Vol. 1-1940

Sidney Bechet | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 13, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Jazz Chronological Classics
• ASIN: B000001NLB
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,239,058 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Careless Love

2. Milk Cow Blues

3. Lonesome Blues

4. Dear Old Southland

5. Bechet's Steady Rider

6. Saturday Night Blues

7. Four or Five Times

8. Sweet Lorraine

9. Lazy River

10. China Boy

11. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)

12. That's A-Plenty

13. Squeeze Me

14. Sweet Sue, Just You

15. Shake It and Break It

16. Old Man Blues

17. Wild Man Blues

18. Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning

19. Make Me a Pallet on the Floor

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Bechet--Great Variety!, April 15, 2001

By 

William F. Kerwin "wfkerwin" (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1940 (Audio CD)

Although this series is planned in strict chronological fashion, it happens that this volume for 1940--41 includes many of Bechet's finest Victor pieces. It starts out with "Blues in Thirds," a trio with Earl Hines and Baby Dodds that represents Bechet at his absolute best, followed by three pieces where Hines, Dodds and trumpeter Rex Stewart help to make up one of the best incarnations of the "New Orleans Feetwarmers" that Bechet ever played with. The "Muskrat Ramble" band is undistinquished, but this cut is followed by three pieces in which "Red" Allen" does fine trumpet work, "Egyptian Fantasy" being particularly haunting. This CD also includes Bechet's pioneering experiments in multi-tracking: "Sheik of Araby" and "Blues of Bechet," in which he plays all the instruments himself, including piano and drums! In addition, there are six tracks in which the piano of Willie "The Lion" Smith gives propulsion and force, particularly on "I'm Coming, Virginia" and "Limehouse Blues." "The Lion" also offers distinguished accompaniment in a haunting trio version of Billie Holliday's "Strange Fruit," which is almost as good as "Blues in Thirds." Top all this off with a couple of energetic Vic Dickenson vocals on "Rip Up the Joint" and "Suey," and you have an excellent album of considerable variety. If you only buy one Bechet album, I'd advise you to buy this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Bechet Disc., August 20, 2002

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vol. 1-1940 (Audio CD)

Um, with so many discs on the Chronological Classics, it's difficult to know which ones are good, and which ones can be passed by. To benefit jazz lovers, I want just briefly to review several of the discs. Bechet 1940 (CC 619) is quite a good disc. It features some good southern blues; and as a special feature has about half a dozen extended tracks (over 4 mins. a piece) which were achieved, I presume, by reducing the size of the label area in the center of the disc, thereby increasing the playing lenght of the old 78s. This disc is worth owning, and would also make a good gift.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best in the Bechet series, March 7, 2005

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1940 (Audio CD)

First of all, let's get some details corrected. This is Classics 619, not 638 (which is actually the next Bechet CD in the series: 1940-41). It begins with a Josh White Blue Note session--a real gem of a date. Beautiful music. Also included is a Bechet-led Blue Note date, 2 HRS sessions, and a Victor date featuring Bechet's Feetwarmers. The HRS sides are excellent, especially "China boy" and "That's a plenty," both up-tempo swingers. Also excellent are the Bechet Blue Note recordings, with a special tip of the hat to the slow blues "Dear old Southland." This entire CD is top of the line. Highly recommended.