German saxophonist Christof Lauer joins forces with the NDR Bigband for Petite Fleur , an album celebrating Sidney Bechet, one of the founding fathers of jazz. Bechet played the soprano saxophone like no other, and with his French-Creole-inspired compositions, he was a forerunner of jazz's openness to all musical styles. Unmistakable Bechet classics appear in an entirely new light thanks to Lauer's distinctive tone and the multilayered arrangements. Though Lauer is best known as a tenor saxophonist, the album begins with the soprano saxophone, and Sidney Bechet's typical vibrato is replaced by Lauer's intense and expressive sound. 'It wouldn't make any sense to copy Bechet,' Lauer explains. 'It's about finding out how it interacts with your own world, and what energy is borne of that.'

"Petite Fleur" is the best proof of how worthwhile it is to rediscover tradition from time to time."
Republic Of Jazz