SwingDJs

Roy wrote:"The sound of Harry Edison's trumpet was, after that of Louis Armstrong, perhaps the most instantly identifiable signature in jazz. It could be recognised after just one note. "

You can test yourself on this:

Yeah right, i didn't say i could recoginize him in 1 note, but apparently some people can. I do think I can nail Armsrong every time. I have never heard anyone play like him.

No one put a "why" for Sidney Bechet, so I thought I'd contribute my opinion:

When he's not playing soprano sax, he still pulls a sound out of the clarinet that resembles one.

I was provoked to write this, however, because though he doesn't quite sound like Bechet, another person I've noticed does the same thing on a clarinet is Darnell Howard.

I need to find more of Howard's music; I heard some on a radio show recommended over on JiveJunction.com (coming out of New Orleans) and liked it just as much as the Wolverine Blues I found over on ITunes a couple of months ago.

Bechet growls with the clarinet like no other. He's never cutesey or overly melodic. He just feels the melody inside, never reading music, and emphatically shouts it out. I think he picked up the Soprano Sax at first because he could be louder and therefore more prominent. That's certainly how I'd describe him when listening to him.

bechet's signature characteristics are a wide, wide vibrato and an expansive, powerful tone. no delicate piping for him.