Sidney Bechet - Mosaic Select '2006

Tracks list

Tracklist

CD1

1	Wild Cat Blues	2:58
2	Kansas City Man Blues	2:58
3	Atlanta Blues	2:55
4	Kansas City Man Blues	3:13
5	Irresistible Blues	3:13
6	Jazzin Babies Blues	3:09
7	Taint Nobodys Busness If I Do	2:48
8	New Orleans Hop Scop Blues	2:55
9	Oh Daddy!	3:15
10	Graveyard Dream Blues	3:10
11	If I Let You Get Away With It	2:55
12	Shreveport Blues	2:53
13	Old Fashioned Love	3:03
14	House Rent Blues	3:00
15	Mean Blues	2:51
16	Texas Moaner Blues	3:11
17	Early In The Morning	2:57
18	Youve Got The Right Key, But The Wrong Keyhole	3:15
19	Im So Glad Im A Brownskin	2:50
20	Off And On Blues	2:48
21	Mandy, Make Up Your Mind	3:08
22	Im A Little Blackbird Looking For A Bluebird	3:16
23	Wholl Chop Your Suey (When Im Gone)	3:21
24	Cake Walking Babies From Home	3:00
25	Harlems Araby	3:07

CD2

1	Bandana Days (-1)	2:50
2	Bandana Days (-2)	2:50
3	Im Just Wild About Harry (-1)	2:47
4	Im Just Wild About Harry (-2)	2:49
5	Dear Old Southland	2:58
6	Okey-Doke (-1)	2:53
7	Okey-Doke (-2)	2:52
8	Characteristic Blues (-1)	2:54
9	Characteristic Blues (-2)	2:51
10	What A Dream (-1)	2:51
11	What A Dream (-2)	2:50
12	Hold Tight (-1)	2:36
13	Hold Tight (-2)	2:35
14	Jungle Drums	2:27
15	Chant In The Night	2:22
16	Spreadin Joy (-3)	3:01
17	Spreadin Joy (-1)	2:58
18	Spreadin Joy (-4)	2:56
19	I Had It But Its All Gone Now (-1)	3:16
20	I Had It But Its All Gone Now (-3)	3:15
21	I Had It But Its All Gone Now (-4)	3:16
22	Polka Dot Stomp	2:37
23	Kansas City Man Blues (-3)	2:41
24	Kansas City Man Blues (-2)	2:39
25	Kansas City Man Blues (-1)	2:40

CD3

1	Buddy Bolden Stomp (-1)	3:07
2	Buddy Bolden Stomp (-2)	2:45
3	My Womans Blues (-1)	3:08
4	My Womans Blues (-2)	3:10
5	The Song Of Songs (-1)	3:11
6	Love For Sale (-3)	5:13
7	My Womans Blues (-3)	2:53
8	Just One Of Those Things (-2)	3:04
9	Just One Of Those Things (-1)	3:12
10	Just One Of Those Things (-5)	3:11
11	Love For Sale (-1)	3:18
12	Love For Sale (-4)	2:48
13	Love For Sale (-2)	2:41
14	Laura (-2)	3:16
15	Laura (-1)	3:07
16	The Song Of Songs (-2)	2:58
17	Shake Em Up (-1)	2:33
18	Shake Em Up (-2)	2:29
19	Shake Em Up (-3)	2:31

Recording Date:July 30, 1923 - July 31, 1947

 Sidney Bechet, the first great jazz horn soloist to be featured on records,
was a remarkable soprano saxophonist and clarinetist. He dominated ensembles,
often taking over the role of a trumpet or cornet, and was such a dazzling
soloist that he ended up being the favorite musician of both Duke Ellington and
John Coltrane. On this three-CD set, Mosaic Select has included some of the
highlights of Bechets recording career, although not delving into his later
Paris years or his much-reissued association with the Victor label. The first
disc has what are arguably his 25 best recordings from the 1920s. Mostly heard
with combos put together by pianist Clarence Williams, Bechet is in stunning
form on his debut session, which resulted in Wild Cat Blues and Kansas City Man
Blues. He interacts with such singers as Sara Martin, Mamie Smith, Eva Taylor,
Margaret Johnson, Virginia Liston, and Sippie Wallace, and he battles Louis
Armstrong on several numbers. Armstrong wins on the stunning Cake Walking Babies
from Home, but Bechet steals the show during his lone appearance on the
contrabass sarrusophone during Mandy, Make Up Your Mind. The second disc
consists of four complete sessions. Bechet is featured on three numbers (and two
alternate takes) with Noble Sissles orchestra (Dear Old Southland is a real
showcase) in 1937, on a date with Sissles rhythm section, and teaming up with
baritonist Ernie Caceres in a 1938 sextet. Best from this CD is Bechets 1947
outing with his protégé clarinetist Bob Wilbers Wildcats, an enthusiastic
and talented group of youngsters who also include pianist Dick Wellstood and
trombonist Bob Mielke. The final disc has all of the music recorded at a pair of
quartet dates in 1947. Most unusual is that Bechet, who was always closely
associated with New Orleans jazz, sounds quite at home on such sophisticated
material as Love for Sale, Laura, Just One of Those Things (for which he
provides a particularly catchy riff), and the overly dramatic The Song of Songs.
Although there are a lot of alternate takes, each performance is well worth
hearing. Coupled with Bechets Victor recordings and a sampling of his work in
the 1950s, this Mosaic Select set (which is a limited edition) is
essential~Scott Yanow.

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