Sidney Bechet
Along with his fellow New Orleanian, Louis Armstrong, Bechet was one of the first great soloists in jazz. His throaty, powerful clarinet and his throbbing soprano are among the most thrilling sounds in early jazz. He went from being a pioneer of jazz in the 1920s to a national hero in France, where he spent the final decade of his life. In his teens he made his name playing in some of New Orleans's up-and- coming bands, and he played there and in Chicago with King Oliver.
Sidney Bechet was born in New Orleans in May 1897, of Creole ancestry, grew up in a middle class environment. His father, Omar, who was a shoemaker, played the flute as a hobby. Indeed, music had an important role in the Bechet household, as Sidney's four brothers also played instruments. His brother, Leonard, played the clarinet and trombone, and it was to the former instrument that eight- year-old Sidney was attracted. Leonard, whose main interest was the trombone, passed along his clarinet to his younger brother. At first, Sidney played in the family musicales - waltzes, quadrilles, and the polite music of the middle class. But as he grew into adolescence, Sidney was attracted to the syncopated music played in the dance halls and brothels in the Storyville District. As a boy, he would watch the street parades in which jazz bands played and was so attracted to the music, that he often played hooky from school. As he became more proficient on the clarinet, Sidney played in local jazz bands, such as the Young Olympians. His playing so impressed Bunk Johnson, the legendary cornet player, that Sidney was invited to join Johnson's band, the Eagle Band. Sidney gained much experience, playing in dance halls, and for picnics, and parties.
Bechet left New Orleans for the first time when he was 19, traveling to Chicago with pianist, Clarence Williams and his variety show. He recorded a few sides there with Williams in 1923 for the Okeh label, released under the name of Rosetta Crawford accompanied by King Bechet Trio. Bechet plays some very soulful clarinet and saxophone on these sides. He then joined up with King Oliver. Bechet's big break came in 1919 when the composer-conductor Will Marion Cook asked him to join his Southern Syncopated Orchestra for an engagement in London where he came to the attention of the noted Swiss Conductor, Ernst Ansermet, who conducted the music of Stravinsky for the Ballets Russa. Ansermet wrote in a Swiss musical Journal, "The extraordinary clarinet virtuoso Bechet is an artist of genius!"
Read moreTags
Album Review
- Up a Lazy River by Robert Spencer
- Sidney Bechet, 1938-1952 by Joel Roberts
Building a Jazz Library
Album Review
- Mosaic Select by Ken Dryden
- Sidney Bechet by Andrew Velez
Extended Analysis
Album Review
- The King Jazz Records Story by Chris Mosey
Book Excerpts
Radio & Podcasts
Book Review
Read more articlesMay 14, 2023
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
May 14, 2022
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
May 14, 2021
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
May 14, 2020
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
May 14, 2019
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
February 01, 2019
Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights In Jazz New York’s Longest Running...
May 14, 2018
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
May 14, 2017
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet
May 14, 2016
Jazz Musician of the Day: Sidney Bechet