Kansas City Man Blues - Bechet-Wilber 1947 video free download

Kansas City Man Blues - Bechet-Wilber 1947

Sidney Bechet recorded this tune some 24 years earlier with Clarence Williams Blue Five, but now in 1947 a young talented music student named Bob Wilber came to live with Bechet to learn and to become a real jazzman.

Bob aand his own band, The Wildcats, managed to record with Bechet. Here is the 1947 version of Wild Man Blues with Bob Wilber, clarinet. John Glasel trumpet, Bob Mielke trombone, Dick Wellstood piano, Denny Strong drums and Charlie Traeger bass.

(The photo comes from Bob's 1987 book "Music was not Enough" and the photo was made Peter Tanner)

Of course Bob Wilber became almost just as famous as Bechet but already there, he had just reached the age of 19 does a sublime piece of ensemble playing, harmonizing with Bechet and doing some great solo work as well.

I have had the fortune to meet Bob and play several times with him as well. I have not been in touch with him lately but he claimed to be retired and devides his time between a nice house in Cotswolds, an area the UK and another one in the Cape Cod, all this together with his beautiful wife Pug.