A History Of Blue Note Records: 1949

Sidney Bechet's Blue Note Jazz Men – January 21 1949

Max Margulis - Blue Note 105 Liner Notes

The success of BLUE NOTE ALBUM 103 ("Hot Jazz at Blue Note," by Art Hodes' Hot Five, with Sidney Bechet) encouraged the recording and issue of the present Album. This Album again features Sidney Bechet, who is in many ways the most unusual of all jazz players.

Sidney Bechet's forty years of activity as a jazz musician cover the music's entire span. Year by year, his contemporaries have disappeared from the musical scene, most of them identified as practitioners of specific styles in a particular era. But Bechet's style, founded and shaped in the New Orleans tradition, is unique rather for its individuality. His style is not New Orleans, as we understand that style of playing today. Although it maintains the lyrical and rhythmical character of the classic tradition of jazz, it is not genre music, and excites no backward-looking nostalgia. It has always been the evolving expression of a prodigious creativity, and to the present day, has been developing by leaps. Indeed, it is a fact that his renown is growing even now.

For almost a decade now, BLUE NOTE has been setting down on records, and documenting, as it were, Bechet's developing style. Bechet's BLUE NOTE records, dating from 1939, reveal not only his unfaltering creativity, but his deepening feeling. This is reflected today in his changed quality of tone and his richer sense of sustained line and form. Note in the present records Bechet's exclusive use of the soprano saxophone, which he apparently prefers for the richness of its low overtones; and note, further, his newly concentrated compassion which strikingly sets off his sweeping passagework when it occurs.

The effect of Bechet's playing, however, is assured in this Album by the high musicianship of the ensemble. Art Hodes (piano), "Will Bill" Davison (coronet) and Fred Moore (drums), who play here, were heard with Bechet in Album 103 mentioned above. As was noted in that Album, "They have a lucid appreciation of the underlying values of their music, and are aware of the fact that they appear at the attenuated end of a musical era...The old, expressive, communicative values that have survived three decades of commercialism are their rhetoric and metaphor..." The three other musicians here are masters of style on their respective instruments. They are Walter Page (bass), who played with Bennie Moten and Count Basic; Wilmore "Slick" Jones (drums), who played with the late "Fats" Waller; and Ray Diehl (trombone), a new comer among BLUE NOTE's distinguished trombonists.

The six standard pieces here are dramatically conceived, in the sense that their climaxes are usually prepared and achieved with cumulative effect. Also of great interest is the fact that the pieces are scaled generally in the low and middle pitch areas.

While TIN ROOF BLUES has an overall feeling of ensemble predominance, Bechet's saxophone, unrolling phrases of increasing strength, richness and passion, rises above the ensemble for a solo chorus. JAZZ BAND BALL, backing this number, is a work of consistent, rich sonority and close harmonic movement of voices.

TIGER RAG is a refreshing moderately-paced version of a number too often shoddily played. It maintains a closely knit harmonic texture, while its marked stomp accents set in relief the grace and ease of the playing. The saxophone and cornet duet is so effectively close that it is difficult to identify the successive entrances and stops. CAKE WALKING BABIES is fast, but its phrases are pleasingly smooth and legato. Bechet's saxophone introduces furious rhythms and ascending solo passages, which ultimately dominate the Dixieland style (Saxophone-cornet-trombone) final chorus.

The brief choruses of THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN are played with no loss of continuity. The piece is a triumph for the ensemble, but no less for Bechet. The resources of the soprano saxophone seem to be newly discovered as Bechet, whether in solo or obligato to the cornet, plays with elation and springiness, with unbridled exuberance and perversity - even taking two choruses in the minor mode.

The final number, BASIN STREET BLUE, is impressive for its straight trombone solo, phrased expressively with rich, sombre tones, while the saxophone echoes the melody's cadences with a chase-like effect. Most of this piece is pitched low, and rises in range only in the saxophone solo before the final ensemble. A saxophone cadenza ends the record.

The Record Changer - 1949

I don't claim that these are the greatest records ever made, or even the best that lists Sidney Bechet on the personnel. What I do claim, however, is that they are beautifully conceived and carry a deep emotional impact. I've never heard Pops make a bad one, but if he never makes another these six sides could well stand as a fitting memorial to one of the greatest hearts in all of jazz. And that is something I can't say of most albums, which is high praise of this one, rather than a backhand sweep at the others.

Bechet, of course, is one of the immortals of Jazz, and if any proof were needed of this just listen to how every one who plays with him usually plays way over his head. I have heard Wild Bill Davison do some wonderful things—barring the showpiece kind of thing, which always makes me want to head for the nearest porthole—but I have never heard him play as well with anyone as he teams up here with Bechet. The only regret I have is that there is no trombone on half of these sides those on which Ray Diehl does appear are notable more for their solo work for any three part ensemble work. This is the first time I have heard Diehl, by the way, and I wish I had heard him more, rather than more of him. Do I make myself clear?

There was a time not so long ago, when everyone, young and old, was playing the old numbers and everyone was objecting because everybody was trying to play like Johnny Dodds, King Oliver or, if you'll pardon the expression, like Sidney Bechet. It became the thing to say, in praise, that here was a young band that had gotten itself out of the rut—if you listen closely you'll hear a little Ellington. a little of what the big bands do right and nothing they do wrong, and even, God help us, a wee soupcon of be-bop; that here was progressive jazz, but with a strong foundation in the traditional vein.

