Sidney Bechet
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Sidney Bechet | |
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Background information | |
Born | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | May 14, 1897
Died | May 14, 1959 Garches, France | (aged 62)
Genres | Jazz, New Orleans jazz |
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
Instrument(s) | Clarinet, soprano saxophone |
Years active | 1908–1957 |
Sidney Joseph Bechet (/bɛˈʃeɪ/ beh-SHAY; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong.[1] His erratic temperament hampered his career, and not until the late 1940s did he earn wide acclaim. Bechet spent much of his later life in France.[2]
Biography
Early life
Bechet was born in
His older brother, Leonard Victor Bechet, was a full-time dentist and a part-time trombonist and bandleader. Bechet learned and mastered several musical instruments that were kept around the house (he began on the cornet), mostly by teaching himself; he decided to specialize in the clarinet (which he played almost exclusively until about 1919).[3]
At the age of six, he started to perform with his brother's band at a family birthday party, debuting his talents to acclaim. Later in his youth, Bechet studied with Joseph "King" Oliver, Bunk Johnson, Freddie Keppard,[2] Lorenzo Tio, "Big Eye" Louis Nelson Delisle, and George Baquet.[4]
Musical development
Bechet played in many New Orleans ensembles using the
He performed in parades with Freddie Keppard's brass band, the Olympia Orchestra, and in John Robichaux's dance orchestra. From 1911 to 1912, he performed with Bunk Johnson in the Eagle Band of New Orleans and in 1913–14 with King Oliver in the Olympia Band. From 1914 to 1917, he was touring and traveling, going as far north as Chicago and frequently performing with Freddie Keppard.[citation needed]
In the spring of 1919, he traveled to New York City where he joined Will Marion Cook's Syncopated Orchestra. Soon after, the orchestra traveled to Europe; almost immediately upon arrival, they performed at the Royal Philharmonic Hall in London. The group was warmly received, and Bechet was especially popular.[4]
While in London, he discovered the straight soprano saxophone and developed a style unlike his clarinet tone. Bechet was the first influential soprano saxophonist, and led to its rising popularity in jazz.[3]
His saxophone sound could be described as emotional, reckless, and large. He often used a broad
Bechet's first recordings were made in 1923 and 1924.[2] The session was led by Clarence Williams, a pianist and songwriter, better known at that time for his music publishing and record producing, and his "Blue Five" (which included Louis Armstrong).[2] Bechet recorded "Wild Cat Blues" and "Kansas City Man Blues". The former is in a ragtime style with four 16-bar themes, and the latter is a 12-bar blues.[3] In 1924, Bechet worked with Duke Ellington for three months and made a significant impact on Ellington's early jazz style.[2] Duke Ellington called him "the epitome of jazz."[6] However, he never learned how to read music in his lifetime of being a musician.[7]
Bechet in France
On September 15, 1925, Bechet and other members of the Revue Nègre, including
In France, Bechet found that he was appreciated by a wider audience and had more general freedom than he did in the United States.[7]
He was imprisoned in Paris for eleven months.[10][11] In his autobiography, he wrote that he accidentally shot a woman when he was trying to shoot a musician who had insulted him. He had challenged the man to duel and said, "Sidney Bechet never plays the wrong chord."[12] After his release, he was deported to New York, arriving soon after the stock market crash of 1929. He joined with Lorenzo Tio and also came to know trumpeter Roy Eldridge.[5]
In 1932, Bechet returned to New York City to lead a band with Tommy Ladnier. The band, consisting of six members, performed at the Savoy Ballroom. He played in Noble Sissle's orchestra, which toured in Germany and Russia.
Later life
In 1938, "Hold Tight, Hold Tight (Want Some Seafood Mama)", commonly known as "Hold Tight", was composed by Bechet's guitarist Leonard Ware and two session singers with claimed contributions from Bechet himself. The song became known for its suggestive lyrics and then for a series of lawsuits over songwriter royalties.
In 1939, Bechet and the pianist
"I started by playing The Sheik on piano, and played the drums while listening to the piano. I meant to play all the rhythm instruments, but got all mixed up and grabbed my soprano, then the bass, then the tenor saxophone, and finally finished up with the clarinet."
