Opening my Sunday morning with one of my favorite jazz artists, and a great tenor sax player, Ben Webster, from his album “At The Renaissance” as reissued by Analogue Productions. Recorded on October 14, 1960 by Howard Holzer and mastered for reissue by the late, great Doug Sax, and pressed at RTI, this album really shines. Webster along with Jim Hall, Jimmy Robles, Red Mitchell and Frank Butler out on the West Coast on Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California. Webster was in top form, as were his band mates. This is a live recording, and there’s a bit too much left/right to the sound for my liking, but that is offset by the tone and timbre of Webster’s tenor sax. His big, warm detailed sound (just listen for his breath on the reed). Hall’s guitar is a wonderful choice for a front line mate to Webster. And what needs be said about the rhythm section? These guys (Rowles especially) could play anything. Here they dive into five standards and one tune Webster had intimate knowledge of, Duke Ellington’s “Caravan (written while Webster was a member of the Ellington orchestra.) I’ve never heard an original pressing, so I can’t say how much of an improvement this reissue is. But I can state that I doubt it tops this LP. Long (LONG) OOP, you’ll have to scour the used market for a copy. But damn, is it worth it. Most highly recommended. #lp #record #recordcollector #recordcollection #recordlabel #album #albumcover #vinyl #vinylrecords #stereo #analog #benwebster #highend #audiophile #audiophilevinyl #audiophilepressing https://www.instagram.com/p/BtJRbnHgXqi/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1u0u3l4gywu54
