Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet, born on May 14, 1897, in New Orleans, was a pioneering jazz musician renowned for his mastery of the soprano saxophone. He began playing the clarinet at the age of six and by 1914 had become a seasoned performer with several notable local bands, including those led by Jack Carey and Buddy Petit. Bechet worked with jazz luminaries such as Clarence Williams and King Oliver in New Orleans before moving to Chicago and then New York City in 1919. That year, he toured Europe with the Southern Syncopated Orchestra and became the first jazz musician to receive praise from a distinguished classical musician, Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet.
Throughout the 1920s, Bechet shifted his focus to the soprano saxophone and briefly collaborated with Duke Ellington in 1925 before embarking on another European tour. He intermittently played with the Noble Sissle band from 1928 to 1938. In the late 1940s, Bechet settled in Paris, where he achieved significant recognition, comparable to famed Parisians like Maurice Chevalier and Jean Cocteau.
Bechet, alongside trumpeter Louis Armstrong, was among the first musicians to bring a jazz-swing feeling to improvisation. He was known for his ability to craft logical lines within the New Orleans-style ensemble, employing techniques such as double-timing and authoritative improvisation. His large, warm tone and rapid vibrato, along with his dramatic mastery and note-bending, left a lasting impact, influencing musicians like Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington’s principal soloist from 1928 to 1970. Bechet's autobiography, "Treat It Gentle," was published posthumously in 1960. Sidney Bechet passed away on his 62nd birthday, May 14, 1959, in Paris.
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