July Records

Sidney Bechet is a brown-skinned old-timer from New Orleans, who looks like expansive Mr. Toad in The Wind in the Willows. Last month he did something that was in its way as fantastic as any of the acts of Kenneth Grahame's capricious batrachian. Last week Victor issued a record of The Sheik of Araby played by a six-piece ensemble, in which Mr. Bechet plays all six pieces.

After painstaking rehearsals, Mr. Bechet went to the Victor studios with his tenor and soprano saxophones, string bass, drums, clarinet. The piano was already there. He recorded each instrument's part separately, listening to and recording the preceding part as he played the next one (see cut, p. 40), The six parts were progressively dubbed together. "Man!" cried Mr. Bechet, when the job was done. "That ends three months of torture."

His one-man band is a unique stunt, but except as a stunt it doesn't add new luster to Mr. Bechet, who is already a first-rate hot soprano saxophonist.

Other popular recordings:

On the Alamo (Ray Noble; Columbia). Post-World War I classic played by Britain's No. 1 dance band in its slickest and most satisfying pre-War II style.

Daddy (The Charioteers; Okeh). Low-down harmonizing of the No. 1 juke-box tune.

I Know That You Know (Joe Marsala; Decca). The most straightforward hot clarinetist in the business and his clean little band do the honors to one of Vincent Youmans' great foxtrots. Mrs. Marsala gets off for a nice hot harp chorus.

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