Ben Webster - Gentle Ben

That rich, humid, giant sax tone blooms like on few other Webster recordings

Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio

200-gram gatefold 45 RPM double LP pressed at Quality Record Pressings!

Praise for our 33 1/3 version of Gentle Ben

"The soundstage is intimate and inviting, Webster's horn beautifully captured with sweet, rich overtornes, the bass liquid, chugging, and textured, piano and drums easy and natural. As with each title, the music emerges from QRP's beautifully flat and wonderfully silent surfaces with that much more "there-ness." Sonics = 4/5; Music = 3.5/5 — Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, January 2013

"...Webster's trademark sensual sound is on full display and, of course, he's backed by Montoliu, an outstanding Spanish piano veteran who accompanied all the great jazz artists passing through Europe...This is one of the first releases by Analogue Productions pressed at their new in-house pressing plant Quality Record Pressings, and the record bears a close resemblance in appearance to records from Pallas - beautiful looking and perfectly quiet...The superb 200-gram LP comes in a rice paper sleeve and jacket of heavy cardboard...Highest Recommendation." Recording = 10/10; Music = 8.5/10 — Dennis D. Davis, Hi-Fi+, Issue 81

This recording was made 10 months before Ben Webster's death in 1972. Webster, who had left the United States in 1965 to settle in Europe — first in Copenhagen and then in Amsterdam — was visiting fellow musician and friend Tete Montoliu in Barcelona. Webster and pianist Montoliu went back a ways, having played together regularly in Webster's Copenhagen days. In fact, Montoliu cited Webster and Don Byas as his two chief musical influences. Webster and Montoliu understood each other deeply, and their comfort with on another is palpable in this recording. Their accompaniment of one another is seamless. On board with these two is Montoliu's regular working trio-mates, Eric Peter on bass and Peer Wyboris on drums.

There's no shortage of Webster's trademark breathy, fat tenor tone here. In fact, given the sparse arrangement, that rich, humid, giant sax blooms like on few other recordings. Highlights include "Ben's Blues," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "The Man I Love" and "Don't Blame Me."

Side 1

Ben's Blues

The Man I Love

Side 2

My Nephew Bent

How Long This Has Been Going On

Side 3

Sweet Georgia Brown

Don't Blame Me

Side 4

Did You Call

Barcelona Shout

Customer Reviews (4.50 Stars) 2 person(s) rated this product.

Sound Quality 5; Vinyl Quality 5; Cover Quality 2. posted on 10/24/2024 4 Stars Vinyl sounds great and as one would expect from an audiophile release. Packaging on the other hand leaves much to be desired. Like a few of their other 45 RPM efforts (Nat King Cole, Elvis, Billie Holliday, etc.) costs were cut on the cover but the high price tag remained. Flimsy, thin and not up to the price demanded and nothing close to their Atlantic 75th or the Acoustic Sound series releases. A true disappointment a missed opportunity to make a statement as the unquestioned audiophile leader in all genres.

IT'S A SHOW STEALER, LADIES AND GENTLEBEN posted on 04/08/2021 5 Stars Reviewer: S. Madon Gentle Ben serves up some of his most deeply felt blues and ballads, very gently supported by the Tete Montoliu (great pianist) Trio. Recorded in Barcelona in Nov 1972, just 10 months before Ben's death. This is simply a beautiful record. Listen to the two numbers by Gershwin that Ben plays with a heart as big as his breathy style on the reeds. Freaking choked me up in parts, I must say. His playing on the tenor sax was so expressive on Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On" that I swear I could hear him singing the words to that song. And so I repeat that old cliche, "They don't make players like this anymore!" Ben was greatly respected amongst his peers and like many such artists in the mid- 60s moved to Denmark where he developed a huge following and played at the amazing Montmarte club, often with Tete's trio. Tete's amazing piano work is prominently featured here too. Treat yourself to a gentle evening with this Gentle Ben.

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