In 1944, 1946, and 1953, he recorded and performed in concert with the Chicago jazz pianist and vibraphonist Max Miller; private recordings from Miller's archive have never been released. These concerts and recordings are described in John Chilton's biography Sidney Bechet: The Wizard of Jazz.[13]
With jobs in music difficult to find, he opened a tailor shop with Ladnier. They were visited by musicians and played in the back of the shop. In the 1940s, Bechet played in several bands, but his financial situation did not improve until the end of that decade. By the end of the 1940s, Bechet had tired of struggling to make music in the United States. His contract with Jazz Limited, a Chicago-based record label, was limiting the events at which he could perform (for instance, the label would not permit him to perform at the 1948
In 1958, Bechet performed as a soloist and with various other renowned musicians including
Permanent settlement in Paris
In 1951, he migrated to France permanently,[2] after his performance as a soloist at the Paris Jazz Fair caused a surge in his popularity in that country, where he easily found well-paid work. Also in 1951, he married Elisabeth Ziegler in Antibes.
In 1953, he signed a recording contract with
Autobiography and death
Shortly before his death, Bechet dictated his autobiography, Treat It Gentle, to Al Rose, a record producer and radio host. He had worked with Rose several times in concert promotions and had a fractious relationship with him. Bechet's view of himself in his autobiography was starkly different from the one Rose knew.
"The kindly old gentleman in his book was filled with charity and compassion. The one I knew was self-centered, cold, and capable of the most atrocious cruelty, especially toward women."[16]
Though the claim that Bechet dictated his autobiography to Al Rose has been picked up by other internet sources, the autobiography itself—Treat It Gentle (Twayne, 1960)—notes that “Among those who helped record and edit the tapes on which this book is based are Joan Reid, Desmond Flower and John Ciardi.” The “Foreword” to the book by Desmond Flower explains in detail how the material from the various interviews was put together into book form. There is no mention of any involvement by Al Rose in the interviewing or editing process.
Although embellished and frequently inaccurate, Treat It Gentle remains a staple account for the "insider's view of the New Orleans tradition."[17]
Bechet died in Garches, near Paris, of lung cancer on May 14, 1959, on his 62nd birthday. He is buried in a local cemetery. Two other major jazz musicians died that year: Billie Holiday and Lester Young.[6]
Legacy
In 2013, a crater on Mercury was named after Bechet.[18]
In the novel Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse, Bechet was inspiration for the character "Pablo."[7]
Bechet's music has been included in the soundtracks of about 60 films, including the following: Flirting (1991), JFK (1991), Chocolat (2000), The Quiet American (2002), and Midnight in Paris (2011).[7]
Philip Larkin wrote a poem called "For Sidney Bechet". It can be found in The Complete Poems.[19] It is written about on the Philip Larkin Society website.[20]
Van Morrison mentions Sidney Bechet in the song "See Me Through Part II (Just A Closer Walk With Thee)" from the 1990 album Hymns to the Silence: "...Sidney Bechet on Sunday afternoons in winter/Sidney Bechet, Sunday afternoons in winter..."[21]
In Antibes, France, a small one-block park is named Sidney Bechet Square in his honor. The park contains a monument with a bust of Bechet and a plaque that reads, "To Sidney BECHET, one of the world's greatest jazz musicians, so honored by his new home. - Sidney J. BARTHELEMY, Mayor of New Orleans, April 16, 1994."
