A historic encounter between pianist Art Tatum and tenor saxophone giant Ben Webster—recorded in 1956, but not released until the 1970s by Pablo Records! In some ways, it’s clear that Tatum is the star of the sessions—most tracks begin with the introspective and often intricate approach to the keys characteristic of his trio and solo work—but Webster always manages to inject himself just in time to prevent the record from becoming a standard Tatum excursion. He plays with a crisp tone, beautifully captured here, and barely notices the presence of Red Callender on bass and Bill Douglass on drums, who are heard much further back in the mix. Tracks include “Night & Day,” “Where Or When,” “My Ideal,” “Gone With The Wind,” and “All The Things You Are.”
Webster’s playing is characterized by a keen, crisp tone that has been wonderfully captured here, and he pays little heed to the presence of Red Callender on bass and Bill Douglass on drums, who are heard much further back in the mix. Mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed at Quality Record Pressings for optimal sound quality, this 180-gram reissue from Analogue Productions offers everything you could want.
