Ben Webster's Finest Hour

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
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 with Fletcher 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 with Ella Fitzgerald on "Cotton Tail" and Billie Holiday on "Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear from Me." And he plays "Honey Hill" with an all-star group that includes Johnny Hodges and Billy 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" with Gerry Mulligan. Elsewhere, Webster matches tenors with Coleman Hawkins on 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

Ben Webster's Finest Hour, Music, Ben Webster, Jazz, Jazz Music, Pop, Swing

Average customer rating:

Soulful with a magnificent tone

Incredible

Ben Webster's Finest Hour
Ben Webster
Manufacturer: Polygram Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00004WIPA
Release Date: 2000-09-26

Tracks:

See You At The Fair
Hotter Than 'Ell
The Ghost Of Dinah
Cotton Tail
Honey Hill
Linger Awhile
Star Dust
Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear From Me
My Greatest Mistake
La Rosita
Sunday
While We're Dancing
Blues For Mr. Broadway
Chelsea Bridge
Roses Of Picardy
Single Petal Of A Rose

Amazon.com

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 with Fletcher 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 with Ella Fitzgerald on "Cotton Tail" and Billie Holiday on "Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear from Me." And he plays "Honey Hill" with an all-star group that includes Johnny Hodges and Billy 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" with Gerry Mulligan. Elsewhere, Webster matches tenors with Coleman Hawkins on 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

Customer Reviews:

Soulful with a magnificent tone.......2001-09-08

That is how I would describe Ben Webster's playing. Every cut on this album is a joy to listen to although my favorites are La Rosita with Coleman Hawkins and Chelsea Bridge with Gerry Mulligan. To listen to Webster playing duets with these other giants of the sax helps to put his tone and unique sound into perspective. This is my first cd by Webster but I am going to check out some others as result of listening to this.

Incredible.......2000-11-16

Ben Webster played a breathy unfocused tenor mostly in a warm "swing" style. He spanned several eras; he was the first tenor player featured as a solo player in Ellington's band, and yet continued to play and record into the 70s. At one point (and there are samples on this album) he played in a group with Gerry Mulligan who was a post-bop, cool jazz style baritone player; the combination really sparkles. This compilation album is a good introduction and enjoyable through every cut.

Contemporary tenor players tend to have a creamier, more focused sound and play a lot more notes and a lot of altissimo, in a style heavily influenced influenced by Coltrane (who was a lot easier to listen to than most of his followers). Ben Webster's style is more in the nature of using the tenor sax like a human voice, lots of breathy low notes with a soft "foo foo" attack, sliding into and out of notes, plenty of subtones. Every note in every song is musical (unlike a lot of contemporary jazz which to me sounds more like the implementation of mathematical formulas in the guise of music).

In addition to the Mulligan collaboration, some of the standout cuts are the Billie Holiday rendition of "Do Nothing Til you Hear from me", which is an excellent duet between the sax and the vocal, and "Stardust" which showcases the capabilities of the sax to express emotions in a manner that emulates the human voice.

Ben Webster's Finest Hour
Average customer rating:
Ben Webster's Finest Hour
Ben Webster
Manufacturer: Universal/Verve
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Verve | Verve Music Group | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005S75O
Release Date: 2001-12-21

Tracks:

See You at the Fair
Hotter Than 'Ell - Fletcher Henderson & His Orchestra, Ben Webster
Ghost of Dinah - Bob Howard, Ben Webster
Cotton Tail
Honey Hill
Linger Awhile
Stardust [Take 1] - Johnny Otis & His Orchestra, Ben Webster
Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
My Greatest Mistake
Rosita
Sunday
While We're Dancing
Blues for Mr. Broadway
Chelsea Bridge
Roses of Picardy
Single Petal of a Rose

Music:

Music

Music