A fictionalized Sidney Bechet appears in two episodes of George Lucas's The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles portrayed by Jeffrey Wright.[22]
Personal life
Bechet was Catholic.[23]
Bechet was known for having an abrasive attitude, which has been compared to that of Coleman Hawkins.[24] They were both incredibly sure of their relative importance in the music industry during a time in which jazz was losing popularity. They were stubborn and lacked patience with younger artists who had less experience or knowledge about the jazz industry.[24]
Bechet briefly took time off from the music industry in 1938, when he opened a tailor shop in New York.[7]
Bechet had three wives: Elizabeth Ziegler (1951–death), Marie-Louise Crawford (1934–1942), and Norma Hale (1918–1929).[7]
Awards
- DownBeat magazine Hall of Fame, 1968[25]
- Bechet was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame, 1983.[7]
- Awarded a blue plaque outside his former London home, 2014 (pictured).[26]
Discography
Singles
- "Texas Moaner Blues", with Louis Armstrong, 1924
- "Cake Walkin' Babies from Home", with Red Onion Jazz Babies, 1925
- "Got the Bench, Got the Park (But I Haven't Got You)", 1930
- "Blues in Thirds", 1940
- "Dear Old Southland", 1940
- "Egyptian Fantasy", 1941
- "Muskrat Ramble", 1944
- "Blue Horizon", 1944
- "Dutch Swing College Blues", 1954[27]
- "Kansas City Man Blues", 1954[27]
- "Petite Fleur", 1959
- "Dans les Rues D'Antibes", 1960[27]
- "Premier Bal", 1960[27]
- "Who's Sorry Now", 1961[27]
- "Weary Blues", 1979[27]
Albums
- "A Jazz Masterwork", 1948
- "Sidney Bechet & Claude Luter", 1950
- "Jazz Classics Vol. 1", 1950
- "Jazz Classics Vol. 2", 1950
- "Sidney Bechet - Bunk Johnson: Days Beyond Recall", 1951
- "Sidney Bechet, Claude Luter: On Parade", 1951
- "Sidney Bechet, Claude Luter, Andre Reweliotty et son Orchestre: Bechet-Souvenirs", 1951
- "Sidney Bechet, Muggsy Spanier: Jam Session", 1952
- "Sidney Bechet", 1952
- "Port of Harlem Six", 1952
- "Soprano Sax Solos", 1952
- "French Movies", 2014
Movies
Bechet was featured in three films and played a jazz musician.[7]
- Série noire,[28]
- L'inspecteur connaît la musique,[29]
- Quelle équipe![29]
Further reading
- American Peoples Encyclopedia Yearbook (1953). p. 542.
- Bechet, Sidney (1960). Treat It Gentle. Twayne. Reprint, Da Capo, 1978.
- Chilton, John ((1987). Sidney Bechet, The Wizard of Jazz. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-520623-1.
- Hoefer, George (1946). Article in Metronome Magazine, December 1946.
References
- ^ Yanow, Scott. "Sidney Bechet". AllMusic.com. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hudson, Rob (January 14, 2008). "Sidney Bechet (1897-1959) •". Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Sidney Bechet | Association for Cultural Equity". The Association for Cultural Equity. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ JSTOR 1214805.
- ^ ISBN 9780887384325.
- ^ S2CID 251633340.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Sidney Bechet". IMDb. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
- ISBN 0-520-22537-6.
- ^ "The Travels of Josephine Baker and Sidney Bechet | Musical Geography". Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ Cohassey, John. "Sidney Bechet". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Palmer, Robert (1976). Sidney Bechet: Master Musician (Media notes). Bluebird Records.
- ^ "The struggle in Paris". My Life - Sidney Bechet. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ISBN 0333443861.
- ^ "Brussels Fair 1958 by Sidney Bechet and His Quartet".
- ISBN 978-1594774355.
- ISBN 0-8071-2571-7.
- ^ Stephen Cottrell (2013). The Saxophone (Yale Musical Instrument Series). Yale Musical Instrument Series. p. 187.
- ^ "Bechet". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. NASA. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ISBN 978-0-374-12696-4.
- ^ Dickinson, Peter. "For Sidney Bechet". The Philip Larkin Society. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ Morrison, Van. "See Me Through Part II (Just A Closer Walk With Thee)". YouTube. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ "TheRaider.net – The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles". www.theraider.net. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Hill, Gary (April 30, 2007). "Historic jazz church in New Orleans clings to life". Reuters. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
- ^ JSTOR 3051437.
- ^ "Radio Swiss Jazz - Music database". Retrieved April 1, 2018.
- ^ "Sidney Bechet awarded blue plaque". www.telegraph.co.uk. November 25, 2014. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f "Sidney Bechet". Discogs. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ "Série noire". Allocine.fr. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
- ^ a b "Ah, quelle équipe!". Allocine.com. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
External links
- Sidney Bechet at the Red Hot Jazz Archive
- Profile with pictures
- Sidney Bechet in Switzerland: A preservation project by the United Music Foundation Archived 2018-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
- Sidney Bechet recordings at the Discography of American Historical Recordings.
- France: Jazz Musician Sidney Bechet Buried In Paris Suburb: No Farewell Blues. 1959
- NPR: The Sidney Bechet Story
- 10 Essential Recordings of Bechet's Tunes