Petite Fleur is a 1952 jazz instrumental written by Sidney Bechet. It was recorded in January 1952 by Bechet with the Sidney Bechet All Stars and later with Claude Luter and his Orchestra. The piece gained international fame in 1959 when Monty Sunshine with Chris Barber's Jazz Band released a clarinet-led version recorded in 1956; it reached No 5 on the US charts and No 3 in the UK, and was especially popular in Sweden where it topped the charts for twelve weeks. Bechet's original is in G minor, while the Barber recording is in A-flat minor. Lyrics were added later for other recordings, including Bob Crosby and the Bobcats with Fernand Bonifay and Mario Bua, and Paddy Roberts wrote lyrics for Teddy Johnson and Pearl Carr in 1959. Petula Clark sang a French version on Hello Paris in 1962. The tune is regarded as one of the 1950s jazz standards.
