Click on the link here for audio player: Ben Webster -Live In Germany – 1967
The legendary Ben Webster this weekend, along with Benny Baily on trumpet and a swinging batch of sidemen, all recorded live on October 8, 1967 at Esslingen Germany and broadcast by German Radio.
A little background via Frank Büchman-Møller of the Ben Webster Foundation:
In early December 1957 Webster took part in the now legendary CBS TV broadcast The Sound of Jazz where he both performed with Count Basie and with Billie Holiday, and in the latter he was united with the other two swing era tenor saxophone greats, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, the only occasion they played together ever. Everyone played excellently on Fine and Mellow, Young very moving, Hawkins with self-confidence, and Webster intense and emotional.
Despite fine reviews of his albums, it was difficult for Webster to find steady work in New York during the early 1960’s, and when an offer to play for a month at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London turned up in late 1964 he accepted and sailed to England.
Webster never returned to the United States. In Europe he found plenty of work, and after the successful London gig, he flew to Scandinavia for weeklong residences in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Oslo, settled in Amsterdam (1966-69) and then in Copenhagen. He toured frequently, mostly in Northern Europe, playing in clubs or at festivals with local bands or with expatriate or visiting American musicians, such as Benny Carter, Bill Coleman, Don Byas, Kenny Drew, Teddy Wilson, Red Mitchell, Charlie Shavers, Carmell Jones, Brew Moore, Dexter Gordon, Clark Terry, and Buck Clayton.
Here’s the lineup and the rundown for this memorable 1967 gig:
Ben Webster and Benny Bailey October 8, 1967 Esslingen, J.F.Kennedy-Schule, Treffpunkt Jazz Konzert
Ben Webster,ts
Joe Galiardi,tp
Andre Faist,tb
Roger Suvrier,as
Henri Chaix,p
Alan Dubois,g
Isla Eckinger,b
Romano Caviciola,dr
Benny Bailey,tp1. Swinging the Blues 7:26
2. Now’s The Time 6:10
3. Debbie’s Blues 8:52
4. In a Mellow Tone 8:10,
5. The Jeep is Jumpin’ 9:27
A little something cool to go along with a hot weekend.
Enjoy.
