Sidney Bechet

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GemZombie · #46 Post by **GemZombie** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:42 pm

You didn't. You said:

If ragtime isn't swing music and 20's charleston isn't lindy hop, then it would explain why they wouldn't be the primary focus of a board called SwingDJs nor why they wouldn't be the main fare for djing aimed at lindy hoppers.

Which means you were suggesting that someone here said that this kind of music should be our primary focus. I don't believe any such thing was said.

CafeSavoy · #47 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:06 pm

GemZombie wrote:You didn't.

Thank you.

GemZombie · #48 Post by **GemZombie** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 1:23 pm

stifle #2

How 'bout we get back to discussing why Bechet is good dance music?

Roy · #49 Post by **Roy** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 8:58 pm

what do guys think about his 1940 recording of Sheik of Araby, where he plays all the instruments himself. Recording one and then playing another instrument to the recording.

CafeSavoy · #50 Post by **CafeSavoy** » Tue Feb 08, 2005 9:07 pm

Roy wrote:what do guys think about his 1940 recording of Sheik of Araby, where he plays all the insturments himself. Recording one and then playing another instrument to the recording.

I haven't heard it. Interesting idea. There's a Nat King Cole video where he tapes himself and then accompanies himself. If you get it, let me know how it is. I've been re-watching Ken Burns Jazz and you get the impression that Sidney was one crazy dude. Imagine having a gunfight at high noon in Paris.

Toon Town Dave · #51 Post by **Toon Town Dave** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:50 pm

Craziness must be a trait of Soprano Sax players. Chris Plock who plays with Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards is pretty crazy on stage.

julius · #52 Post by **julius** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 5:01 pm

Bill Evans has an album called Conversations With Myself where he accompanies himself TWICE as a one-man piano trio.

Being able to play the first time and leave room for where the next two versions of you are going to play, and make it work, is pretty unbelievable.

Matthew · #53 Post by **Matthew** » Wed Feb 09, 2005 6:07 pm

Bobby McFerrin's got a cool thing on his web site, where you can "mix" one of his songs by adding or subtracting the different vocal parts that he recorded. My mom, who's not a trained musician, thought it was awesome, and loved playing with the different elements.

Here it is: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" mixer

Yakov · #54 Post by **Yakov** » Thu Feb 10, 2005 9:58 am

you don't have to be crazy to play soprano sax, but it helps.

SweetLowdown · #55 Post by **SweetLowdown** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 5:03 pm

Nice thread! I'm actually going to be DJ'ing a tribute to Sidney Bechet this upcoming Tuesday in Detroit.

I would add "Blue Horizon" to the list-- (available on Sidney Bechet 1941-1944 [1996-Chronological Classics])

kitkat · #56 Post by **kitkat** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 12:58 pm

I'm listening to the 4th box of the Proper Box Set The Sidney Bechet Story right now (also subtitled "Blue Horizon"), and in the first 6 tracks, I've heard 4 fantastic medium-tempo songs with a lot of energy, plus 1 sexy blues song. The recordings are from 1944-1950 on this CD, so the quality is good. If you want Sidney that will get people going but not wear them out, I think this is the disc. I'll post again when I get all the way through the CD.

Matthew · #57 Post by **Matthew** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:37 pm

Many of the Bechet recordings I've heard make his clarinet sound like an oboe. I've got the Past Perfect set, and the clarinet often sounds pretty shrill. Is it just this set, or do most of his recordings sound like that? I don't really mind the sound, but I'd like to hear it the way he played it.

Toon Town Dave · #58 Post by **Toon Town Dave** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 1:55 pm

That may be partly because he's not playing clarinet. Bechet plays soprano sax, it looks like a brass clarinet but sounds different and is not as common as tenor or alto. Even then, Bechet's playing is VERY recognizable.

I've had the proper set for a while. I just received the 1939-1951 Blue Note Master Takes Disconforme set in the mail yesterday. I ripped it last night and it's in my queue of stuff to listen to at work today or tomorrow.

kitkat · #59 Post by **kitkat** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:20 pm

When I heard Bechet for the first time, I knew how a clarinet should sound.

Someone who heard me say this explained that it wasn't a clarinet; it was a soprano sax.

Then I heard Darnell Howard playing clarinet in a soprano-sax/Bechet style on a cut of "Wolverine Blues" in the 50's, and it was obvious that you could squeak that sound out of a clarinet. I later heard Bechet and other New Orleans artists also playing a clarinet so it sounded like a soprano sax.

I stand by my statement. That's how a clarinet should sound. That or the sound it gets in hard-wailing Klezmer music. I think they're tied.

Matthew · #60 Post by **Matthew** » Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:29 pm

I guess my experience is just very different. Most of my experience with the clarinet comes from hearing it in the youth orchestras I was in. It sounded very different from Bechet's tone. Cool stuff. Thanks.