Sidney Bechet, Django Reinhardt - Deux Geants Du Jazz

Styles: Saxophone And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:27
Size: 86,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Petite Fleur
(3:51)  2. Swing de Paris
(3:15)  3. Songe D'automne
(3:00)  4. September Song
(2:19)  5. Willow Weep For Me
(2:56)  6. Folie a Amphion
(3:19)  7. Nuages
(3:03)  8. Rose de Picardie
(2:51)  9. Dinette
(2:52) 10. Laura
(3:27) 11. Blues en Mineur
(2:57) 12. Dardanella

Despite the title, unfortunately guitarist Django Reinhardt and soprano-saxophonist Sidney Bechet do not actually play together. Instead they are heard on alternating tracks. Reinhardt's performances (taken from radio broadcasts) feature him in 1947 with his Quintet (starring clarinetist Maurice Meurnier) and are fine but it is the Bechet selections (which originated from a variety of sources between 1952-57) that are most exciting, particularly "Roses of Picardy," "Down by the Old Stream" and his hit "Petite Fleur." It's worth picking up as an introduction to these two classic jazzmen. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/django-reinhardt-sidney-bechet-deux-geants-du-jazz-mw0000957511

Personnel:  Sidney Bechet - Saxophone;  Django Reinhardt - Guitar.

Deux Geants Du Jazz

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Sidney Bechet - Saga Jazz: New Orleans - Paris (& vice versa)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, New Orleans Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:38
Size: 170,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. Buddy Bolden Story Discours Entre Sidney Et Claude Luter
(2:43)  2. Les Oignons
(3:00)  3. Wild Cat Blues
(3:10)  4. Old Fashioned Love
(3:11)  5. Mandy Make Up Your Mind
(3:10)  6. In Harlem's Araby
(3:19)  7. The Basement Blues
(2:52)  8. Sweetie Dear
(2:57)  9. Maple Leaf Rag
(3:06) 10. Shag
(2:53) 11. Polka Dot Rag
(2:56) 12. Characteristic Blues
(2:25) 13. Chant In The Night
(3:37) 14. Really The Blues
(2:04) 15. The Weary Blues
(2:23) 16. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
(3:01) 17. Down In Honky Tonk Town
(2:57) 18. Blues In Thirds
(4:15) 19. Bechet Parades The Blues Eng 9 Dec 1943 New York
(3:20) 20. Klook's Blues
(3:28) 21. Dans les rues d'Antibes
(2:27) 22. September Song
(3:20) 23. Summertime
(3:11) 24. Petite Fleur

Sidney Bechet was the first important jazz soloist on records in history (beating Louis Armstrong by a few months). A brilliant soprano saxophonist and clarinetist with a wide vibrato that listeners either loved or hated, Bechet's style did not evolve much through the years but he never lost his enthusiasm or creativity. A master at both individual and collective improvisation within the genre of New Orleans jazz, Bechet was such a dominant player that trumpeters found it very difficult to play with him. Bechet wanted to play lead and it was up to the other horns to stay out of his way. Sidney Bechet studied clarinet in New Orleans with Lorenzo Tio, Big Eye Louis Nelson, and George Baquet and he developed so quickly that as a child he was playing with some of the top bands in the city. He even taught clarinet, and one of his students (Jimmie Noone) was actually two years older than him. In 1917, he traveled to Chicago, and in 1919 he joined Will Marion Cook's orchestra, touring Europe with Cook and receiving a remarkably perceptive review from Ernst Ansermet. While overseas he found a soprano sax in a store and from then on it was his main instrument. Back in the U.S., Bechet made his recording debut in 1923 with Clarence Williams and during the next two years he appeared on records backing blues singers, interacting with Louis Armstrong and playing some stunning solos. He was with Duke Ellington's early orchestra for a period and at one point hired a young Johnny Hodges for his own band. However, from 1925-1929 Bechet was overseas, traveling as far as Russia but getting in trouble (and spending jail time) in France before being deported.

Most of the 1930s were comparatively lean times for Bechet. He worked with Noble Sissle on and off and had a brilliant session with his New Orleans Feetwarmers in 1932 (featuring trumpeter Tommy Ladnier). But he also ran a tailor's shop which was more notable for its jam sessions than for any money it might make. However, in 1938 he had a hit recording of "Summertime," Hugues Panassie featured Bechet on some records and soon he was signed to Bluebird where he recorded quite a few classics during the next three years. Bechet worked regularly in New York, appeared on some of Eddie Condon's Town Hall concerts, and in 1945 he tried unsuccessfully to have a band with the veteran trumpeter Bunk Johnson (whose constant drinking killed the project). Jobs began to dry up about this time, and Bechet opened up what he hoped would be a music school. He only had one main pupil, but Bob Wilber became his protégé. Sidney Bechet's fortunes changed drastically in 1949. He was invited to the Salle Pleyel Jazz Festival in Paris, caused a sensation, and decided to move permanently overseas. Within a couple years he was a major celebrity and a national hero in France, even though the general public in the U.S. never did know who he was. Bechet's last decade was filled with exciting concerts, many recordings, and infrequent visits back to the U.S. before his death from cancer. His colorful (if sometimes fanciful) memoirs Treat It Gentle and John Chilton's magnificent Bechet biography The Wizard of Jazz (which traces his life nearly week-by-week) are both highly recommended. Many of Sidney Bechet's recordings are currently available on CD. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/lk/album/saga-jazz-from-new-orleans-to-paris-vice-versa/452324933

