Ben Webster & Associates

Roy Eldridge, Ben Webster, Jo Jones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polygram Records
• ASIN: B000004778
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #279,389 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. In a Mellow Tone

2. De-Dar

3. Young Bean

4. Time After Time

5. Budd Johnson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best!, August 17, 2001

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ben Webster & Associates (Audio CD)

Ben Webster's spacious mellow sound could warm the most jaded; his lush sax is almost a prayer of romance and renewal. This is a superb album, booth because of Webster's playing and his hall of fame associates: Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Coleman Hawkins and Budd Johnson (tenor sax), Ray Brown (bass)-- but wait, there's more!--Jo Jones (drums, Les Spann (guitar) and Jimmy Jones (piano). This 1959 date is remastered very well, except for the somewhat muffled sound of the non-Webster saxes.

The Ducal "In a Mellow Tone (20:25)" is quintessential Webster, who opens with his unmistakable regal, luxuriating sound. Although basically a long blues piece, it remains interesting throughout, with exceptional solos by all players.

Roy Eldridge's outstanding trumpet is of almost equal importance here, and his influence on both Dizzy and Miles is clear: The former by his blistering high register attacks, and the latter by his muted, beautifully articulated tones. Webster also shows his versatility, floating us along or tearing into it, almost Texas style. Webster may have a trademark style, but he's fluent in several styles. His "Time After Time" is the best version I've ever heard, slowly embracing each note and using a light touch to hit just the right soulful notes. "Young Bean" has a nice hard bop feeling to it, with an excellent solo by Les Spann, and "Budd Johnson closes the CD with some nice work by Johnson.

I consider this one of the most enjoyable jazz instrumental albums around. Easy for the jazz newcomer, it's also challenging and virtuosic enough for the longtime jazz fan. A CD that can be savored!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep Webster, June 30, 2000

By 

Kaiser K Clark (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ben Webster & Associates (Audio CD)

This is truely one of two of the most amazing albums in Jazz. If you are fimiliar with Max Roach, Coleman Halwkins, Ray Brown then you're in for a real treat. This album plays mellow then hot beginning with nearly 20mns of the Duke's "In A Mellowtone" which is nearly blissful. This album will move you in its depth of feeling and is indespensible for anyone who is into Webster.

5.0 out of 5 stars Smooth tenor sax Jazz at its soothing best, February 3, 2010

By 

J. M. Jacobs "Just one man's opinion..." (East Helena, MT, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ben Webster & Associates (Audio CD)

A musician buddy of mine loaned me his copy of this disc as I had told him how much I liked Coleman Hawkins' stuff, the elegant smoothness of it. During that conversation I got schooled on a variety of sax playing characteristics such as phrasing. It was at that point that I understood just what it was that made me like this more delicate sounding Jazz vs. Bop, Fusion, or any other atonal/uptempo/non-melodic style you can name.

I can safely say this is one album I'll NEVER get tired of listening to. Every time I play it, I like it a little more.

Background music during dinner, maybe to provide a little atmosphere for you and your sweetie when you have some quiet time together... these songs come at you at an easy pace and when they get there, they soothe your tired, weary soul. These days, I find that to be a very welcome kind of music to have at the ready at the end of a long, stressful day.

So the next time you feel like doin' a little slow dancing in your stocking feet in front of the fireplace before going to bed... don't forget to pay a little visit to Soulville first.