Ben Webster - Meets Oscar Peterson

Ben Webster was, without a doubt, one of the most important and influential tenor saxophonists in jazz. "Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson" features some of his finest collaborations with Oscar Peterson, who the tenor saxophonist often stated was his favorite accompanist. They made their first recorded collaboration in 1952 and went on to record many albums during the Fifties, when they were both working for Norman Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic.

Following that, they would continue to play and record together on many different occasions and in many different contexts. Stephen Cook gave the LP a four-and-a-half star rating in All Music Guide, stating that it is, “Another fine Webster release on Verve that sees the tenor great once again backed by the deluxe Oscar Peterson Trio. In keeping with the high standard of their Soulville collaboration of two years prior, Webster and the trio – Peterson is joined by bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen – use this 1959 date to conduct a clinic in ballad playing. And while Soulville certainly ranks as one of the tenor saxophonist’s best discs, the Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson set gets even higher marks for its almost transcendent marriage of after-hours elegance and effortless mid-tempo swing”.

SIDE A:

01 THE TOUCH OF YOUR LIPS
02 WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE
03 BYE BYE BLACKBIRD
04 HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN?

SIDE B:

01 IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING
02 SUNDAY
03 THIS CAN’T BE LOVE
04 WHERE ARE YOU?