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Starting a new thread so as not to hijack the one about Paul Rossiter:

Didier wrote:

JimN wrote:The first melody heard at that URL [the video tribute to Paul] is Petite Fleur, written by Sidney Bechet. It has been recorded fairly recently (meaning within the past few years) by Hank as a gypsy jazz styled piece.

Sidney Bechet was a jazz musician from New Orleans who settled in France where he was very popular. He first played clarinet before switching to soprano saxophone. He composed many hits, "Petite fleur" being the biggest.

Didier

I didn't realise that Bechet was originally from New Orleans. I assumed he would have moved there from France before moving back. Perhaps Didier or any French speakers/members can answer a question for me: would Bechet have pronounced his surname with a hard 't'? I ask because Hank does. I've surmised that it was a continuation of the stage joke regarding Jean Michel Jarre's pronunciation of 'Hank' ('Onk'!) which triggered Hank's retaliation ('Gene Mitchell Jaruh'!). Was Hank having a quiet laugh with himself or was Sidney Bechet's surname really pronounced 'Bechette'?

Approximately correct French pronunciation (of French words and names) is normal in New Orleans and more widely in Louisiana.

Nobody says "Batten Rowg".

Or "Beg Net Cafe".

PS: The first time I remember hearing Bechet's name pronounced was in a TV drama series in 1968 (recorded 1967): "A Man Of Our Times", with George Cole as the middle-aged Max Osborne (the titular hero). At a party, he brought along some Bechet records for the host to play and was challenged by a younger guest on the basis that the music was unchallenging and "obvious" but not surprising given Max's age. Max replied indignantly that he was not a contemporary of Bechet.

MeBHank wrote:Starting a new thread so as not to hijack the one about Paul Rossiter:

Didier wrote:

JimN wrote:The first melody heard at that URL [the video tribute to Paul] is Petite Fleur, written by Sidney Bechet. It has been recorded fairly recently (meaning within the past few years) by Hank as a gypsy jazz styled piece.

Sidney Bechet was a jazz musician from New Orleans who settled in France where he was very popular. He first played clarinet before switching to soprano saxophone. He composed many hits, "Petite fleur" being the biggest.

Didier

I didn't realise that Bechet was originally from New Orleans. I assumed he would have moved there from France before moving back. Perhaps Didier or any French speakers/members can answer a question for me: would Bechet have pronounced his surname with a hard 't'? I ask because Hank does. I've surmised that it was a continuation of the stage joke regarding Jean Michel Jarre's pronunciation of 'Hank' ('Onk'!) which triggered Hank's retaliation ('Gene Mitchell Jaruh'!). Was Hank having a quiet laugh with himself or was Sidney Bechet's surname really pronounced 'Bechette'?

In France we pronounced "Bechette". It's been told that he had played with Louis Armstrong before settling in France.
After playing in various parts of Europe, he had such a huge success at the Paris Jazz festival in 1949, that he decided to settle in France, the best french New-Orleans jazzmen (Claude Luter, André Réwéliotty) backed him for records and concerts.
He had so much succes in France that he played top of the bill at the Paris Olympia. I still have an LP that an older brother bought at this time.

Didier

'Beshay' ? Bechet himself as introduced by an interviewer...



Bill

Thank you for your replies, fellas. I'm glad to think that I can accurately keep saying my bit of patter when I play - spoiler alert - Petite Fleur in my Shadowing Hank show.

Many many years ago, Bert Weedon released a single on top rank of Petite Fleur
one of my favourite Bert recordings. I mentioned to him when I met him backstage at a show that I had
loaned it out and never got it back and he kindly sent me a tape recording of it. What a gent.

Norman