Joe Sullivan Jazz Quartet
15. Panama - Joe Sullivan Jazz Quartet
16. Got It And Gone - Joe Sullivan Jazz Quartet
17. Spreadin’ Joy - Sidney Bechet With Bob Wilber’s Wildcats
18. I Had It But It’s All Gone Now - Sidney Bechet With Bob Wilber’s Wildcats
19. Polka Dot Stomp - Sidney Bechet With Bob Wilber’s Wildcats
20. Kansas City Man Blues - Sidney Bechet With Bob Wilber’s Wildcats
21. Just One Of Those Things - Sidney Bechet Quartet
22. Love For Sale - Sidney Bechet Quartet
23. Laura - Sidney Bechet Quartet
24. Shake ‘Em Up - Sidney Bechet Quartet
PERSONNEL & RECORDING DATE INFORMATION
NOBLE SISSLE'S SWINGSTERS: Clarence Brereton (tpt); Sidney Bechet (clt, sop) Gil White (clt, ten)
Harry Brooks (pno); Jimmy Miller (gtr);
Jimmy Jones (bs); Wilbert Kirk (dms)
New York, 9th February 1938
Viper Mad (Vocal by O'Neil Spencer)
Blackstick
When The Sun Sets Down South
Sweet Patootie (Vocal by O'Neil Spencer)
SIDNEY BECHET & HIS ORCHESTRA: Sidney Bechet (clt, sop);
Ernie Caceres (ten, bar); Dave Bowman (pno); Leonard Ware (gtr); Henry Turner (bs)
Zutty Singleton (dms)
New York, 16th November 1938
What A Dream
Hold Tight [I Want Some Food, Mama] (Vocal by the two Fishmongers)
Jungle Drums
Chant In The Night
PORT OF HARLEM SEVEN: Frankie Newton (tpt); J.C Higginbotham (tmb)
Sidney Bechet (clt, sop); Meade Lux Lewis (pno); Teddy Bunn (gtr); Johnny Williams (bs)
Sid Catlett (dms)
New York, 8th June 1939
Blues For Tommy
Pounding Heart Blues
SIDNEY BECHET QUINTET: Sidney Bechet (sop); Meade Lux Lewis (pno)
Teddy Bunn (gtr); Johnny Williams (bs); Sid Catlett (dms)
New York, 8th June 1939
Summertime
JOSH WHITE TRIO: Josh White (gtr, voc); Sidney Bechet (clt, sop); Wilson Myers (bs)
New York, 7th March 1940
Careless Love
Milk Cow Blues
BECHET-SPANIER BIG FOUR: Muggsy Spanier (cnt); Sidney Bechet (clt, sop)
Carmen Mastren (gtr); Wellman Braud (bs)
New York, 28th March 1940
Four Or Five Times
Sweet Lorraine
Lazy River
China Boy
As Previous but 6th April 1940
If I Could Be With You
That's A Plenty
Squeeze Me
Sweet Sue, Just You
SIDNEY BECHET'S ONE-MAN BAND: Sidney Bechet (clt, sop, ten, pno, bs, dms, Multi- track recording)
New York, 18th April 1941
The Sheik Of Araby
The Blues Of Bechet
SIDNEY BECHET & HIS NEW ORLEANS FEETWARMERS: Vic Dickenson (tmb)
Sidney Bechet (sop); Don Donaldson (pno); Wilson Myers (bs); Wilbert Kirk (dms)
New York, 8th December 1943
Bechet Parades The Blues
After You've Gone
V-Disc Blues
ART HODES' BLUE NOTE JAZZMEN: Wild Bill Davison (cnt); Sidney Bechet (clt, sop)
Art Hodes (pno); Pops Foster (bs); Freddie Moore (dms)
New York, 12th October 1945
Save It, Pretty Mama
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
Memphis Blues
Shine
St James' Infirmary (Vocal by Freddie Moore)
The Dark Town Strutters Ball
JOE SULLIVAN JAZZ QUARTET: Sidney Bechet (clt, sop); Joe Sullivan (pno)
Pops Foster (bs); George Wettling (dms)
New York, 9th December 1945
I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
Panama
Got It And Gone
SIDNEY BECHET WITH BOB WILBER'S WILDCATS: Johnny Glasel (tpt)
Bob Mielke (tmb); Sidney Bechet (clt, sop); Bob Wilbur (clt); Dick Wellstood (pno)
Charlie Treager (bs); Danny Strong (dms)
New York, 14th July 1947
Spreadin' Joy
I Had It But It's All Gone Now (Vocal by Sidney Bechet)
Polka Dot Stomp
Kansas City Man Blues
SIDNEY BECHET QUARTET: Sidney Bechet (clt, sop); Lloyd Phillips (pno)
Pops Foster (bs); Arthur Herbert (dms)
New York, 31st July 1947
Just One Of Those Things
Love For Sale
Laura
Shake 'Em Up
|
