“Sidney Bechet was one of the truly great originals. I shall never forget the first time I heard him play, at the Howard Theatre in Washington around 1921. I had never heard anything like it. It was a completely new sound and conception to me.”

– Duke Ellington, Music is my Mistress

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The recordings heard on this podcast episode:

CD: “The Legendary Sidney Bechet” Bluebird – 6590-1-RB

The Mooche 

Recorded 14 October 1941, New York City

Henry Goodwin –trumpet; Vic Dickenson – trombone; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Don Donaldson – piano; Ernest Williamson – bass; Manzie Johnson – drums.

Stompy Jones

Recorded 6 September 1940, Chicago

Rex Stewart – cornet; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Earl “Fatha” Hines – piano; John Lindsay – bass; Warren “Baby” Dodds – drums.

Mood Indigo

Recorded 24 October 1941, New York City

Charlie Shavers – trumpet; Sidney Bechet – clarinet; Willie “The Lion” Smith – piano; Everett Barksdale – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sidney Catlett – drums.

The Sheik of Araby

Recorded 19 April 1941, New York City

Sidney Bechet – clarinet, soprano sax, tenor sax, piano, bass, drums.

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Old Man Blues (CD: “The Sidney Bechet Story” Proper Records – PROPERBOX 18)

Recorded 4 June 1940, New York City

Sidney DeParis – trumpet; Sandy Williams – trombone; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Cliff Jackson – piano; Bernard Addison – guitar; Wellman Braud – bass; Sidney Catlett – drums.

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The Sheik of Araby (CD: “The Complete 1933-1940 Brunswick, Columbia and Master Recordings of Duke Ellington and his Famous Orchestra” Mosaic Records #248)

Recorded 16 May 1932, New York City

Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams, Freddie Jenkins – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – banjo; Wellman Braud – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

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The Sheik of Araby  (CD: “Fargo, ND, November 7, 1940” Vintage Jazz Classics VJC-1019/20-2)

Recorded 7 November 1940 at The Crystal Ballroom in Fargo, North Dakota

Wallace Jones, Rex Stewart, Ray Nance – trumpet; Lawrence Brown, Joe Nanton, Juan Tizol – trombone; Barney Bigard, Johnny Hodges, Otto Hardwick, Ben Webster, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Fred Guy – guitar; Jimmie Blanton – bass; Sonny Greer – drums.

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Never No Lament (LP: “Bechet, Bunk and Boston 1945” Jazz Archives – JA-48)

Recorded 3 April 1945, Boston

Bunk Johnson – trumpet; Sidney Bechet – soprano sax; Ray Parker – piano; George “Pops” Foster – bass; George Thompson – drums.

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Portrait of Sidney Bechet (CD: “New Orleans Suite” Warner Bros. 7411644)

Recorded 13 May 1970, New York City

Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Mercer Ellington, Fred Stone – trumpet; Booty Wood, Julian Priester, Chuck Connors – trumpet; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.

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— Our closing music—-

It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)

Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City

Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.