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Frequently Bought Together
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Track Listings
| Disc: 1 | |||
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| 1. Blanche Calloway And Her Joy Boys - Without That Gal | |||
| 2. Bennie Moten s Kansas City Orchestra - Toby | |||
| 3. Bennie Moten s Kansas City Orchestra - The Blue Room | |||
| 4. Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - Happy As The Day Is Long | |||
| 5. Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - Hotter Than 'Ell | |||
See all 24 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 2 | |||
| 1. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - All Too Soon | |||
| 2. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Sepia Panorama | |||
| 3. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Chloe | |||
| 4. Rex Stewart And His Orchestra - Linger Awhile | |||
| 5. Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Stardust | |||
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See all 23 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 3 | |||
| 1. Ben Webster Quintet - The Horn | |||
| 2. Ben Webster Quintet - Dirty Deal | |||
| 3. Ben Webster Quintet - Don't Blame Me | |||
| 4. Ben Webster Quintet - I Surrender Dear | |||
| 5. Ben Webster Quintet - Tea For Two | |||
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See all 23 tracks on this disc
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| Disc: 4 | |||
| 1. Benny Morton All Stars - Conversing In Blue | |||
| 2. Benny Morton All Stars - Limehouse Blues | |||
| 3. Woody Herman All Stars - John Hardy's Wife | |||
| 4. Ben Webster And His Orchestra - The Jeep Is Jumpin | |||
| 5. Ben Webster And His Orchestra - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) | |||
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See all 24 tracks on this disc
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
As a meticulous selection of over 90 titles from the first 20 years of the Webster discography Big Ben could hardly be bettered. It traces the career of one of the great masters of the tenor saxophone from his unimpressive beginnings in 1931 to the marvellous years with Duke Ellington in the early 40s and the freelancing which followed, culminating in two sessions from 1951 which demonstrate Webster's incomparable ballad style in its full maturity.
The first CD traces the early stylistic developments through sessions with Bennie Moten, Fletcher Henderson, Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson, while the second covers the period with Ellington which also included dates with Jack Teagarden and Slim Gaillard. Among the tracks selected here are the first recordings of such classics as "Cottontail", "Sepia Panorama", "Chelsea Bridge" and "Perdido". The third and fourth CDs follow Ben through the 40s as he recorded with big band leaders Woody Herman and Jay McShann, veterans including Hot Lips Page and Cozy Cole and boppers such as Dizzy Gillespie and Idrees Sulieman. There are also eight tracks from two quartet sessions featuring the unique drumming of Big Sid Catlett and showing Webster at his most relaxed. Lengthy and informative notes by producer Joop Visser complete an attractively produced package representing exceptional value for money. --Graham Colombé
CD Description
Ben Webster's development into one of the undisputed masters of the tenor saxophone is depicted in this box set. From his early days with the bands of Blanche Calloway, Bennie Moten, Teddy Wilson and others to the full blossoming of his talents with Duke Ellington and the small bands on 52nd Street, this is music full of passion, intensity and great beauty. 94 tracks are included along with a 48 page booklet containing rare photographs, the full story and discography.
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Customer Reviews
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4 reviews
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Almost a 'proper' sampling
12 Sep 2006
Format:Audio CD
Proper does put together some nice box sets. This one is no exception, filling many gaps in a long career. Maybe it's the time span covered, or just copyright issues, but, while good, it could have been better. I guess the Ellington work & Oscar Peterson pairings are good enough to buy on their own, but I think all 4 of the tracks from the James P. Johnson session could have been included; and, if blues is to be included, I miss the work with Jimmy Witherspoon & Gerry Mulligan. Then there's the European sessions from Ben's twilight years. I see no indication on the box about the time span covered; so it must be due to copyrights & maybe just the picks of the compilers. Still, a nice collection, even if listened to in 'random play/shuffle' mode.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Ben's Best from 1931-1951
9 Mar 2010
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a perfectly listenable box set of some of Ben Webster's best recordings in his prime. If, unlike myself, you're just moderately interested in Webster's music (perish the thought), then this box may suit you fine. Personally, I find Proper, while putting nice sets together, uses a little too much noise reduction resulting in a bit of a muddy sound, although I've heard much worse (like I said, this set is quite listenable). For those who may want to spend more dough, I would suggest Complete 1943-51 Small Group Recordings and Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band which cover the the better parts of this set, but in better sound. And, of course, there are quite a few must have albums later in the 50's and on into the 60's such as Soulville, his collaborations with Sweets Edison, Oscar Peterson, Coleman Hawkins and Gerry Mulligan, Bounce Blues, See You at the Fair, Stormy Weather, Gone With the Wind, The Soul of Ben Webster, etc. etc. etc. You can't own too much Ben Webster and this box is a fine example why.
12 of 17 people found the following review helpful
GET DOWN WITH BIG BEN WEBSTER ALTO SAX
4 Sep 2003
Format:Audio CD
I have been buying many Proper Records Box Sets, and Big Ben with Ben Webster covers his covers with everyone from Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, Teddy Wilson, Duke Ellngton, Cab Calloway, Ben Webster, James P. Johnson, Woody Herman, Jay McShann, and Johnny Otis. He may be only one tenor sax in major jazz orchestras, quintets, and sextets, but he is in there with the best.
Try Properboxes Boss Bird, Bud Powell Tempus Fugue-It, The Count Basie Story, The Sidney Bechet Story, Young Miles (Davis), and Fats Navarro Story for extensive 4 CDs sets that became available after copyright ran out. Lester Young is a good bet. I couldn't get Peggy Lee. This music from the Forties and Thirties was new to me and I could get it at a good price. Enjoy. Get down.
Try Properboxes Boss Bird, Bud Powell Tempus Fugue-It, The Count Basie Story, The Sidney Bechet Story, Young Miles (Davis), and Fats Navarro Story for extensive 4 CDs sets that became available after copyright ran out. Lester Young is a good bet. I couldn't get Peggy Lee. This music from the Forties and Thirties was new to me and I could get it at a good price. Enjoy. Get down.
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