Sidney Bechet RCA/Victor Sessions

[Late]

I'm looking for recommendations regarding Bechet's RCA/Victor sessions, especially concerning:

• sound

• completeness

I'm familiar with the music itself, which I love, and have (most of) the recordings spread out over some best-ofs, CDRs, and comps, but would like to find something more organized. (Maybe the old 3-disc Master Takes box? Or the 2-disc B&W Tribune sets?) I don't need every alternate — or maybe I do? Have these recordings ever been remastered without being no-noised to death?

Thanks for your thoughts/help!

[AllenLowe]

French black and white LPs are the best of all I have heard.

[jeffcrom]

I remember Allen's high opinion of the French LPs from an earlier discussion.

The 1990 Master Takes set has been my go-to set for this material since it was issued. The sound varies a bit from session to session, but it's generally pretty good - certainly good enough for me. It doesn't seem de-noised to death. And it has a session made in 1943 for V-Disc which is not readily available elsewhere - a really nice one, with Bechet and Vic Dickenson as the front line.

Many of the alternate takes are pretty similar to the masters, but there is one you "need." The alternate of "Blues for You, Johnny" is superior to the master. The master has a vocal by Herb Jeffries which doesn't do much for me; the alternate is a sprightly instrumental romp.

All the Victor alternates are on the The Alternative Takes, volumes 1 and 2, from Network. "Blues for You, Johnny" is on volume 1.

[jazztrain]

There were two Bechet albums in the old Victor Vintage series that had excellent sound.

They were:

• Bechet of New Orleans (LPV-510)
• The Blue Bechet (LPV-535)

Of course, these are not complete. In some cases, they used alternate takes that, as a result, I know better than the master takes that I obtained later.

[Late]

Thanks, guys! While I do still have a functioning turntable, I don't actively collect vinyl. That said, were I to see the French LPs for a decent price, I'd certainly pick them up.

I went ahead and ordered the 3-disc Victor Master Takes set — I'm sure it will receive plenty of spinning. Thanks too for the tip, Jeff, about "Blues for You, Johnny."

Weird that Sony/BMG (Universal?) hasn't reissued a box set of the Victor work ... in almost twenty-five years? Having everything together, perhaps with the alternates on separate discs, would seem like a seller.

[jeffcrom]

In whatever form, this has been some of my favorite music for 40 years.

[JSngry]

The old Bluebird Master Musician 2-fer held me good for quite a while until I finally had to have more, at which point I got 1932-1943.

Point just being that this is, for me, music that you'll get pulled deeper into, eventually.

[jazzbo]

I don't know Laton, not as sure of its selling power as you are but it would be great. Better from Mosaic to be honest, that would be a good set. I have all the volumes on Masters of Jazz which go into the Victor years, and the cds of the rest of that, the King Jazz sides. . . just music that you can get lost in.

Edited December 9, 2014 by jazzbo

[AllenLowe]

to me the Ladnier on this stuff was just some of the most purely beautiful New Orleans playing ever.

[jazzbo]

I agree, Tommy was quite a player!

[Neal Pomea]

French black and white LPs are the best of all I have heard.

Picked up on eBay this week. Gorgeous!