everybody loves...Ben Webster

[danasgoodstuff]

Not sure if this was a new episode or a repeat but the other day I saw an amusing Everybody Loves Raymond where he and his brother were competing (as always) to do a better job of replacing their father's long lost LP collection. Ray got new CDs which dad refused to listen to and brother got garage sale LPs. Both jazz and vinyl were portrayed as the province of geezer cranks and in course of the show it came out that it was Robert not Ray who had destroyed dad's LPs 30+ years ago. I thought it was quite funny, in a painful sort of way, and thought otheres here might agree. At the end an LP of Webster is put on and dad drifts off to oblibvion.

Edited November 8, 2004 by danasgoodstuff

[Dan Gould]

They really played Ben Webster on network television?

[jazzbo]

Yes, they really did. . . it was a repeat, as I saw this show moons ago. . . . I believe the track played was from the famous pairing with Tatum. . . (?)

[Dave James]

Maybe this will do the same thing for Webster's posthumous career that the VW "Pink Moon" commericial did for Nick Drake's. Naaaaahhh. After all it's just geezer music.

Up over and out.

[pryan]

Maybe this will do the same thing for Webster's posthumous career that the VW "Pink Moon" commericial did for Nick Drake's. Naaaaahhh. After all it's just geezer music.

Up over and out.

I guess I must be a 22 year old geezer, then.

[spinlps]

Anyone remember the show Felicity a few years back? Not only did they play Ben Webster, it was on LP. Discussion centered on Jazz and the "preferred" medium. Scene was a college dorm room, turntable, jazz LP's on the bed (mostly popular titles), and Ben coming through the speakers to fade...

[Big Al]

I saw the rerun a couple of weeks ago, and FWIW the track that was played was “Bye Bye Blackbird.”

[BruceH]

I saw this repeat too, and remembered it being talked about on either this board or the old BNBB ages ago. A very funny episode. Part of the humor was that neither of Ray's parents knew how to work a CD player and they didn't WANT to know. Ray kept shouting at his dad, "These sound BETTER than your old albums! You won't believe the crystal clarity!" with increasing desperation, but his dad won't buy it. That was actually quite realistic.

Reminds me of my wife's parents, who were born in 1920s. About a year ago, her father finally bought a DVD player. Never hooked it up. Finally sold it a few months ago. I offered to hook it up for him, but he didn't want to bother with it. Why did he buy it in the first place, you ask? Because it was on sale.

[DukeCity]

I saw the repeat, too. Pretty funny. The cut they played was "Bye-Bye Blackbird" from:

[montg]

Anyone remember the show Felicity a few years back? Not only did they play Ben Webster, it was on LP. Discussion centered on Jazz and the "preferred" medium. Scene was a college dorm room, turntable, jazz LP's on the bed (mostly popular titles), and Ben coming through the speakers to fade...

I remember this. It's amazing the stuff that's locked away somewhere in your brain--it only takes the right cue to bring it back. I think the album was King of the Tenors.

[Dave James]

Speaking of Ben Webster dates, has anyone ever heard of a session called "Blue Saxophones"? I've read once or twice about it, but never tracked it down. I don't even know if it was a single date or a compilation. If I recall correctly, Webster partnered with Coleman Hawkins on this one, so I suppose it could have been a Verve twofer of Ben Webster and Associates and Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster.

Never hurts to ask.

Up over and out.

[spinlps]

Anyone remember the show Felicity a few years back? Not only did they play Ben Webster, it was on LP. Discussion centered on Jazz and the "preferred" medium. Scene was a college dorm room, turntable, jazz LP's on the bed (mostly popular titles), and Ben coming through the speakers to fade...

I remember this. It's amazing the stuff that's locked away somewhere in your brain--it only takes the right cue to bring it back. I think the album was King of the Tenors.

←

Wow. I think you're right... amazing how much useful information has been replaced with arcane trivia eh?

[Stereojack]

Speaking of Ben Webster dates, has anyone ever heard of a session called "Blue Saxophones"?  I've read once or twice about it, but never tracked it down.  I don't even know if it was a single date or a compilation.  If I recall correctly, Webster partnered with Coleman Hawkins on this one, so I suppose it could have been a Verve twofer of Ben Webster and Associates and Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster.

←

If I recall, it was a single LP from England that was a reissue of "CH Encounters BW". The 2-fer that combines this session with Associates was called "Tenor Giants", I believe.

[Big Al]

Speaking of 2-fers, I wonder if Verve will ever release Ben's Complete Emarcy Recordings on CD?

[montg]

Wow. I think you're right... amazing how much useful information has been replaced with arcane trivia eh?

