Customer Reviews

Legendary Sidney Bechet

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This is the real deal: RCA's own original masters digitally restored. So much of Bechet on CD are European labels where disks are often made from second-hand sources. The dates cover 12 different sessions between 1932 and 1941, acknowledged by most sources to be a peak period of creativity by the clarinet/soprano sax master. Some of the better known sidemen include Mezz Mezzrow (clarinet, tenor sax), Kenny Clark, Sid Catlett, Zutty Singleton & Baby Dodds (drums), Earl Hines & Jelly Roll Morton (piano), Rex Stewart & Red Allen (trumpet). The mostly bright, snappy numbers are a blast of volcanic energy, and the occasional ballads will squeeze your heart.

The sound quality is the best I've heard on a Bechet CD: bright, crisp high range that does proper justice to the cutting, agressive sound unique to Sidney. If you have any taste for traditional New Orleans flavored traditional jazz or swing, you would be nuts not to nail down a copy, especially at the ridiculously low price being charge by third party vendors. Do it now, before this materpiece disappears.

I first learned about Sidney Bechet when my jazz loving aunt gave me an LP of some of his music when I was a teenager. Some of the same tunes are on this album which one would be hard pressed to find a more perfect single Sidney Bechet CD. The sound quality is excellent and the tunes are just great! I highly recommend this album as a best of CD. It is a good one for out-and-out fans of Bechet and for people just becoming interested in this great jazz musician.

Not only is Sidney the best, but this album is the best. One of the most prescious jazz albums in the 20th century!

Well not much to say, and not many to disagree. Good-spirited fun jazz. If you are a music fan looking to get into the oldies a bit, jazz/blues/big-band/swing whatever this is a good starting point.

Couldn't get hold of this CD anywhere in HK, finally stumbled upon it on amazon and at a very reasonable shipping charge and a short wait of less than a week, it's MINE!