Saga Jazz: New Orleans - Paris (& vice versa)

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Rex Stewart - Story 1926-1945

Styles: Trumpet And Cornet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:45
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. The stampede
(3:00)  2. Rocky road
(3:06)  3. Showboat shuffle
(3:08)  4. Kissin' my baby goodnight
(2:29)  5. Watermelon man
(3:05)  6. Boy meets horn
(3:31)  7. John Hardy's wife
(2:47)  8. Back room romp (A contrapunctual stomp)
(2:35)  9. Swing baby swing (Love in my heart)
(2:35) 10. Sugar hill shim-sham
(2:30) 11. Tea and trumpets
(2:39) 12. San Juan hill
(2:39) 13. Fat stuff serenade
(3:05) 14. Solid old man
(4:26) 15. Cherry
(3:22) 16. Poor bubber
(3:01) 17. Dreamer's blues
(3:16) 18. Shady shade of the street
(3:12) 19. 12th street rag
(2:53) 20. Save it pretty mama

Rex Stewart achieved his greatest glory in a subsidiary role, playing cornet 11 years in the Duke Ellington Orchestra. His famous "talking" style and half-valve effects were exploited brilliantly by countless Ellington pieces containing perfect passages tailored to showcase Stewart's sound. He played in a forceful, gripping manner that reflected the influences of Louis Armstrong, Bubber Miley, and Bix Beiderbecke, whose solos he once reproduced on record. Stewart played on Potomac riverboats before moving to Philadelphia. He went to New York in 1921. Stewart worked with Elmer Snowden in 1925, then joined Fletcher Henderson a year later. But he felt his talents were not at the necessary level, and departed Henderson's band, joining his brother Horace's band at Wilberforce College. Stewart returned in 1928. He remained five years and contributed many memorable solos. There was also a brief period in McKinney's Cotton Pickers in 1931, a stint heading his own band, and another short stay with Luis Russell before Stewart joined the Ellington Orchestra in 1934.

He was a star throughout his tenure, co-writing classics "Boy Meets Horn" and "Morning Glory." He also supervised many outside recording sessions using Ellingtonians. After leaving, Stewart led various combos and performed throughout Europe and Australia on an extensive Jazz at the Philharmonic tour from 1947-1951. He lectured at the Paris Conservatory in 1948. Stewart settled in New Jersey to run a farm in the early '50s. He was semi-retired, but found new success in the media. He worked in local radio and television, while leading a band part-time in Boston. Stewart led the Fletcher Henderson reunion band in 1957 and 1958, and recorded with them. He played at Eddie Condon's club in 1958 and 1959, then moved to the West Coast. Stewart again worked as a disc jockey and became a critic. While he published many excellent pieces, a collection containing many of his best reviews, Jazz Masters of the Thirties, came out posthumously. There's also a Stewart autobiography available. ~ Ron Wynn http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rex-stewart-mn0000888838/biography

Personnel: Rex Stewart (trumpet, cornet); Don Redman, Ivie Anderson (vocals); Django Reinhardt, Brick Fleagle, Fred Guy (guitar); Dave Wilborn, Charlie Dixon (banjo); Buster Bailey (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Benny Carter (clarinet, alto saxophone); Coleman Hawkins, Prince Robinson (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Barney Bigard (clarinet); Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Pete Clarke, Earl Bostic (alto saxophone); Cecil Scott (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Cootie Williams, Charlie Allen ,Smith, Langston Curl, Louis Bacon, Sidney Bechet, Arthur Whetsol, Wallace Jones (trumpet); Joe "Tricky Sam" Nanton, Juan Tizol, Lawrence Brown , Ed Cuffee, Charlie Green (trombone); Billy Taylor, Sr., Bob Escudero (tuba); Fletcher Henderson, Dave Riviera, Lionel Hampton, Todd Rhodes, Billy Kyle , Earl Hines (piano); Fred Avendorf, Cuba Austin, J.C. Heard, Joseph "Kaiser" Marshall, Sonny Greer, Baby Dodds (drums)

Story  1926-1945

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Sidney Bechet - The Best Of Sidney Bechet