That's fine and I'm all for it, but may I mention here that this album is something so old it's really new? For here, wonder of wonders, is Sidney Bechet sounding like Sidney Bechet and also playing six of the
most wonderful tunes in the jazz repertoire. I'd like to go on record as saying that I think this is pretty wonderful stuff and I'd rather be caught on Times Square minus my britches than not to have this my shelves. All right. I know, I've got some Bechet around I wouldn't trade for these, and yet I've never heard Bechet play better than he does here. Add this to some pretty damned fine Wild Bill and Art Hodes and what do you want for your money? It's amazing how much Bechet has progressed (no, I don't mean he's better. I merely mean that here's one of the old timers who plays with his heart in '49 without forgetting what happened in '29) through the years, that he's always himself, but looking forward and not backwards.

There are some things here I don't like, but what I don’t like is so overshadowed by what I do like that I don’t hesitate to urge you to latch on to this one, but quick. (Blue Note 105)

Dan Morgenstern – Hot Jazz on Blue Note CD Liner Notes

Tiger Rag is the first in a segment of tunes associated with the Original Dixieland Jazz Band, whose reputation would probably be better if they had not been the first jazz group to make records. Among other things, they contributed many lasting pieces to the jazz repertory, and the “Tiger” in his prime rivaled “St. Louis Blues” in terms of recording popularity. In the 20s every band worth its salt had this piece in its book, and the harmonic structure of its third strain was used for a host of jazz “originals,” just as “I Got Rhythm” would be used in the next three decades. This relaxed Bechet-Hodes-Davison version has Sidney’s soprano taking all the breaks in the opening strain and Freddie Moore making the tiger noises in the next (he’s roaring into an old snare drum that he kept with him). Then the two horns in close harmony play Bechet’s lovely variation on the third-strain theme (hear Walter Pope’s percussive walking bass behind them) and ride out on it. Although the OJDB took composer credit for this piece, it goes back to well before 1917, mixing a quadrille and a waltz, both of French origin. Jelly claimed he added the tiger business – maybe so.

Photo by Francis Wolff

Max Harrison - The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Sidney Bechet - Mosaic Records MR6-110

SISTER KATE is taken at an agreeably relaxed tempo. Bechet is on soprano saxophone throughout; in fact we shall not hear his clarinet again in this set. Nor is there excessive speeding on TIGER RAG., where Bechet takes full advantage of the breaks. There are no collisions between cornet and soprano saxophone either, and it is hard to understand, in the face of the closing ensemble here or the teamwork on TIN ROOF BLUES, how commentators can go on repeating that Bechet always made difficulties for trumpet/cornet players. Perhaps they never bothered to listen. In TIN ROOF BLUES, as in SISTER KATE, I FOUND A NEW BABY and NOBODY KNOWS YOU WHEN YOU'RE DOWN AND OUT, Davison's solos are relatively quiet, close to the microphone, with full accompaniments from Bechet, who in telling contrast soars exultantly in his solos on each. I FOUND A NEW BABY could be described as a disciplined tear-up, whereas it is a pleasant surprise to have WHEN THE SAINTS CO MARCHING IN starting with Hodes first musing softly to himself, gradually picking up tempo, then the horns roaring in. Aside from Armstrong's 1938 Decca and Bunk Johnson's 1945 American Music version, this is almost the only bearable recording of this anthem of "trad" jazz.

Art Hodes and Chadwick Hansen - Hot Man: The Life of Art Hodes – University of Illinois Press 1992 p: 63-64 Relations between Lion and Wolff and the musicians they recorded were easy and informal. They would meet with the leader of the date, pick the sidemen first, and then the tunes, always picking a few extra in case some of those they had scheduled didn't work out. If any of the tunes might be unfamiliar the leader would work out a skeletal chart. At the studio they always came with a bag full of the finest sandwiches you could buy — whatever you wanted—corned beef, roast beef, pickles, soft drinks. There was always a taste for these who liked to indulge. So they were very nice about it, and there was nobody in the studio but the band. They always sat behind the glass window, except Wolff was allowed to roam and take pictures. But he was kind of unobtrusive. He didn't bother us. not at all. Many of the Note sessions with Sidney Bechet. When Blue Note called me to do a recording date with Bechet he was anxious and glad to do it. Knowing Sidney, that would have never happened if I hadn't healed that breach. And although I was the leader on the date Sidney knocked himself out on the session, making it good. Wild Bill Davison, cornet; Pops Foster, bass; Fred Moore, drums; Sidney on soprano; and myself, piano. We’d rehearsed, practiced, worked out our arrangements. Now it's cuttin' time. Should be no problems, right? Wrong. We're not gettin' in there. That rhythm is not right, the way it should be. But we're in the middle of a number, and Bechet is taking his chorus. You stop the band? Not Sidney. While taking his chorus, improvising, Bechet would lean on a note with a bit more emphasis, almost like adding a push and a pull, bending the rhythm section to his will, working it in line, helping to warrn it up. He was making us come alive. And all the time Bechet is soloing, putting down his best on shellac for all time. This was the first time this ever happened to me. Bechet was one great swinger. We must have cut at least two dozen records together. We were coleaders of many a Blue Note date; either I was the leader or he was the leader. He acted the same on all of them. Bechet not only played for himself and for his audience, he played for the band. On a record date, Sidney was like a band after they'd been blowing two hours. He got there warmed up. I remember Wingy Manone doing that. He'd take the band somewhere, some place we could blow, and we'd play right up to the minute it got feeling real good. Then Wingy would say, "All right, let's go." And off to the studio. Maybe this is New Orleans style. I don't know. I know it worked. After the date Bechet and I would sit and listen, play it back. It had to be good or we'd do it over. When we made the "Weary Way Blues" [with two clarinets and rhythm), and we needed Albert Nicholas, I went to Bechet's house and rehearsed. I played the second part, the part Albert would have to play, while Bechet played his part. And after I got it just the way he wanted it, I will never forget him saying to me, "Now go over to Albert and teach that little boy his pan." Which I did.