The centennial of
Ben Webster's birth occurred in 2009 and producer
Nick Phillips mined the vaults of various Concord-owned labels, including Pablo, Riverside, Contemporary, and Prestige/Swingville, to create this compilation featuring the late tenor saxophonist. One of the three giants of his instrument during the 1930s and 1940s (along with
Coleman Hawkins and
Lester Young),
Webster was still very much at the top of his game when these sessions were recorded. When he took part in the series of small-group dates with
Art Tatum, he refused to be intimidated by the pianist's intricate flourishes, simply delivering majestic solos in "My One and Only Love," "All the Things You Are," and "Have You Met Miss Jones." He's very comfortable with old friends
Benny Carter and
Barney Bigard in an easygoing setting of
Carter's "Lula." The two live tracks, "Caravan" and "Georgia on My Mind" taken from At the Renaissance, also find
Webster in an inspired mood, supported by a rhythm section including pianist
Jimmy Rowles and guitarist
Jim Hall. But the most overlooked material is from his meeting with Austrian pianist
Joe Zawinul, who was also
Webster's roommate at the time, which is highlighted by the richly textured "Travelin' Light." Most
Ben Webster fans likely already own all of the individual albums from which this was assembled, but for everyone else, this is an excellent introduction to the tenor saxophonist. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
