For many people Ben Webster is indelibly linked with the name of Duke Ellington. Ben had a long and distinguished career, of which his work with Duke was only a small part, but the crucial exposure just as he reached musical maturity was given by Ellington, and that maturity was hastened by the challenge of playing with Ellington. Yet he also gave a lot to the band and to the continuing Ellington tradition. That connection is featured on Ben Webster Plays Duke Ellington.
Ben Webster created the role of the tenor saxophone with Duke. Before he joined for his longest stay (in January 1940), there had been no expectation of significant tenor contributions – despite Ben’s previous brief encounters in 1935 and 1936. But, in far less time than the 3 ½ years he remained, Ben had made the tenor an Ellingtonian voice almost as strong as Johnny Hodges and Harry Carney on alto and baritone. His departure left a huge hole in Duke’s music, which was filled by a series of heavyweight soloists including Al Sears, Jimmy Forrest, Don Byas, Ben again, and the great Paul Gonsalves.
Ben Webster, Tenor SaxophoneÂ
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:47:17
Additional information
| Label | |
|---|---|
| SKU | 2XHDST1122 |
| Qualities | |
| Channels | |
| Artists | |
| Composers | |
| Genres | |
| Mastering Engineer | Rene Laflamme – Analog to DSD 256 Transfer |
| Recording Type & Bit Rate | Analog |
| Recording Software | Pyramix |
| Recording location | Odd Fellow Palaeet, Copenhagen in 1969, Danish Radio on November 22 and 27, 1969 |
| Producer | Erik Moseholm, Paul Clemensen |
| Digital Converters | Merging Technologies Horus |
| Analog Recording Equipment | Nagra-T Tape Recorder modified with high-end tube playback electronics, wired with OCC silver cable from the playback head direct to a Nick Doshi tube head preamplifier |
| Original Recording Format | |
| Conductors | |
| Release Date | September 2, 2018 |
Press reviews
AllMusic
Although he was only a member of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra for three years, tenor-saxophonist Ben Webster was linked with Duke Ellington throughout his career.
This release features the great tenor playing nine songs associated with Ellington. The music is drawn from five separate sessions including trio gigs with pianists Kenny Drew and Teddy Wilson and three with The Danish Radio Band.
The emphasis is on uptempo pieces such as “Perdido,” “Rockin’ in Rhythm” and “Stompy Jones;” a special highlight are the two very different versions of “Cottontail.”
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