Bechet: Live in Paris, 1952-1958

Sidney Bechet est avec Louis Armstrong l'un des premiers grands solistes du jazz et l'un des plus grands musiciens de son epoque. Ce coffret 3 CD reunit des lives enregistres principalement a Paris entre 1952 et 1958, capturant l'essence même du swing hors norme du veteran du jazz d'alors. Veritable rockstar avant l'heure, Sidney Bechet enflammait les foules avec sa virtuosite, sa presence charismatique et sa ferveur contagieuse. Voici un precieux temoignage de l'atmosphere survoltee des concerts de l'artiste qui nous permet de vibrer au rythme de son jazz incandescent. La collection Live in Paris, dirigee par Michel Brillie, permet de retrouver des enregistrements inedits (concerts, sessions privees ou radiophoniques), des grandes vedettes du jazz, du rock & roll et de la chanson du XXe siecle. Ces prises de son live, et la relation avec le public, apportent un supplement d'âme et une sensibilite en contrepoint de la rigueur appliquee lors des enregistrements studios. Une importance singuliere a ete apportee a la restauration sonore des bandes, pour convenir aux standards CD tout en conservant la couleur d'epoque. Sidney Bechet, like Louis Armstrong, was among the greatest musicians of his time and one of the first great jazz soloists. This 3 CD set brings together live recordings of concerts given mainly in Paris between 1952 and 1958, and they capture the very essence of the extraordinary swing this jazz veteran displayed in the fifties. Like a true rock star before his time, Bechet set crowds on fire with his virtuoso skills, his charisma and his contagious fervour. Here we have precious evidence of the tremendous excitement that his concerts aroused, and his music has the same effect today, thanks to his incandescent playing that causes vibrations in every listener. The Live in Paris collection by Michel Brillie allows listeners to hear previously-unreleased recordings (made at concerts and private or radio-sessions) by the great 20th stars in jazz, rock & roll and song. These "live" takes, and the artists' rapport with their audiences, gives these performances an additional soul and sensibility in counterpoint to the rigorous demands of studio recordings. Particular care was taken when restoring the sound of these tapes in order to meet CD standards while preserving the original colours of the period.

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