PRESS RELEASE

Paris, 20.01.2015

On January 19, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the French Académie du Jazz awarded a prize to the United Music Foundation for its project

Sidney Bechet en Suisse / in Switzerland.

The Best Reissue Award 2014* was presented by François Lacharme, President of the Académie du Jazz, to Fabrice Zammarchi, Sidney Bechet's biographer, and to David Hadzis, Project Manager of the United Music Foundation.

Presented as a 4 CD box set and art book (about 250 photos et 140 documents), the Sidney Bechet en Suisse/in Switzerland box set reveals the special relationship that the jazz legend maintained with Switzerland.

This little-known part of the story of Sidney Bechet is told by Fabrice Zammarchi in collaboration with Roland Hippenmeyer, both biographers of the jazz legend. The book is prefaced by Daniel Bechet, his son, Bob Wilber, his pupil, and Claude Wolff, his manager.

The 4 CDs bring together concerts recorded in different theaters (and even in an apartment!) in Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich, Sion, as well as interviews as bonus.

On October 27, this project had already received the 2014 Memoriav – Swiss Commission for UNESCO Award for the best Swiss initiative for preservation or enhancement carried out in the context of the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.

This is the first time that a Swiss foundation is distinguished by the Académie du Jazz, a French institution created in 1955.

Many French and international personalities were present at the event, including Daniel Bechet, Petula Clark and her husband Claude Wolff, Vladimir Cosma, Martial Solal, Christian Morin, Pierre Santini, Claude Carrière, Viktor Lazlo, Fabienne Thibeault, Lucid Beausonge, Caroline Loeb, Simone Langlois, Jean-Michel Boris et Jean-Pierre Mocky.

The mission of the United Music Foundation, a Swiss non-profit organization based in Geneva, is to:

1. seek-out, preserve, and enhance the audio formats on which the musical works are are stored;
2. demonstrate the preservation of that heritage by offering certain exceptional works to the public on accessible formats, rather than leaving their exclusive access to professionals.

• 4 audio CDs of recordings preserved and restored from the best available sources. High definition mastering.
  • Over 4 hours and 15 minutes of rare or previously unreleased concerts, radio shows, and interviews from the vaults of Radio-Genève, Radio-Lausanne, and a number of private sources.


• A 216-page hardcover art book, format 12" x 12".
  • Approx. 250 photos and 140 documents, all rare or previously unseen.
  • Bilingual essay (English / French) by Fabrice Zammarchi with the collaboration of Roland Hippenmeyer, biographers of the artist.
    English version by Jennifer Gay.
  • Previously unpublished interviews with his Swiss friends.
  • Forewords by Daniel Bechet, his son, Bob Wilber, his student, and Claude Wolff, his manager.

Documentation to download :
High definition visual of the box set
Book content in pdf
Track list and audio clips

Royalty-free stock photos (credits available in the metadata):
Photo 1       Photo 2      Photo 3      Photo 4      Photo 5

Media Contacts:
David Hadzis, Project Manager, United Music Foundation,
+41 79 314 76 72, Geneva, Switzerland
Yves de Matteis, President, United Music Foundation,
+41 79 773 60 08, Geneva, Switzerland
Fabrice Zammarchi, biographer,
+33 6 83 99 01 42, Paris, France