Ben Webster The Warm Moods CD

Personnel: Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Johnny Richards (conductor); Alfred Lustgarten, Lisa Minghetti (violin); Cecil Figelski (viola); Armond Kaproff (cello); Donn Trenner (piano); Don Bagley (bass); Frank Capp (drums).
Recorded in 1960. Includes original liner notes by Nat Hentoff.
Personnel: Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Alfred Lustgarten, Lisa Minghetti (violin); Cecil Figelski (viola); Armand Karpoff (cello); Donn Trenner (piano); Frank Capp (drums).
Arranger: Johnny Richards .
The veteran tenor Ben Webster had a very warm tone on ballads that contrasted with the aggressive biting sound he used on faster material. For this 1960 set Webster is joined by a string quartet (arranged by Johnny Richards) and a rhythm section for his melodic interpretations of a dozen standards. Even when simply stating the melody, Webster brings out unexpected beauty in the songs. His tone has never been accurately duplicated and is the main reason to pick up this CD reissue. ~ Scott Yanow
When it came to ballads, Ben Webster was one of the most eloquent. His warm, airy (yet thick) tone contrasted with the aggressive, biting tone he used on faster material. On THE WARM MOODS, we hear the strength of Webster's musical insight, and in particular, the superb sense of melodicism that he possessed.
Teamed up with a string quartet (arranged by Johnny Richards) and a rhythm section (Donn Trenner on piano, Don Bagley on bass, and Frank Capp on drums), the tenor veteran succeeds in rendering truly gorgeous versions of often overlooked standards such as "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi," "I'm Beginning to See the Light," and "It's Easy to Remember." A soft, lush, hopelessly romantic album, THE WARM MOODS seduces the ear with every note. The highlight of the session is probably "But Beautiful," not only because of the strength of the song itself, but because of the interplay between the solo violin and Webster's succulent tenor saxophone.
The veteran tenor Ben Webster had a very warm tone on ballads that contrasted with the aggressive biting sound he used on faster material. For this 1960 set, Webster is joined by a string quartet (arranged by Johnny Richards) and a rhythm section for his melodic interpretations of a dozen standards. Even when simply stating the melody, Webster brings out unexpected beauty in the songs. His tone has never been accurately duplicated and is the main reason to pick up this CD reissue. ~ Scott Yanow