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Performance: Summertime, by Sidney Bechet with Pierre Braslavsky and his Orchestra (personnel as per acetate label) Date of performance: Sunday, 8th May, 1949, Paris, France Original recording, audio restoration and text: Nick Dellow Photographs: Nick Dellow The famous song Summertime began life as an aria composed by George Gershwin for his opera Porgy and Bess, which was first performed in 1935. It has since become one of the most covered songs in the history of recorded music. Bechet recorded Gershwin's classic song several times. This 1949 version, which has never been previously released, is taken from a radio broadcast of one of the concerts of the International Jazz Festival that was held at the Salle Payel, Paris, France in the Summer of 1949. During the festival, Bechet was backed by a French band led by saxophonist/clarinettist Pierre Braslavsky. Bechet astounded the crowds with his highly melodic improvisations, seemingly at ease whatever the number, thrilling the receptive audience with dexterous arpeggios and daring improvisations. In this stunning interpretation of Gershwin's classic composition, Bechet capitalises on the success of his original Blue Note version of the number, which he recorded in 1939. The decade-long gap between the Blue Note recording and the version we hear in this video allowed Bechet to develop Gershwin's theme, adding a notable bravura aspect that exemplified the emotive side of Bechet's character.
