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JazzWords > Sidney Bechet
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One of the joys about jazz is how much it can be like an old friend you haven't seen for awhile. For
me, it often ends up being even better than you remember it. That's how I feel about Sidney Bechet,
the clarinetist and soprano saxophone legend born in 1897. Bechet was as New Orleans as his Creole name,
but spent many years in Europe, both early in his career and at the very end, when he was an honored and
cherished French celebrity.
There was a time in my life when I though Bechet sounded "old" and outdated. Upon further listening
many times since then, I hear someone who consistently rises above his surroundings (many of them excellent
as well) to deliver what become defining moments in jazz. Bechet is sometimes dated by the the sonic
quality of his recordings, but never by his musical statements. And he plays with such power!
In Tom Piazza's masterwork, The Guide to Classic Recorded Jazz, Piazza states that Bechet "didn't make bad
records." One of the CDs we agree wholly on is The Legendary Sidney Bechet (RCA Bluebird 6590-2-RB).
This collection of 22 tracks covers Bechet from 1932 through 1941, and never disappoints. His
soprano playing is so strong in the low register that you sometimes think you are hearing a tenor sax. It
is clear that he influenced John Coltrane, Lucky Thompson and Steve Lacy - but perhaps not Kenny G.
Bechet is the blues, he is the essence and his is the song by which jazz communicates. Even his singing
(on Sidney's Blues he sounds something like Jack Teagarden) and narration (listen to the King Jazz recordings
with Mezz Mezzrow for spoken introductions that tell the story of the recordings) are fresh and uninhibited.
Highly recommended.
©1998 Dave Leonnig
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