On this three-CD set, Mosaic Select has included some of the highlights of Bechet's 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 Sissle's orchestra ("Dear Old Southland" is a real showcase) in 1937, on a date with Sissle's rhythm section, and teaming up with baritonist Ernie Caceres in a 1938 sextet. Best from this CD is Bechet's 1947 outing with his protégé clarinetist Bob Wilber's 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 Bechet's Victor recordings and a sampling of his work in the 1950s, this Mosaic Select set (which is a limited edition) is essential.
Disc 1
1. Wild Cat Blues (A) 2:58
(C. Williams-F. Waller)
2. Kansas City Man Blues (A) 2:58
(C. Williams-C. Johnson)
3. Atlanta Blues (B) 2:55
(W.C. Handy-Elman)
4. Kansas City Man Blues (C) 3:13
(C. Williams-C. Johnson)
5. Irresistible Blues (D) 3:13
(G.E. Jefferson)
6. Jazzin' Babies Blues (D) 3:09
(Richard M. Jones)
7. 'Tain't Nobody's Bus'ness If I Do (E) 2:48
(Grainger-Prince-Williams)
8. New Orleans Hop Scop Blues (E) 2:55
(George W. Thomas)
9. Oh Daddy! (E) 3:15
(E. Herbert-W. Russell)
10. Graveyard Dream Blues (F) 3:10
(Ida Cox)
11. If I Let You Get Away With It (G) 2:55
(F. Rose-J. Frost)
12. Shreveport Blues (H) 2:53
(Annie Potter)
13. Old Fashioned Love (H) 3:03
(J.P. Johnson-R.C. McPherson)
14. House Rent Blues (The Stomp) (I) 3:00
(R. DeKoven-A. Thompson)
15. Mean Blues (I) 2:51
(B. Smythe-A. Gillham)
16. Texas Moaner Blues (J) 3:11
(F. Barnes-C. Williams)
17. Early In The Morning (J) 2:57
(B. Higgins-W.B. Overstreet)
18. You've Got The Right Key, But The Wrong
Keyhole (J) 3:15
(E. Green-C. Williams)
19. I'm So Glad I'm A Brownskin (K) 2:50
(H. Thomas-S. Wallace)
20. Off And On Blues (K) 2:48
(H. Thomas-S. Wallace)
21. Mandy, Make Up Your Mind (L) 3:08
(Clark-Johnston-Meyer-Turk)
22. I'm A Little Blackbird Looking For A Bluebird (L) 3:16
(Clark-Johnston-Meyer-Turk)
23. Who'll Chop Your Suey (When I'm Gone) (M) 3:21
(S. Bechet-R. Simmons)
24. Cake Walking Babies From Home (N) 3:00
(Smith-Troy-Williams)
25. Harlem's Araby (O) 3:07
(Grainger-Waller-Trent)
Disc 2
1. Bandana Days (-1) (P) 2:50
(E. Blake-N. Sissle)
2. Bandana Days (-2) (P) 2:50
(E. Blake-N. Sissle)
3. I'm Just Wild About Harry (-1) (P) 2:47
(E. Blake-N. Sissle)
4. I'm Just Wild About Harry (-2) (P) 2:49
(E. Blake-N. Sissle)
5. Dear Old Southland (P) 2:58
(H. Creamer-T. Layton)
6. Okey-Doke (-1) (Q) 2:53
(Sidney Bechet)
7. Okey-Doke (-2) (Q) 2:52
(Sidney Bechet)
8. Characteristic Blues (-1) (Q) 2:54
(S. Bechet-N. Sissle)
9. Characteristic Blues (-2) (Q) 2:51
(S. Bechet-N. Sissle)
10. What A Dream (-1) (R) 2:51
(Sidney Bechet)
11. What A Dream (-2) (R) 2:50
(Sidney Bechet)
12. Hold Tight (-1) (R) 2:36
(Brandow-DeSylva-Robinson-Spottswood-Ware)
13. Hold Tight (-2) (R) 2:35
(Brandow-DeSylva-Robinson-Spottswood-Ware)
14. Jungle Drums (R) 2:27
(S. Bechet-Z. Singleton)
15. Chant In The Night (R) 2:22
(Sidney Bechet)
16. Spreadin' Joy (-3) (S) 3:01
(Sidney Bechet)
17. Spreadin' Joy (-1) (S) 2:58
(Sidney Bechet)
18. Spreadin' Joy (-4) (S) 2:56
(Sidney Bechet)
19. I Had It But It's All Gone Now (-1) (S) 3:16
(Sidney Bechet)
20. I Had It But It's All Gone Now (-3) (S) 3:15
(Sidney Bechet)
21. I Had It But It's All Gone Now (-4) (S) 3:16
(Sidney Bechet)
22. Polka Dot Stomp (S) 2:37
(Sissle-Bechet-Tolliver)
23. Kansas City Man Blues (-3) (S) 2:41
(C. Williams-C. Johnson)
24. Kansas City Man Blues (-2) (S) 2:39
(C. Williams-C. Johnson)
25. Kansas City Man Blues (-1) (S) 2:40
(C. Williams-C. Johnson)
Disc 3
1. Buddy Bolden Stomp (-1) (T) 3:07
(Sidney Bechet)
2. Buddy Bolden Stomp (-2) (T) 2:45
(Sidney Bechet)
3. My Woman's Blues (-1) (T) 3:08
(Sidney Bechet)
4. My Woman's Blues (-2) (T) 3:10
(Sidney Bechet)
5. The Song Of Songs (-1) (T) 3:11
(Lucas-Vaucaire-Vicars-Moya)
6. Love For Sale (-3) (T) 5:13
(Cole Porter)
7. My Woman's Blues (-3) (U) 2:53
(Sidney Bechet)
8. Just One Of Those Things (-2) (U) 3:04
(Cole Porter)
9. Just One Of Those Things (-1) (U) 3:12
(Cole Porter)
10. Just One Of Those Things (-5) (U) 3:11
(Cole Porter)
11. Love For Sale (-1) (U) 3:18
(Cole Porter)
12. Love For Sale (-4) (U) 2:48
(Cole Porter)
13. Love For Sale (-2) (U) 2:41
(Cole Porter)
14. Laura (-2) (U) 3:16
(D. Raksin-J. Mercer)
15. Laura (-1) (U) 3:07
(D. Raksin-J. Mercer)
16. The Song Of Songs (-2) (U) 2:58
(Lucas-Vaucaire-Vicars-Moya)
17. Shake 'Em Up (-1) (U) 2:33
(Sidney Bechet)
18. Shake 'Em Up (-3) (U) 2:29
(Sidney Bechet)
19. Shake 'Em Up (-2) (U) 2:31
(Sidney Bechet)
