Sidney Bechet
Sidney Bechet | |
|---|---|
Bechet at Jimmy Ryan's club, New York, 1947, photograph by William P. Gottlieb | |
| Background information | |
| Born | May 14, 1897 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 14, 1959 (aged 62) Garches, France |
| Genres | Jazz, New Orleans jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Clarinet, soprano saxophone |
| Years active | 1908–1957 |
| Formerly of | Louis Armstrong, Tommy Ladnier |
Sidney Joseph Bechet (/bɛˈʃeɪ/ beh-SHAY; May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic temperament hampered his career, and not until the late 1940s did he earn wide acclaim. Bechet spent much of his later life in France.