Over the course of his long career Bechet worked with many of the greats, including Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, and he also led his own groups at times. He was one of the first jazz musicians to appear on records, and he sold a lot of them. In addition to the well-known "Petite Fleur" (video below), some of his best were "Summertime," "Sweet Lorraine," and one of my favorites, "Perdido Street Blues."
He spent most of the last decade of his life in France, where he was a major star and much better known than he ever was in his native land. He died in Paris in 1959.
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