Although tenor saxophonist
Ben Webster gets top billing, this two-CD set actually contains an LP apiece by
Webster, trumpeter
Harry "Sweets" Edison, and altoist
Johnny Hodges.
Webster is on all of the recordings, but really only stars on the first date, a septet outing with trumpeter
Art Farmer and fellow tenor
Harold Ashby. The great tenor is at his best on a beautiful version of "Chelsea Bridge" and "When I Fall in Love." The
Edison session is a sextet outing with
Webster,
the Oscar Peterson Trio, and drummer
Alvin Stoller mixing blues and swing standards;
Edison's usually muted trumpet is quite effective. The final set puts the focus on altoist
Hodges, who sounds beautiful on "Don't Take Your Love from Me," although the many blues performances also give solo space to trumpeter
Roy Eldridge (literally explosive on "Honey Hill") and trombonist
Vic Dickenson. A total of three previously unissued performances have been added to the program, and all three of these sessions had been long out of print; they add to the legacy of
Norman Granz's Verve label, showing that many top swing all-stars were actually at their prime in the 1950s. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow