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SIDNEY BECHET Vol.4 House Party Original 1943-1952 recordings NAXOS JAZZ Legends 8.120741

1. V Disc Blues: Bugle Call Rag/Ole Miss
2. After You’ve Gone
3. House party
4. Blood On the Moon
5. Saw Mill Blues
6. Old School
7. Out of the Gallion
8. Bowin’ the Blues
9. De Luxe Stomp
10. Evil Gal Blues
11. Really the Blues
12. Breathless Blues
13. The Broken windmill
14. Black & Blue
15. Box Car Shorty
16. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
17. At the Jazz Band Ball
18. Petite Fleur
19. Les Oignons

Nobody ever failed to recognise Sidney Bechet; he had a big sound and a big vibrato. He was also a very important figure in jazz, being the first major player to make the Soprano saxophone his main instrument. Bechet is one of those players that you either like or hate, there is no in between. He preferred to play the lead line, taking the place of the Cornet or Trumpet in the traditional jazz line up.

The first two tracks have him paired with that excellent trombonist Vic Dickenson and that combination works well. Mezz Mezzrow is involved in the next ten tracks, not one of my favourite jazz clarinettists! Track 3,4&5 however have the benefit of the very talented Hot Lips Page on trumpet. Tracks 6 to 12 feature the Mezzrow-Bechet Quintet, which Bechet used on a lot of his recordings.

Track 13 has Bechet featured with Bob Wilbur’s Band, Bob was a Bechet student who later developed his own individual style and worked with many bands including that of Benny Goodman, it is said that Benny was very impressed with Wilbur’s clarinet playing, which was a real complement!

Tracks 14 to 16 have Bechet working with Humph’s Band, which included Keith Christie and Wally Fawkes at the time. Keith of course moved on top be a star of the Ted Heath Band. For most of the latter part of his life Bechet lived in France where he was a national celebrity, the last two tracks feature him the band of Claude Luter.

Bechet has a significant place in jazz history; he spent more time in the Europe than in the USA and is significantly better known on this side of the Atlantic Ocean therefore.

The album has a good sleeve note by Scott Yanow and comprehensive personnel listings; it is very representative of Bechet’s recorded work.

Don Mather

 

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