Biography of Sidney Bechet

Clarinet, soprano saxophone. Born in New Orleans, Bechet was a prodigy who turned pro at 13 and left home three years later. By 1919, he was in Europe with composer Will Marion Cook's Southern Syncopated Orchestra. Back home in 1924, he made his first records, showing that he had no peers when it came to soloing; soon he was teamed on disc with another New Orleanian, Louis Armstrong, the only player then who could hold his own with him. Soon Bechet was off to Europe again, touring as far afield as Russia, where he was lionized. The 30s found him back home; his 1932 sides with his New Orleans Feetwarmers are classics. After some years in Noble Sissle's Society Dance Band, Bechet was rediscovered and became a fountainhead of the traditional jazz revival. After World War II, he returned to Europe; settling in France in 1951, he became one of that country's biggest stars. Though he never abandoned the clarinet, from 1920 on Bechet concentrated on the soprano sax, of which he was the first and greatest master. His tone was as powerful as a trumpet's, and he took the lead in any group he played with. His autobiography, Treat It Gentle, is one of the most moving books about jazz. ~ Dan Morgenstern