Sidney Bechet With "Wild Bill" Davison And Art Hodes – Volume 1 (Vinyl LP | DE Reissue | ca. 1973–1976)

Sidney Bechet With "Wild Bill" Davison And Art Hodes – Volume 1 brings together Dixieland recordings that Sidney Bechet made for Blue Note between 1945 and 1950. Side A comes from the session of 12 October 1945 with cornettist Wild Bill Davison, pianist Art Hodes, Pops Foster and Fred Moore, who also sings. Side B contains recordings from 1949 and 1950, partly with Walter Page, Joe Sullivan and Jimmy Archey. The compilation first appeared in 1955 as Blue Note BLP 1203 (“Giant Of Jazz”); the stereo edition BST 81203 followed in the late 1960s. On offer is a German reissue with catalogue number BST 81203 K, dated to c. 1973–1976 on the basis of the label design.

Pressing details

• Label / Cat. no.: Blue Note BST 81203 K
• Format: Vinyl LP, Compilation
• Pressing: DE Reissue
• Country: Germany (according to the label)
• Dating of this pressing: c. 1973–1976, based on the label design; no exact release year documented (first release: 1955)
• Genre: Jazz, Dixieland

Condition

• Condition: Second hand
• Media: NM-
• Cover: VG+

Condition graded to the Goldmine standard (see Vinyl Grading). The images are our own scans of the copy on offer.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Darktown Strutters' Ball (Shelton Brooks)
2. Save It Pretty Mama (Don Redman)
3. Shine (Cecil Mack/Ford Dabney/Lew Brown)
4. St. James Infirmary (Joe Primrose)
5. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (Turner Layton)
6. Memphis Blues (W. C. Handy)

Side B

1. Fidgety Feet (Larry Shields/Nick LaRocca)
2. Sister Kate (A. J. Piron)
3. Copenhagen (Charlie Davis/Walter Melrose)
4. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (Jimmy Cox)
5. China Boy (Dick Winfree/Phil Boutelje)
6. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble (Spencer Williams)

Personnel

Side A (12 October 1945): Sidney Bechet (soprano saxophone, clarinet), "Wild Bill" Davison (cornet), Art Hodes (piano), George "Pops" Foster (bass), Fred Moore (drums, vocals).

Side B (1949 and 1950): Sidney Bechet (soprano saxophone), "Wild Bill" Davison (cornet), Ray Diehl (trombone on Fidgety Feet), Jimmy Archey (trombone on Copenhagen, China Boy, Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble), Art Hodes or Joe Sullivan (piano), Walter Page or Pops Foster (bass), Fred Moore or Slick Jones (drums).

Remastering: Rudy Van Gelder; liner notes: Leonard Feather; photo: Francis Wolff.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the original pressing?
No. The compilation was first released in 1955 in mono as Blue Note BLP 1203. This copy is a later German stereo edition with the number BST 81203 K. The dating to c. 1973–1976 is based on the label design, not on a documented exact release year.

When were the recordings made?
Side A was recorded on 12 October 1945; Side B comes from sessions in January and March 1949 and April 1950.

What does Media NM- / Cover VG+ mean?
NM- (Near Mint minus) for the record means: almost as new, with at most minimal signs of wear. VG+ (Very Good Plus) for the cover means: light signs of wear. We explain all grades on our Vinyl Grading page.

How is the pressing dated?
The blue label with the black “b” logo is used for dating. This gives this copy an approximate dating of c. 1973–1976; a single pressing year is not established by this.