With cooperation from the Verve and Columbia Legacy catalogs, the
Ken Burns Jazz series on CD individually spotlights the musical excellence of 22 jazz originators whose careers and influence are explored in Burns' PBS documentary Jazz. This disc provides an enjoyable introduction to
Sidney Bechet, one of the early jazz masters of Dixieland and New Orleans clarinet and soprano saxophone. The 20 tracks on
Ken Burns Jazz highlight
Bechet's work from 1923 through 1947 with Clarence Williams' Blue Five,
Noble Sissle & His Orchestra, and the Spanier-Bechet Big Four. While
Bechet's wide vibrato style didn't change much throughout the years, he maintained an excellence and inspired approach that few musicians have been able to sustain consistently, making the majority of his dates worth hearing. While it's impossible to sum up
Bechet's history on a single disc, the highlights presented here should encourage the interested novice listener to seek out more material. There is nothing for aficionados on this volume of
Ken Burns Jazz. ~ Al Campbell