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Art Tatum & Ben Webster Quartet
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Barnes and Noble
Art Tatum & Ben Webster Quartet
Current price: $11.99
Barnes and Noble
Art Tatum & Ben Webster Quartet
Current price: $11.99
Loading Inventory...
Size: CD
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The only album-length collaboration between pianist
and tenor saxophonist
(accompanied by a rhythm section of
, bass, and
, drums) was this September 11, 1956, session under the auspices of
's
label. (It was also
's last recording session before his death.)
probably suggested the repertoire of standards by the likes of
and
,
, and
, but the melodies, of course, only provide a framework. On each track,
leads things off, with
coming in discreetly (and low in the mix). Then, at a certain point,
appears in the foreground, playing comparatively few notes and sticking much more to the melody than his partner. This is a good approach, since
never subsides to simple comping; he just keeps soloing away under
's rich tenor tones until
stops playing, and then keeps on to the end. So, although this is billed as a group effort, it's not a group of equals or really one in which the players are cooperating with each other.
might as well be playing solo, since he takes very little account of what's happening around him.
makes it work by varying the volume of the different instruments in the mix, and the result is a fascinating study in contrasts. ~ William Ruhlmann