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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Ben Webster's tenor saxophone is one of the utterly distinctive and inimitable sounds in jazz and in 1959, when this set was recorded, it had reached its full breathy, melting ripeness. It was more than an instrumental tone; it was a voice, with all the variety of nuance that the human voice can command. He applies it here to seven classic American songs, well-known melodies which he explores with the ease and relaxation of long familiarity. Only Sinatra's own version could equal Webster's exposition of "In The Wee Small Hours Of the Morning", while Ray Noble's "The Touch Of Your Lips" was never so well served, either before or since. Most of the pieces are taken either as slow ballads or at an easy, mid-tempo lope, the one exception being "Sunday", which swings out with a will. Oscar Peterson is so celebrated as a virtuoso pianist that his virtues as an accompanist are rarely noticed, but he is one of the most supportive partners any soloist could desire. Along with Ray Brown and Ed Thigpen, his regular bass-and-drums team of the time, he provides the perfect setting for Webster. Altogether, this is a golden set from a golden era. --Dave Gelly
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is as good as it gets,
By p.gould@dorset-cc.gov.uk (england) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (Audio CD)
A superb recording from the two best purveyors of smoky night club swing. Ben takes the lead voice on most of the album but Oscar's contribution, though often in the background, is nontheless potent and polished. This is a must have for all fans of jazz from this period and indeed any other. It forms a superb introduction for those not familliar with the players and will be enjoyed even by those who do not think they like jazz at all! If you dont already own it get it now!
26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
this CD is so good, I can't type for listening to it ...,
By A Customer
This review is from: Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (Audio CD)
Imagine someone pouring ambrosia into your ears, lie back in your favourite chair, kick back and aaaaaaah, relax. Ben Webster, the master of the sax ballad meets Oscar Peterson, the master of mellow piano, throw in Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums; the combination is, well, just delicious. Both Webster and Peterson have such an understanding of phrasing that musical pyrotechnics are unnecessary. This is the nonchalance of perfection. Ray Brown's bass has never been better and on this recording, just listen to his playful lines on Bye-bye Blackbird. In fact the whole recording has both a beautiful simplicity but a sense of lazy fun. To coin a cliche, get this CD!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FANTASTIC,
By
This review is from: Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (Audio CD)
Yes, when I hear Webster blow his horn I'm smitten by the sheer beauty of his sound; the way he carresses his mouthpeace and blows his horn somehow produces warm and complex tone, capable of extremely wide range of emotion, impressive in all registers, but always beautiful (without even a hint of schmaltz or kitsch...). In upper register he sometimes sounds sensitive like a violin, without pathetic quality (jazz) violinists can have in their upper register playing, in lower register my whole body reverberates with Ben's power. And for all this to take place it is not even necessary that he is caught at the peak of his form or in the right company! Well, at this album he is right there at his peak and, in the company of impressive range and dinamism of Oscar Peterson and his trusted gang (Ray Brown /b/ and Ed Thigpen /dm/), the things could hardly have gone wrong. I'm particularly pleased with "When Your Lover has Gone", which is a great and logical material for such a group of great musicians, but it is interesting to compare Webster's treatment of children song "Bye Bye Blackbird", famous in jazz circles for Miles Davis' definitive treatment. Also; pay attention to the "In the Wee, Small Hours of the Morning"... Although Ben is a star of this occasion and Oscar his trusted sidekick, other two musicians also get their licks and kicks, proving, yet again, how mainstream jazz can be a very powerfull mode of artistic expression. Such a great CD!
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