I wouldn't say the useful information has been 'replaced'. In my brain, the useless and the useful peacefully coexist, side by side.

[marcello]

Speaking of Ben Webster dates, has anyone ever heard of a session called "Blue Saxophones"?  I've read once or twice about it, but never tracked it down.  I don't even know if it was a single date or a compilation.  If I recall correctly, Webster partnered with Coleman Hawkins on this one, so I suppose it could have been a Verve twofer of Ben Webster and Associates and Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster.

←

If I recall, it was a single LP from England that was a reissue of "CH Encounters BW". The 2-fer that combines this session with Associates was called "Tenor Giants", I believe.

←

That's correct Jack, I have a of copy Blue Saxophones on LP.

[BruceH]

Speaking of Ben Webster dates, has anyone ever heard of a session called "Blue Saxophones"?  I've read once or twice about it, but never tracked it down.  I don't even know if it was a single date or a compilation.  If I recall correctly, Webster partnered with Coleman Hawkins on this one, so I suppose it could have been a Verve twofer of Ben Webster and Associates and Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster.

←

If I recall, it was a single LP from England that was a reissue of "CH Encounters BW". The 2-fer that combines this session with Associates was called "Tenor Giants", I believe.

←

That's correct Jack, I have a of copy Blue Saxophones on LP.

←

I wish I did.

[paul secor]

Speaking of 2-fers, I wonder if Verve will ever release Ben's Complete Emarcy Recordings on CD?

←

In the 1980's, Emarcy/Japan did a 2 CD reissue of Ben Webster's Emarcy recordings. It was also released in the U.S. at that time. I suspect that it's long out of print - 'bout time for Verve, Mosaic, or somebody to do a reissue of the reissue.

[Dave James]

The Webster Emarcy set appears on e-Bay occasionally and goes for huge dollars. I can remember having this one in my hands years ago and then passing on it due to the cost. I just chalk that up to one of the many bad decisions I've made in my life.

Up over and out.

[Dan Gould]

Wow. I think you're right... amazing how much useful information has been replaced with arcane trivia eh?

I wouldn't say the useful information has been 'replaced'. In my brain, the useless and the useful peacefully coexist, side by side.

←

Then I would strongly encourage you to leave your body (or specifically, your brain) to science as this makes you very, very special and unique.

[MartyJazz]

The Webster Emarcy set appears on e-Bay occasionally and goes for huge dollars.  I can remember having this one in my hands years ago and then passing on it due to the cost.  I just chalk that up to one of the many bad decisions I've made in my life. 

Up over and out.

←

Can you give me an idea of what "huge dollars" means? I could stand to part with this if the price is right.

[Chuck Nessa]

I have a lovely Japanese lp version of this.

[AllenLowe]

let's not forget that Ben made some great 1940s recordings - there are wonderful transcriptions with Hot Lips Page and Clyde Hart (and I think, maybe even Sid Catlett, but I'm not sure and will have to look) from ca. 1944; I've seen these on LP, not sure if they are on CD as well - this is a very interesting period in jazz, especially when listening to the older, pre-bop players. You can really tell by the energy of their playing that something new was in the air - for playing tempos, I like this period Ben Webster the best -

[Kalo]

Speaking of 2-fers, I wonder if Verve will ever release Ben's Complete Emarcy Recordings on CD?

←

In the 1980's, Emarcy/Japan did a 2 CD reissue of Ben Webster's Emarcy recordings. It was also released in the U.S. at that time. I suspect that it's long out of print - 'bout time for Verve, Mosaic, or somebody to do a reissue of the reissue.

I have a domestic LP of this (American version of the Kiyoshi Koyama produced Japanese version Chuck mentions above) released in 1985. Nice liners by Dan Morgenstern. Very blues and r&b oriented: includes sessions with Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Dinah Washington, even with the vocal group The Ravens.

Nice to have, but far from essential, I'd say.

let's not forget that Ben made some great 1940s recordings - there are wonderful transcriptions with Hot Lips Page and Clyde Hart (and I think, maybe even Sid Catlett, but I'm not sure and will have to look) from ca. 1944; I've seen these on LP, not sure if they are on CD as well - this is a very interesting period in jazz, especially when listening to the older, pre-bop players. You can really tell by the energy of their playing that something new was in the air - for playing tempos, I like this period Ben Webster the best -

I agree: a fascinating period for jazz and some of Webster's most interesting and exciting playing. Would love to hear more of this era.

Edited November 23, 2005 by Kalo

[danasgoodstuff]

Has anyone heard the album of Ben playing Spirituals and other public domain material, done on the cheap for some scandinavian supermarket?