Sidney Bechet

Bio

Sidney Bechet (1897–1959) was an American jazz musician, composer, and bandleader from New Orleans. A virtuoso on the soprano saxophone and clarinet, he was among the first soloists to emerge in early jazz and helped shape the New Orleans and swing styles. Bechet performed with leading ensembles of the 1920s and 1930s, including King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band and the New Orleans Feetwarmers. His expressive, wide-vibrato tone and improvisational flair influenced generations of reed players. After World War II he settled in France, where he enjoyed renewed popularity and recorded landmark sessions that remain central to the traditional-jazz repertoire.