One of the early pioneers of jazz, saxophonist, clarinetist and composer Sidney
Bechet led a colourful life which saw him twice deported back to his native
America following crimes committed in France and the UK. He'd been imprisoned in
the UK in 1922 following an assault on a woman and six years later he was
allegedly involved in a duel in Paris following an incident where a music
producer accused him of playing a wrong chord. In the ensuing shoot-out Bechet
shot and injured an innocent female passer-by resulting in an 11-month jail
sentence.
This was all a far cry from Bec...