Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet (14 May 1897 - 14 May 1959) was born in New Orleans. From a young age, Bechet quickly mastered any musical instrument he encountered. Some New Orleanians remembered him as a cornet hot-shot in his youth. At first he decided on the clarinet as his main instrument, and Bechet remained one of jazz's greatest clarinetists for decades. However, he is best remembered as the master of the soprano saxophone. Bechet was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist of any sort. Forceful delivery, well conceived, improvised ideas, and a distinctive wide vibrato characterized Bechet's playing.

Bechet had experience playing in traveling shows even before he left New Orleans at the age of 20. Never long content in one place, he alternated using Chicago, New York, and Europe as his base of operations until finally settling in France in 1950. Bechet married Elisabeth Ziegler in Antibes, France in 1951.

Bechet successfully composed in jazz, pop-tune, and extended concert work forms. His recordings have often been reissued. Some of the highlights include 1924 sides with Louis Armstrong in "Clarence Williams Blue Five", the 1932, 1940, 1941 "New Orleans Feetwarmers" sides, a 1938 "Tommy Ladnier Orchestra" session ("Weary Blues", "Really the Blues"), and various versions of his own composition, "Petite Fleur". The power and individualism of Bechet's musical personality are evident in all of his recordings. Existentialists in France called him "le dieu".

In 1941, as an early experiment in overdubbing at RCA Studios, he recorded on six different instruments: the clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, piano, bass, and drums. This recording can be heard under the title "Sheik of Araby".

Bechet was an important influence to alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, who studied with Bechet as a teenager.

Shortly before his death in Paris, Bechet dictated his poetic autobiography, Treat It Gentle. He died on his 62nd birthday.

Bechet is also said to have served as a prototype for the saxophonist Pablo in the novel Steppenwolf, since it was almost certainly through listening to his playing in Europe in the 1920s that Hermann Hesse became acquainted with the world of jazz music.

Philip Larkin wrote an ode to Bechet in The Whitsun Weddings.