Actually this box set is not to be seen as the average Bechet reissue but rather as a "no compromise" project which actually consists in an 12" x 12" 216-page art book with 4 CDs of Bechet's Swiss recordings thoroughly restored and mastered from the best surviving original audio sources. This box set actually weights 2,5kg (5lb) !
The aim of this project, which took 2 years in the making, was to document the story of Bechet in Switzerland for future generations, with some 250 photos, most of which have never been seen before, as well as some 140 documents consisting in all Swiss tour programs from 1926 (Black People tour) through 1958, local press articles and announcements, as well as some legendary documents such as the never-seen original Ernest Ansermet article published in the Revue Romande in 1919, and André Wagnière's private guestbooks signed by Sidney when he came to his place in the 50's. At the bottom of this page, you will find a video preview of what is in the book: http://www.unitedmusic.ch/index.php/en/projects/sidney-bechet-in-switzerland
Extensive research in a wide range of Swiss press archives has taken place to also document all of Bechet's Swiss concert dates and venues (from 1926 to 1958), thus correcting all errors from current biographies. And a bilingual essay (French/English) by Bechet's French biographer Fabrice Zammarchi explains Bechet's intimate relationship with Switzerland.
As for the audio restoration and mastering process, you can judge for yourself here: http://www.unitedmusic.ch/index.php/en/projects/audio-clips
Finally, I would like to point out that an average record company would never have been able to put together such a project, sincec it would have never been financially viable.
It took a Swiss nonprofit for the preservation of the recorded music heritage, the United Music Foundation, to make this happen.
As a result, this unique box set has been praised by the press and awarded twice (including the Coveted Best Reissue Award by the French Academy of Jazz). It also served as the basis of a TV documentary on Bechet in Geneva with previously unseen private footage. http://www.unitedmusic.ch/index.php/en/news/press-review/72-press-sidney-bechet
Finally, I would like to correct one point: this box set is not only available from the United Music Foundation's web store but also from the Jazz Record Center in the US: http://jazzrecordcenter.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2899
Kind regards,
David