Sidney Bechet

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Sidney Bechet’s career journey was marked by various notable milestones. He began by playing in the Orchestra of Noble Sissle and collaborating with Tommy Ladnier. His appearances at Eddie Condon’s Town Hall concerts in New York further solidified his reputation in the music scene. However, by the late 1940s, Bechet faced increasing challenges in securing employment.

With dwindling job opportunities, Bechet decided to open a music school, but his venture only attracted one student: his protégée, Bob Wilber.

In 1949, a turning point arrived when Bechet received an invitation to attend the “Salle Pleyel” Jazz Festival in Paris. This marked the beginning of the most prosperous phase of his career. Bechet chose to remain in France for the remainder of his life, where he finally received the artistic recognition and success he had long deserved.

In Paris, France, at the Festival Internationale des Arènes de Lutèce, Sidney Bechet graces the stage alongside French clarinetist Andrei Reiweiliotty and his band, delivering a spirited rendition of “Royal Garden Blues.”

Personnel:

Sidney Bechet – soprano sax
Andrei Reiweiliotty – clarinet
Marcel Bornstein – trumpet
Jean-Louis Durand – trombone
Yannick St. Gerry – piano
Michael Pacout – drums

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