Sidney Joseph Bechet 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.
Bechet at Jimmy Ryan's club, New York, 1947, photograph by William P. Gottlieb
Bechet's childhood home in the 7th Ward of New Orleans
Soprano saxophone
November, 1947--Bill Reinhardt (clarinet), Danny Alvin (drums), Bechet (soprano sax), Mel Grant (piano), and Munn Ware (trombone).
Louis Daniel Armstrong, nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several eras in the history of jazz. He received numerous accolades including the Grammy Award for Best Male Vocal Performance for Hello, Dolly! in 1965, as well as a posthumous win for the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972, and induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2017.
Armstrong in 1953
A snippet from the January 2, 1913, issue of The Times-Democrat, New Orleans. "Negro" is a dated term for black people.
Armstrong was a member of Fate Marable's New Orleans Band in 1918, here on board the S.S. Sidney.
The Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in 1925. Armstrong is the third person from the left.
