Person    | Male  Born 14/5/1897  Died 14/5/1959

Sidney Bechet

Categories: Music / songs

Countries: France, USA

Saxophonist, clarinetist and composer. Born in New Orleans. He was an outstanding clarinetist in his teens and toured Europe with Will Marion Cook's Syncopated Orchestra. In London he was imprisoned for assault and then deported back to the United States. In 1925, he and other members of the 'Revue Nègre' sailed to Cherbourg and toured extensively throughout Europe. In France he was imprisoned and deported again. It wasn't until the 1940s that he settled down and achieved wide acclaim as a musician. Died in Paris, on his birthday.

Philip Larkin appreciated Bechet: "There are not many perfect things in jazz, but Sidney Bechet playing the blues could be one of them."

Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sidney Bechet

Commemorated ati

Sidney Bechet

Sidney Bechet, 1897 - 1959, New Orleans jazz pioneer saxophonist & clarin...

Read More

Other Subjects

Jim Marshall

Jim Marshall

Businessman and pioneer of guitar amplification. Born in London. An electrical engineer he built a portable amplification system, which he used in his evening job as a singer and drummer.  On 7 Jul...

Person, Engineering, Music / songs

2 memorials
La Gioconda / Giaconda

La Gioconda / Giaconda

Back in the 1960s this was the place where would-be future pop icons hung out.  We've found references to: Marc Bolan, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Small Faces, Elton John, Jimi Hendrix,...

Group, Community / Clubs, Food & Drink, Music / songs

1 memorial
Hunky Dory

Hunky Dory

The fourth studio album recorded by David Bowie. It includes now classic tracks such as 'Changes', 'Oh! You Pretty Things' and 'Life on Mars?'

Media, Music / songs

1 memorial
Sir Yehudi Menuhin

Sir Yehudi Menuhin

Born in New York, child of recent immigrants, achieved fame as a violinist at age 7. Spent most of his career in Britain, becoming a British citizen in 1985. Initially working in the classics, as p...

Person, Music / songs, Seriously Famous, Germany, USA

1 memorial
Southbank Centre

Southbank Centre

Arts centre. Oversees the Hayward Gallery, the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Saison Poetry Library, and the Arts Council Collection.

Group, Music / songs, Theatre

2 memorials