Soprano saxophonist Sidney Bechet was one of jazz's most complex giants. Born in New Orleans in 1897, four years earlier than Louis Armstrong, Bechet made his first recordings in early 1920, three years before the trumpeter. Unfortunately, these recordings were never issued. His first released recordings, for Okeh, came out the same year as Armstrong's earliest 78s, in 1923.
The following year Bechet was with Duke Ellington, and his clarinet-like approach on the soprano sax influenced Ellington's vision for his own orchestra's sound. Bechet's style was so impressive that Duke said he was “the epitome of jazz."
But while Armstrong was a crowd-pleasing showman, Bechet had an edge. In 1928, he wound up in prison in Paris for 11 months after mistakenly shooting a woman while trying to shoot a musician who had insulted him. Upon his release in 1929, he was deported to New York.
In the 1930s and '40s, his reputation grew as interest in jazz flourished with the rise of better-recorded 78s and advances in the phonograph. For whatever reason, he wasn't able to parlay his talent into a major career on the odd-sounding soprano the way Armstrong had on the trumpet.
One might assume this had something to do with his enormous self-confidence, which in turn fed his ego and abrasive personality. That behavior didn't endear him to many. In 1938, he opened a tailor shop in New York to generate additional income.
In 1951, fed up with racism in the U.S., he moved to Paris and began recording for French Vogue/Swing, a partnership that would last the rest of his life. One of his finest recordings for the label came in 1957. The album was called Sidney Bechet/Martial Solal. Recorded in two sessions, Bechet was backed by two different Marital Solal Trios.
The first session was recorded on March 12, 1957 and featured Bechet (sop), Martial Solal (p), Lloyd Thompson (b) and Al Levitt (d). The songs are I Only Have Eyes for You, The Man I Love, Exactly Like You, These Foolish Things, Pennies From Heaven, Once in a While, Jeepers Creepers and I Never Knew.
The second session, recorded on June 17, featured Bechet (sop), Solal (p), Pierre Michelot (b) and Kenny Clarke (d). The songs recorded were All the Things You Are, Embraceable You, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, All of Me, Rose Room and It Don't Mean a Thing.
What makes this album special is the early jazz sound of Bechet's soprano saxophone juxtaposed with the spirited modernism of Solal's piano. At points, Bechet swings with such graceful purity while the Solal trio runs bop. You can hear two different generations of jazz finding common ground. Proof that like Coleman Hawkins, Bechet could improvise beautifully no matter the jazz era or style.
Sidney Bechet died in 1959.
The following year Bechet was with Duke Ellington, and his clarinet-like approach on the soprano sax influenced Ellington's vision for his own orchestra's sound. Bechet's style was so impressive that Duke said he was “the epitome of jazz."
But while Armstrong was a crowd-pleasing showman, Bechet had an edge. In 1928, he wound up in prison in Paris for 11 months after mistakenly shooting a woman while trying to shoot a musician who had insulted him. Upon his release in 1929, he was deported to New York.
In the 1930s and '40s, his reputation grew as interest in jazz flourished with the rise of better-recorded 78s and advances in the phonograph. For whatever reason, he wasn't able to parlay his talent into a major career on the odd-sounding soprano the way Armstrong had on the trumpet.
One might assume this had something to do with his enormous self-confidence, which in turn fed his ego and abrasive personality. That behavior didn't endear him to many. In 1938, he opened a tailor shop in New York to generate additional income.
In 1951, fed up with racism in the U.S., he moved to Paris and began recording for French Vogue/Swing, a partnership that would last the rest of his life. One of his finest recordings for the label came in 1957. The album was called Sidney Bechet/Martial Solal. Recorded in two sessions, Bechet was backed by two different Marital Solal Trios.
The first session was recorded on March 12, 1957 and featured Bechet (sop), Martial Solal (p), Lloyd Thompson (b) and Al Levitt (d). The songs are I Only Have Eyes for You, The Man I Love, Exactly Like You, These Foolish Things, Pennies From Heaven, Once in a While, Jeepers Creepers and I Never Knew.
The second session, recorded on June 17, featured Bechet (sop), Solal (p), Pierre Michelot (b) and Kenny Clarke (d). The songs recorded were All the Things You Are, Embraceable You, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, All of Me, Rose Room and It Don't Mean a Thing.
What makes this album special is the early jazz sound of Bechet's soprano saxophone juxtaposed with the spirited modernism of Solal's piano. At points, Bechet swings with such graceful purity while the Solal trio runs bop. You can hear two different generations of jazz finding common ground. Proof that like Coleman Hawkins, Bechet could improvise beautifully no matter the jazz era or style.
Sidney Bechet died in 1959.
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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