Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.
He was one of the first important soloists in jazz (beating cornetist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong to the recording studio by several months and later playing duets with Armstrong), and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist. Forceful delivery, well-constructed improvisations, and a distinctive, wide vibrato characterized Bechet's playing.
Bechet's erratic temperament hampered his career, however, and not until the late 1940s did he earn wide acclaim.
Sidney Bechet's primary instruments were the clarinet and the soprano sax. His playing style is intense and passionate, and had a wide vibrato. He was also known to be very proficient with his instruments and a master at improvisation (both individual and collective). Bechet liked to have his sound dominate in a performance, and trumpeters found it very difficult to play alongside him.
CD 1: Maple Leaf Rag
01 Got the Bench
02 Got the Park
03 In a Cafe on the Road to Calais
04 Loveless Love
05 Basement Blues
06 Wha'd Ya Do to Me
07 Roll on, Mississippi
08 Roll On
09 Sweetie Dear
10 I Want You Tonight
11 I've Found a New Baby
12 Lay Your Racket
13 Maple Leaf Rag
14 Shag
15 Under the Creole Moon
16 The Old Ark is Moverin'
17 Loveless Love
18 Polka Dot Rag
19 That's What Love Did to Me
20 You Can't Live in Harlem
21 I Wonder Who Made Rhythm
22 Tain't a Fit Night Out for Man or Beast
CD 2: Okey Doke
01 I Take to You
02 Rhythm of the Broadway Moon
03 Bandana Days
04 I'm Just Wild About Harry
05 Dear Old Southland
06 Okey Doke
07 Characteristic Blues
08 Viper Mad
09 Blackstick
10 When the Sun Sets Down South
11 Sweet Patootie
12 Freight Train Blues
13 Trixie Blues
14 My Daddy Rocks Me, Part I
15 My Daddy Rocks Me, Part II
16 He May Be Your Man, but He Comes to See Me Sometimes
17 Jack, I'm Mellow
18 Uncle Joe
19 I Am a Woman
20 Toot it, Brother Armstrong
21 Blue Monday on Sugar Hill
CD 3: Jungle Drums
01 My Unusual Man
02 What a Dream
03 Hold Tight (Want Some Sea Food Mama)
04 Jungle Drums
05 Chant in the Night
06 Ja Da
07 Really the Blues
08 When You and I Were Young
09 Weary Blues
10 Blues for Tommy
11 Summertime
12 Pounding Heart Blues
13 Magic Island-Meringue
14 Mayotte-Meringue
15 Rose Rhumba
16 Sous Les Palmiers
17 Original Haitian Music, Part I
18 Original Haitian Music, Part II
19 Tropical Moon-Rhumba
20 Baba-Rhumba
21 Original Haitian Music, Part III.
CD 4: Sidney's Blues
01 Original Haitian Music, Part IV
02 Ti Ralph
03 Meringue d'Amour
04 Marche du Colonel Bogey
05 Indian Summer
06 One O'clock Jump
07 Preachin' Blues
08 Sidney's Blues
09 Carless Love
10 Milk Cow Blues
11 Lonesome Blues
12 Dear Old Southland
13 Bechet's Steady Rider
14 Saturday Night Blues
15 Four or Five Times
16 Sweet Lorraine
17 Lazy River
18 China Boy
19 If I Could Be With You
20 That's a Plenty
21 Squeeze Me
CD 5: Swing Parade
01 Sweet Sue, Just You
02 Shake it and Break It
03 Old Man Blues
04 Wild Man Blues
05 Nobody Knows the Way I Feel Dis Mornin'
06 Make Me a Pallet on the Floor
07 Blues in Thirds
08 Blue for You, Johnny
09 Ain't Misbehavin'
10 Save it, Pretty Mama
11 Stompy Jones
12 Muskrat Ramble
13 Coal Black Shine
14 Egyptian Fantasy
15 Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
16 Slippin' and Slidin'
17 The Sheik of Araby
18 Blues of Bechet
19 Swing Parade
20 I Know That You Know
21 When it's Sleepy Time Down South
CD 6: Blues in the Air
01 I Ain't Gonna Give Nobody None O' This Jelly-Roll
02 I'm Coming, Virginia
03 Limehouse Blues
04 Georgia Cabin
05 Texas Moaner
06 Strange Fruit
07 You're the Limit
08 Rip Up the Joint
09 Suey
10 Blues in the Air
11 The Mooche
12 Laughin' in Rhythm
13 Street Rag
14 Mood Indigo
15 Rose Room
16 Oh! Lady Be Good
17 What is This Thing Called Love
18 After You've Gone
19 V-Disc Blues (Bugle Call Rag/Ole Miss)
20 Bechet Parades the Blues
21 St. Louis Blues
CD 7: Jazz Me Blues
01 Jazz Me Blues
02 Blue Horizon
03 Muskrat Ramble
04 You've Got Me Walkin' and Talkin' to Myself
05 Quiet Please
06 Cliff's Boogie Blues
07 Jeepers Creepers
08 High Society
09 Salty Dog
10 Weary Blues
11 Jackass Blues
12 Milenberg Joys
13 Lord Let Me in the Lifeboat
14 Days Beyond Recall
15 Porto Rico
16 Up in Sidney's Flat
17 Quincy Street Stomp (Blame it on the Blues)
18 Old Stack O' Lee Blues
CD 8: Buddy Bolden Stomp
01 Royal Garden Blues
02 Slow Blues
03 Old Fashioned Love
04 Fast Blues
05 Bugle Blues
06 Spreading Joy
07 I Had it but it's All Gone
08 Polka Dot Stomp
09 Kansas City Man Blues
10 Buddy Bolden Stomp
11 Song of Songs
12 My Woman's Blues
13 Song of Songs
14 Just One of Those Things
15 Love for Sale
16 Laura
17 Shake 'em Up
18 Sister Kate
19 Tiger Rag
CD 9: Tin Roof Blues
01 Tin Roof Blues
02 I've Found a New Baby
03 Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
04 When the Saints Go Marching In
05 I Got Rhythm
06 September Song
07 Who
08 Song of the Medina
09 Maryland, My Maryland
10 Careless Love
11 Egyptian Fantasy
12 Basin Street Blues
13 Cake Walking Babies
14 Tailgate Ramble
15 At the Jazz Band Ball
16 Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho
17 Fidgety Feet
18 Honeysuckle Rose
19 Coquette
20 High Society
21 On the Sunny Side of the Street
22 Sugar
CD 10: Petite Fleur
01 Muskrat Ramble
02 St. Louis Blues
03 Sweet Georgia Brown
04 Summertime
05 I Found a New Baby
06 September Song
07 High Society
08 Dippermouth Blues
09 I Got Rhythm
10 Frankie and Johnny
11 Casey Jones
12 Society Blues
13 Petite Fleur
