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

Dusty Springfield

Dusty Springfield

Singer. Born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien in Hampstead. In 1956 she joined an all-girl trio called the Lana Sisters and in 1960 formed the Springfields group with her brother Tom. She w...

Person, Music / songs, Seriously Famous

1 memorial
Sir Osbert Sitwell

Sir Osbert Sitwell

Born 3 Arlington Street. Writer, famed for his collaborations with his sister Edith and brother Sacheverell. He wrote the libretto for Sir William Walton’s oratorio, Belshazzar’s Feast. Died Monteg...

Person, Literature, Music / songs, Italy

3 memorials
Park Lane Group

Park Lane Group

From their website: This is a charity which "Given the free use of Park Lane House, 45 Park Lane, London W1 in 1956..." gives opportunities to young musicians.

Group, Music / songs, Philanthropy

1 memorial
Eddie Harvey

Eddie Harvey

Pianist and trombonist. Born Edward Thomas Harvey in Blackpool. At the age of 16 he joined George Webb's Dixielanders jazz band. Following WW2 he performed with a number of bands, including John Da...

Person, Music / songs

1 memorial
David Watkinson

David Watkinson

From his X/Twitter page: "YES fan, historian, author, memorabilia collector, Bolton born, father/works in fine antiques/likes classic cars/the arts/history, now in West Sussex."  Published 'Yes: Pe...

Person, History, Music / songs

1 memorial