Ben Webster Meets Don Byas 1968

Another fine Webster release on Verve that sees the tenor great once again backed by the deluxe Oscar Peterson Trio. In keeping with the high standard of their Soulville collaboration of two years prior, Webster and the trio – Peterson is joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen – use this 1959 date to conduct a clinic in ballad playing. And while Soulville certainly ranks as one of the tenor saxophonist's best discs, the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson set gets even higher marks for its almost transcendent marriage of after-hours elegance and effortless mid-tempo swing – none of Webster's boogie-woogie piano work to break up the mood here.

Another fine Webster release on Verve that sees the tenor great once again backed by the deluxe Oscar Peterson Trio. In keeping with the high standard of their Soulville collaboration of two years prior, Webster and the trio – Peterson is joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen – use this 1959 date to conduct a clinic in ballad playing. And while Soulville certainly ranks as one of the tenor saxophonist's best discs, the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson set gets even higher marks for its almost transcendent marriage of after-hours elegance and effortless mid-tempo swing – none of Webster's boogie-woogie piano work to break up the mood here.

In the 1930s and '40s, Milt Gabler's Commodore label filled a void in the jazz record business with the release of many small combo recordings featuring the likes of Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Billie Holiday, Teddy Wilson, and Don Byas. Even before the rise of bebop made the combo format a preferred studio vehicle, many jazz luminaries enjoyed the informality of small outfits; it generally beat the big band environment as a place to really stretch out in, and Commodore was willing to accommodate those soloists who were ripe to head up a session. One of a handful of the label's fine discs featuring a pair of star soloists, this Ben Webster and Don Byas entry in the Giants of the Tenor Sax series spotlights the horn players on prime mid-'40s dates…

Don Byas was a giant of the tenor sax, though his accomplishments were all but overlooked in his native land once he moved to Europe for good. This CD from Universal Music's Jazz in Paris series compiles three separate studio sessions from the early '50s, all with different rhythm sections. Most of the tracks are standard ballads, featuring the leader throughout. His expressive take of "Laura" shows off a big tone with a bit of vibrato much like Ben Webster in his later years. The one original is his snappy "Riviera Blues," a lively number likely improvised on the spot. Had he remained in the U.S., it is possible that Don Byas might have been ranked along with Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Ben Webster in the top echelon of tenor saxophonists, so anyone unfamiliar with his work should seek out this very affordable collection.

Ben Webster - Ben Webster Meets Bill Coleman (1967) {Black Lion Japan, 32JDB-222, Early Press}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 297 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 112 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (png) -> 139 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1967, 1989 Black Lion / Phonoco / Tokuma Japan | 32JDB-222
Jazz / Mainstream Jazz / Saxophone / Trumpet

The U.S. jazz scene of the late '60s was dominated by such disparate artists as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, and others. The swing players from the '30s and '40s were out of vogue in America, but in Europe audiences still flocked to see them; hence this recording session features a British rhythm section backing tenor legend Ben Webster and trumpeter and singer Bill Coleman.