This one does exactly what it says on the cover. Soprano and tenor-saxophonist Lauer, something of a virtuoso, solos on a series of Bechet evocations over orchestral backgrounds of commendable variety performed by an outstanding jazz big band. If only five of the nine pieces assembled to serve this idea are by Bechet himself, then no matter for of the remaining four pieces, three are standards often performed by the great man. Lauer contributes the heartfelt ‘September’ and creates a solo soprano cadenza of great lyrical beauty where elsewhere he tends to veer off into passages of complex and sometimes unattractive squiggling, á la late Coltrane. ‘Honeysuckle Rose’ gets this treatment, the relentlessness of Lauer's attack only mitigated by some neat writing for the trumpets and a limpid piano interlude by Nuss. It is with Nuss that Lauer on soprano plays ‘Si Tu Vois Ma Mere’ first as a duo, allowing the melody the requisite space and pace, before the brass edges in, quietly and Lauer sets off. ‘Petite Fleur’ is equally successful, the orchestration serving the melody well as Lauer and trumpeter Stotter produce solos of real worth. Suffice it to say that Lauer never attempts to sound like SB himself preferring to honour the New Orleans pioneer more in the spirit than the letter. Mixed results overall then, with the writing sometimes pleasing more than the extemporisations.