Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet was a vibrant carrier of the New Orleans jazz tradition. He was a formidable musical force on the order of a hailstorm since he first picked up a clarinet at the age of six. With the long soprano sax jutting straight out from his round face, Bechet, having stomped out the tempo, would take whatever musicians he was playing with and hurl them into swinging.

This long overdue re-release from Inner City shows Bechet and Mezz Mezzrow in a variety of settings between '44 and '47, in Chicago and New York. With 24 excellent tracks and a host of great players including Sammy Price, Pops Foster, Big Sid Catlett, Hot Lips Page, and many more, this album is a welcome addition to any jazz fan's collection.

Mezz Mezzrow and Sidney Bechet made for an odd but musically exciting partnership. They first teamed up in 1938 for a session that resulted in “Really The Blues.” During 1945-47 when Mezzrow founded the King Jazz label, he utilized Bechet in a series of sessions that emphasized collective soloing and New Orleans-style blues.

Bechet was one of the pioneering greats. Born in New Orleans in 1899, he mastered the clarinet as a child, playing with the top local bands as a teenager. In 1917 he permanently left town and in 1919 toured Europe with Will Marion Cook's orchestra as a star soloist. While in Europe, Bechet purchased a soprano saxophone which soon became his main instrument although he continued doubling on clarinet for some time. In 1923, he became the first major jazz horn soloist to record. Bechet traveled and played throughout much of the world during the late '20s, survived the Depression, and in 1938 had a hit recording of “Summertime.” During the next decade he recorded often in the U.S., playing with many different groups. After having great success in France in 1949, he moved permanently to Paris where he was treated as a national hero and a celebrity up until his death in 1959.

While Bechet was a masterful soloist with a wide vibrato, and a dominant player who often demanded to play lead, Mezz Mezzrow was a more primitive musician. An enthusiastic clarinetist but one with limited abilities, Mezzrow loved to jam the blues in ensembles. He emerged in late 1920s Chicago, led some record dates in the '30s, and had an erratic but colorful career. Like Bechet, he ended his life in France where he spent the 20 years before his 1972 passing.

During 1945-47, Bechet and Mezzrow were featured together on nine sessions for the King Jazz label including three that also included trumpeter Hot Lips Page. The highlights from these often-lengthy sessions are on the Classic Jazz collection. While Bechet is the most powerful player in the bands and he frequently roars on the ensembles, this is Mezzrow's favored repertoire. Such songs as “Never Will I Forget The Blues,” “The Blues And Freud,” “Blues Of The Roaring Twenties,” Chicago Function” and “Kaiser's Last Break” feature the group playing blues or near-blues with Mezzrow doing his best to keep up with Bechet. In addition, there are features for blues/jazz pianist Sammy Price and singer Pleasant Joseph.

But the main focus is on the exciting Bechet-Mezzrow ensembles, music that needs to be heard by all jazz fans who are interested in New Orleans jazz and Sidney Bechet. –Scott Yanow


Track List

* I'm Speaking My Mind (4:40)
* Never Will I Forget the Blues (4:18)
* Cow Cow Blues (2:40)
* I Want Some (4:06)
* I Got You Some (3:32)
* I Finally "Gotcha" (2:53)
* The Blues and Freud, Part I (4:24)
* The Blues and Freud, Part II (4:04)
* Kaiser's Last Break (4:25)
* Gully Low Blues (2:17)
* Blues of the Roaring Twenties (3:58)
* I'm Going Away From Here (4:08)
* Breathless Blues (2:54)
* Layin' My Rules in Blues (2:33)
* Minor Swoon (3:00)
* Baby I'm Cutting Out (3:03)
* Perdido Street Stomp (2:52)
* New Jailhouse Blues (3:10)
* Chicago Function, Part I (3:12)
* Chicago Function, Part II (2:32)
* Bad Bad Baby Blues (2:54)
* Boogin' With Big Sid (3:05)
* De Luxe Stomp (2:40)
* Broken Man Blues (2:35)