Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Blanche Calloway And Her Joy Boys - Without That Gal
2. Bennie Moten s Kansas City Orchestra - Toby
3. Bennie Moten s Kansas City Orchestra - The Blue Room
4. Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - Happy As The Day Is Long
5. Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - Hotter Than 'Ell
6. Benny Carter And His Orchestra - Dream Lullaby
7. Benny Carter And His Orchestra - Everybody Shuffle
8. Bob Howard And His Orchestra - The Ghost Of Dinah
9. Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - Rigamarole
10. Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra - What A Little Moonlight Can Do
11. Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra - A Sunbonnet Blue
12. Willie Bryant And His Orchestra - The Voice Of Old Man River
13. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Truckin'
14. Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - In A Jam
15. Cab Calloway And His Orchestra - The Wedding Of Mr And Mrs Swing
16. Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra - Easy To Love
17. Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra - I'll See You In My Dreams
18. Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra - Sing You Sinners
19. Lionel Hampton And His Orchestra - Early Session Hop
20. Teddy Wilson And His Orchestra - 71
21. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Solitude
22. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Congo Brava
23. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Cotton Tail
24. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Bojangles (A Portrait Of Bill Robinson)

Disc 2:

1. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - All Too Soon
2. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Sepia Panorama
3. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Chloe
4. Rex Stewart And His Orchestra - Linger Awhile
5. Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Stardust
6. Barney Bigard And His Orchestra - Lament For Javanette
7. Jack Teagarden s Big Eight - St James Infirmary
8. Jack Teagarden s Big Eight - The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
9. Jack Teagarden s Big Eight - Big Eight Blues
10. Jack Teagarden s Big Eight - Shine
11. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Blue Serge
12. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Just A-Settin' And A-Rockin'
13. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Five O'Clock Drag
14. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Chelsea Bridge
15. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Perdido
16. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - The "C" Jam Blues
17. Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogie Boys - Palm Springs Jump
18. Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogie Boys - Ra-Da-Da-Da
19. Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogie Boys - Groove Juice Special
20. Duke Ellington And His Famous Orchestra - Main Stem
21. Ben Webster Quintet - Woke Up Clipped
22. Ben Webster Quintet - Teezol
23. Ben Webster Quintet - 'Nuff Said

Disc 3:

1. Ben Webster Quintet - The Horn
2. Ben Webster Quintet - Dirty Deal
3. Ben Webster Quintet - Don't Blame Me
4. Ben Webster Quintet - I Surrender Dear
5. Ben Webster Quintet - Tea For Two
6. Woody Herman And His Orchestra - Noah
7. Woody Herman And His Orchestra - Cryin' Sands
8. James P. Johnson s Blue Note Jazzmen - Victory Stride
9. James P. Johnson s Blue Note Jazzmen - After You've Gone
10. Cozy Cole All Stars - Joshua
11. Cozy Cole All Stars - Talk To Me
12. Cozy Cole All Stars - Body And Soul
13. Big Sid Catlett Quartet - Sleep
14. Big Sid Catlett Quartet - Linger Awhile
15. Big Sid Catlett Quartet - Memories Of You
16. Big Sid Catlett Quartet - Just A Riff
17. Walter "Foots" Thomas And His Jump Cats - Blues On The Delta
18. Ben Webster Quartet - Honeysuckle Rose
19. Ben Webster Quartet - I Surrender Dear
20. Ben Webster Quartet - Blue Skies
21. Ben Webster Quartet - Kat's Fur
22. Benny Morton All Stars - My Old Flame
23. Benny Morton All Stars - The Sheik Of Araby

Disc 4:

1. Benny Morton All Stars - Conversing In Blue
2. Benny Morton All Stars - Limehouse Blues
3. Woody Herman All Stars - John Hardy's Wife
4. Ben Webster And His Orchestra - The Jeep Is Jumpin
5. Ben Webster And His Orchestra - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
6. Ben Webster And His Orchestra - Dark Corners
7. Ben Webster And His Orchestra - Blues, Mr Brim
8. Ben Webster Quintet - Frog And Mule
9. Ben Webster Quintet - Spang
10. Ben Webster Quintet - Doctor Keets
11. Ben Webster Quintet - Park And Tilford Blues
12. Tony Scott Sextet - You're Only Happy When I'm Blue
13. Jay McShann And His Orchestra - New Style Baby
14. Jay McShann And His Orchestra - Let's Love Awhile
15. Jay McShann And His Orchestra - Nasty Attitude
16. Jay McShann And His Orchestra - Slow Down Baby
17. Jay McShann And His Orchestra - The Duke And The Brute
18. Jay McShann And His Orchestra - Reach
19. Johnny Otis And His Orchestra - One O'Clock Jump
20. Johnny Otis And His Orchestra - Stardust
21. Ben Webster Sextet - Randle's Island
22. Ben Webster Sextet - Old Folks
23. Ben Webster Sextet - King's Riff
24. Ben Webster Sextet - You're My Thrill

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26656 in Music
• Released on: 2008-03-17
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Best of

From Amazon.co.uk
As a meticulous selection of over 90 titles from the first 20 years of the Webster discography Big Ben could hardly be bettered. It traces the career of one of the great masters of the tenor saxophone from his unimpressive beginnings in 1931 to the marvellous years with Duke Ellington in the early 40s and the freelancing which followed, culminating in two sessions from 1951 which demonstrate Webster's incomparable ballad style in its full maturity.

The first CD traces the early stylistic developments through sessions with Bennie Moten, Fletcher Henderson, Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson, while the second covers the period with Ellington which also included dates with Jack Teagarden and Slim Gaillard. Among the tracks selected here are the first recordings of such classics as "Cottontail", "Sepia Panorama", "Chelsea Bridge" and "Perdido". The third and fourth CDs follow Ben through the 40s as he recorded with big band leaders Woody Herman and Jay McShann, veterans including Hot Lips Page and Cozy Cole and boppers such as Dizzy Gillespie and Idrees Sulieman. There are also eight tracks from two quartet sessions featuring the unique drumming of Big Sid Catlett and showing Webster at his most relaxed. Lengthy and informative notes by producer Joop Visser complete an attractively produced package representing exceptional value for money. --Graham Colombé

Album Description
Ben Webster's development into one of the undisputed masters of the tenor saxophone is depicted in this budget-price box set. From his early days with the bands of Blanche Calloway, Bennie Moten, Teddy Wilson & others, to the full blossoming of his talents with Duke Ellington & small bands on 52nd Street. This is music full of energy, intensity & great passion. 94 tracks amply demonstrate what an ever developing talent this man had, the 48 page booklet tells the story of this giant among jazz musicians. Standard jewel cases housed in a slipcase. 2002.

Album Details
94 Tracks from One of the Undisputed Masters of the Tenor Saxophone. Includes a 48 Page Booklet Containing Rare Photographs, Biography and Discography.