Ben Webster, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Johnny Hodges - The Soul Of Ben Webster
Ben Webster, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Johnny Hodges - The Soul Of Ben Webster
Originally released as these three separate LPs on Verve:
The Soul of Ben Webster / Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You / Blues a Plenty
Ape & MP3@320 | Disc 1: 352 Mb & 145 Mb | Disc 2: 405 Mb & 157 Mb| Polygram | CD 1995
Recorded in Hollywood, California and New York in 1957 and 1958
Originally released as these three separate LPs on Verve:
The Soul of Ben Webster / Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You / Blues a Plenty
Ape & MP3@320 | Disc 1: 352 Mb & 145 Mb | Disc 2: 405 Mb & 157 Mb| Polygram | CD 1995
Recorded in Hollywood, California and New York in 1957 and 1958
Although tenor saxophonist Ben Webster gets top billing, . Webster is on all of the recordings, but really only stars on the first date, a septet outing with trumpeter Art Farmer and fellow tenor Harold Ashby. The great tenor is at his best on a beautiful version of "Chelsea Bridge" and "When I Fall in Love." The Edison session is a sextet outing with Webster, the Oscar Peterson Trio, and drummer Alvin Stoller mixing blues and swing standards; Edison's usually muted trumpet is quite effective. The final set puts the focus on altoist Hodges, who sounds beautiful on "Don't Take Your Love from Me," although the many blues performances also give solo space to trumpeter Roy Eldridge (literally explosive on "Honey Hill") and trombonist Vic Dickenson. A total of three previously unissued performances have been added to the program, and all three of these sessions had been long out of print; they add to the legacy of Norman Granz's Verve label, showing that many top swing all-stars were actually at their prime in the 1950s. Recommended. All Music Guide
Personnel:
Ben Webster - Sax (Tenor)
Johnny Hodges - Sax (Alto)
Harry "Sweets" Edison – Trumpet
Billy Strayhorn - Piano
Oscar Peterson - Piano
Jimmy Jones - Piano
Harold Ashby - Sax (Tenor)
Art Farmer - Trumpet
Roy Eldridge - Trumpet
Vic Dickenson - Trombone
Ray Brown - Bass
Jimmy Woode - Bass
Milt Hinton - Bass
Barney Kessel - Guitar
Mundell Lowe - Guitar
Dave Bailey - Drums
Alvin Stoller - Drums
Sam Woodyard - Drums
Track Listing:
Disc 1
01 Fajista
02 Chelsea Bridge
03 Charlotte Piccolo
04 Coal Train
05 When I Fall in Love
06 Ev's Mad
07 Ash
08 Blues for the Blues
09 Blues for Piney Brown
10 Moonlight in Vermont
11 Taste of the Place
12 Blues for the Blues (unreleased)
Disc 2
01 Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You
02 Blues For Bill Basie
03 You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
04 I Didn't Know About You
05 Reelin' And Rockin'
06 Gone With The Wind
07 Honey Hill
08 Blues-A-Plenty
09 Don't Take Your Love From Me
10 Saturday Afternoon Blues
11 Satin Doll
12 Cool Your Motor
03 Reelin' And Rockin' (Unreleased)
14 Don't Take Your Love From Me (Unreleased)