Sidney Bechet - The Fabulous Sidney Bechet (1958)
This "Old School" jazz recording is quite cool; the crystal sound of 1950s recording technology combined with an exuberant Dixieland / New Orleans style makes for a great party when you're in that spritely, no-looking-back, good-times mood evinced by the Quarter. Bechet's clarinet is powerful and piercing without being shrill, and the rest of the soloists - trumpet, piano, trombone - nail their festive riffs, too. The disc features a good mix of very energetic upbeat numbers and barroom ballads. It also contains a bunch of standards , including great takes on "Sweet Georgia Brown," "All of Me" and "Ballin' the Jack." This admittedly isn't my favorite jazz style, but I mean that in the quite literal isn't my *favorite* sense - it's still damn good, evokes a very particular mood and setting, and makes for great music to, say, kick back with a dense novel on a lonesome Wednesday night to.
Status: Recommended (solid)
Nyet's Fave: "Sweet Georgia Brown" (aka the basketball jazz song)
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