Sidney Bechet (born the May 14th 1897 with La Nouvelle-Orléans, the United States of America and deceased the May 14th 1959 with Garches, France) is a Clarinettiste, Saxophoniste and American Compositeur of jazz.

Biography

Cosmopolitan musician as of his youth, Sidney Bechet is at the origin of the first a little serious criticism of jazz. In 1919, it is the Clarinettiste soloist of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra directed by type-setter Will Marion Cook, who refused to use the word “jazz” but made a point much of having Bechet in the high-speed motorboat. The Swiss leader Ernest Ansermet, which on several times the occasion to listen to this formation in London, wrote in connection with Bechet: (It) can nothing say of its art, except that he follows his own way… and it is perhaps the road on which the whole world will swinguera tomorrow.

Musical wonder, born within a creole family, it studied at Louis known as " Papa" Tio and Lorenzo Tio wire in New-Orleans. He joint, in 1917, with the exodus towards Chicago and works there with two famous exiled, the trumpet player Freddie Keppard and the pianist Tony Jackson. Then it accompanies Cook in London where it discovers the Soprano saxophone, instrument more dominating that the clarinet and with which it can easily produce palpitating it Vibrato which is its distinctive sign.

Expelled of Great Britain due to brawl in a hotel, Bechet settles with New York where the pianist Clarence Williams wants to make it at all costs record, in particular at the sides of Louis Armstrong. Thus a first meeting between these giants of the jazz takes place. However, of new problems bring back it in Europe where it spends four years within the Negro Revue whose Joséphine Baker is the high-speed motorboat. While Armstrong carries out her traditional recordings, its principal rival as soloist of jazz is in round in Europe and Russia.

After a triumphal return to the Jazz festival of Paris in 1949, it decides to be established in France. Bechet becomes a super hexagonal high-speed motorboat there (with wife in the countryside and mistress in Paris), reigning on its guides and attracting crowd. Its topic “Small Fleur” is a world success, even if itself were probably more to trust of partitions of ballets such as “the Night is a witch” whom it composes for the dancer and choreographer Pierre Lacotte, mélodieuse continuation though a little mièvre with the manner of the film musics Charlie Chaplin. Since its death, in 1959, a statue of its bust is drawn up in a park of Antibes.

Authoritative is a word which was often used to define the music of Bechet. Its many troubles say some long on its irascible character which shows through in often exaltés and impassioned solos, direct and stripped and that one can confuse with those of no other musician. Its first recordings put it on an equal footing with Armstrong and when its bright sonorities carry out the orchestra, its measurement seems more harmonizes some with a solo of trumpet that with the counterpoint to which usually saxophones and clarinets leave it.

But it would be an error to see in the work of Bechet only one simple display of musical autocracy, in particular when one considers the period preceding his installation in France and in particular his work with the clarinet. Following the example Muggsy Spanier, sensitive but powerful trumpet player, it is a model of sobriety, leaving even the veteran Bunk Johnson, rather fragile in 1945, being the first trumpet in orchestrations close to the ideal of a relaxed counterpoint, expensive with New-Orleans.

Among its more famous recordings it is necessary to make appear the remarkable trio “Blues in Thirds”, with Earl Hines and Baby Dodds, “Blue Horizon”, “Out off The Gallion” with Mezz Mezzrow, Petite flower and any of its versions of “Summertime” or “Weary Blues”, a topic which could have been made up for him.

Anecdote

At the end of its life, in 1956, it started a great round in Belgium. Albert Langue, jazzman of Mons and initiator of the World Festival of the Military Musics of Mons, accompanied it in its concerts, with the trumpet. Sidney Bechet asked to him whether it did not have in memory a local music which it could play in Belgium to give pleasure with its public and to personalize the Belgian round. Albert Langue played to him on a piano Doudou, music leitmotiv of the Ducasse of Mons which it adapted to the new-Orleans sauce. It was one big hit so much so that it recorded it at the Vogue recording company. This disc was one of the best sales of 1956 and made it possible Doudou to be known everywhere in the world. For the little story, Albert Langue was named citizen of Honor of New-Orleans. Two versions of this doudou in jazz can be found on the site of Ducasse of Mons with a broad multi-media page.

Discography

• The Legendary Sidney Bechet , RCA Bluebird (the “Feetwarmers” of the beginnings and “Blues in Thirds”)
• Sidney Bechet in New York , JSP (the meeting with Louis Armstrong)
• The King Jazz Story Vol.4 , Storyville (the best of Bechet-Mezzrow) with Cousin Joe
• Jazz Classics Vol.1 , Blue Notes (With Bunk Johnson, Albert Nicholas)
• El Doudou , Vogue, 1956 (With Albert Langue)

See too

• Treat it gentle , Da capo close (its English autobiography)
• the music it is my life , the roundtable (its French autobiography)

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