Vinyl Records > Ben Webster - Ben Webster & Associates (180 gram)

Verve MGVS-6056
"Ben Webster And Associates" - Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Budd Johnson (ts); Roy Eldridge (tr); Jimmy Jones (p); Leslie Spann (g); Ray Brown (b); Jo Jones (dr)

If ever there was an LP to study the perfect art of swing tenor sax playing, then this must be it! In the 60s, fans of a rich, full sound coupled with a flowing style must have been thrilled when the LP by Ben Webster and his associates appeared on the market. Leonard Feather called the trio 'heavy weights' and their massive sound certainly matches their corpulence.

While it is difficult to single out just one of the musicians, it is easy to distinguish them: Ben (called 'The Brute') plays with a raspy, vibrating sound; Coleman (known as 'The Bean') is a master of flowing swing; and Budd has an earthy, resonant bluesy sound. The five numbers reflect the jam-like spontaneity of the 1959 session: an Ellington classic by the three in a masterful, inspirational new interpretation; three pieces which are intrinsically ad hoc improvisations; and a classical ballad in which Ben Webster breathes warmth and sentiment into his instrument.

In the liner notes, Leonard Feather describes the music as beautifully melodic, pure and simple – just real jazz, freed from the taste of the times and technical quirks. This is music that is worth collecting and listening to even after 50 years. And yet another good reason is that this new pressing is of a far better quality from a technical standpoint than any of the past re-releases.

Recording: ?April 1959 in New York City
Production: ?Norman Granz