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:03
Size: 146.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, New Orleans jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Summertime
[4:45] 2. St. Louis Blues
[4:24] 3. Blue Horizon
[3:38] 4. Muskrat Ramble
[3:08] 5. Porto Rico
[3:05] 6. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
[3:46] 7. Bechet's Fantasy
[2:56] 8. Blame It On The Blues
[4:11] 9. Old Stack O'lee Blues
[3:05] 10. I Found A New Baby
[3:03] 11. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
[2:59] 12. When The Saints Go Marching In
[3:15] 13. Basin Street Blues
[2:48] 14. Copenhagen
[2:54] 15. I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None Of My Jelly Roll
[3:33] 16. Black And Blue
[4:04] 17. All Of Me
[4:09] 18. Rose Of The Rio Grande

Sidney Bechet was jazz's first great saxophone soloist. When Alfred Lion began Blue Note Records, he made Bechet one of his cornerstone artists. Bechet recorded for Blue Note from 1939 into the 1950s, making several stunning recordings in the traditional New Orleans jazz vein. Although no single disc collection could adequately depict Bechet's contributions, this 18-track set contains several outstanding blues, stomps, ballads and jams, featuring Bechet alongside many fellow luminaries. From wailing slow tunes to feisty exchanges and sentimental melodies, this is an excellent batch of Sidney Bechet performances. ~Ron Wynn

The Best Of Sidney Bechet

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Sidney Bechet - The Blue Note Years

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:18
Size: 174,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Summertime
(4:03)  2. Dear Old Southland
(4:50)  3. St. Louis Blues
(4:28)  4. Blue Horizon
(3:39)  5. High Society
(4:53)  6. Days Beyond Recall
(3:10)  7. Save It Pretty Mama
(3:20)  8. St. James Infirmary
(2:58)  9. Blame It On The Blues
(3:50) 10. Bechet's Fantasy
(3:09) 11. I Found A New Baby
(3:11) 12. Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out
(3:03) 13. When The Saints Go Marching In
(3:20) 14. Basin Street Blues
(3:04) 15. At The Jazz Band Ball
(3:22) 16. Joshua At The Battle Of Jericho
(3:10) 17. Runnin' Wild
(5:43) 18. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gave To Me
(4:08) 19. All Of Me
(3:34) 20. Black And Blue

Sidney Bechet was the first important jazz soloist on records in history (beating Louis Armstrong by a few months). A brilliant soprano saxophonist and clarinetist with a wide vibrato that listeners either loved or hated, Bechet's style did not evolve much through the years but he never lost his enthusiasm or creativity. A master at both individual and collective improvisation within the genre of New Orleans jazz, Bechet was such a dominant player that trumpeters found it very difficult to play with him. Bechet wanted to play lead and it was up to the other horns to stay out of his way.

Sidney Bechet studied clarinet in New Orleans with Lorenzo Tio, Big Eye Louis Nelson, and George Baquet and he developed so quickly that as a child he was playing with some of the top bands in the city. He even taught clarinet, and one of his students (Jimmie Noone) was actually two years older than him. In 1917, he traveled to Chicago, and in 1919 he joined Will Marion Cook's orchestra, touring Europe with Cook and receiving a remarkably perceptive review from Ernst Ansermet. While overseas he found a soprano sax in a store and from then on it was his main instrument. Back in the U.S., Bechet made his recording debut in 1923 with Clarence Williams and during the next two years he appeared on records backing blues singers, interacting with Louis Armstrong and playing some stunning solos. He was with Duke Ellington's early orchestra for a period and at one point hired a young Johnny Hodges for his own band. However, from 1925-1929 Bechet was overseas, traveling as far as Russia but getting in trouble (and spending jail time) in France before being deported.

Most of the 1930s were comparatively lean times for Bechet. He worked with Noble Sissle on and off and had a brilliant session with his New Orleans Feetwarmers in 1932 (featuring trumpeter Tommy Ladnier). But he also ran a tailor's shop which was more notable for its jam sessions than for any money it might make. However, in 1938 he had a hit recording of "Summertime," Hugues Panassie featured Bechet on some records and soon he was signed to Bluebird where he recorded quite a few classics during the next three years. Bechet worked regularly in New York, appeared on some of Eddie Condon's Town Hall concerts, and in 1945 he tried unsuccessfully to have a band with the veteran trumpeter Bunk Johnson (whose constant drinking killed the project). Jobs began to dry up about this time, and Bechet opened up what he hoped would be a music school. He only had one main pupil, but Bob Wilber became his protégé.

Sidney Bechet's fortunes changed drastically in 1949. He was invited to the Salle Pleyel Jazz Festival in Paris, caused a sensation, and decided to move permanently overseas. Within a couple years he was a major celebrity and a national hero in France, even though the general public in the U.S. never did know who he was. Bechet's last decade was filled with exciting concerts, many recordings, and infrequent visits back to the U.S. before his death from cancer. His colorful (if sometimes fanciful) memoirs Treat It Gentle and John Chilton's magnificent Bechet biography The Wizard of Jazz (which traces his life nearly week-by-week) are both highly recommended. Many of Sidney Bechet's recordings are currently available on CD. Bio ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sidney-bechet-mn0000033234/biography

The Blue Note Years

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