This 13-cut set in the Storyville Masters of Jazz series is a showcase of
Ben Webster at the very end of his career, from 1967-1970 recorded in Europe. There are a number of stellar players on
Storyville Ben Webster, including
Dexter Gordon,
Palle Mikkelborg,
Tootie Heath, and of course, a slew of European sessions players who are truly the cream of the crop.
Webster is featured in numerous settings from trio, quartet, quintet, and larger, to units where he is backed by a small string section. Of all the
swing and
bop era saxophonists,
Charlie Parker included, no one blew over string sections like
Webster. His lyricism is so utterly tender and understated that he literally trounces all other players who did sessions like this. Check cuts like
"Come Sunday" or the other
ballads here, such as
"Old Folks," "In a Mellotone," and
"Going Home." This set is one of those special cases where a recording makes the case that a truly seasoned veteran goes out at the top of his game, rather than in decline. ~ Thom Jurek
