Ben Webster's Finest Hour
Ben Webster was one of the greatest tenor saxophonists ever to grace a ballad, his warm, breathy sound conveying a thousand shades of romance. He could also swing with titanic force. This portrait of Webster spans 30 years, beginning in 1934 with an appearance withFletcher Henderson, and it uses material from Decca, Verve, and Impulse recordings. While his most famous employer,Duke Ellington, doesn't appear here, there's plenty to mark the relationship. Webster makes sideman appearances withElla Fitzgeraldon "Cotton Tail" andBillie Holidayon "Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear from Me." And he plays "Honey Hill" with an all-star group that includesJohnny HodgesandBilly Strayhorn, and turns in a superb rendering of the elusively beautiful "Single Petal of a Rose." There's also a magisterial performance of Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" withGerry Mulligan. Elsewhere, Webster matches tenors withColeman Hawkinson the Latin "La Rosita," graces ballads with big band or string accompaniments, and even plays energetic piano on "Roses of Picardy." This is an excellent introduction to one of the essential musicians of jazz.--Stuart Broomer