Jesper Lundgaard Trio feat. Enrico Pieranunzi, Alex Riel - 60 Out Of Shape (2015)

Bassist Jesper Lundgaaard is one of the veterans of the Danish "bass monarchy", where Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen is the one who will forever reign at the top. On June 12 and 13 last year, he was on stage at Jazzhus Montmartre in Store Regnegade in Copenhagen, together with drummer Alex Riel (another person who has influenced Danish jazz life since the early 60s), and Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi (Italy's leading jazz pianist for the past 20 years). And from these two concerts, this brilliant recording of familiar standards is now available. It opens with "Autumn Leaves", before we get "All The Things You Are", "I Can't Get Started", "My Funny Valentine" and "What Is This Thing Called Love" in a medley with "Everything I Love" and "'Round Midnight", before the three go in for landing with Sonny Rollins' fine "Oleo". Trio music from the top shelf is served throughout. Pieranunzi is a brilliant interpreter of these standards, and with a following like Lundgaard and Riel, you can hardly go wrong. All the songs have nice dynamics, and you can hear that the musicians are having two good nights in Montmartre. In the cover text, journalist Peter H. Larsen asks the question of whether there is any difference between European and American jazz, in a nice little essay. I'm not so sure if we get any answers through this album, but one thing is certain, and that is that these three gentlemen in their prime, deliver jazz music that is very close to the "American model". And there are few, if any trios "over there" who do this better than the Italian and the two Danes. ~ Jan Granlie, salt-peanuts.eu. [Translated From Norwegian] 

Storyville Records, 1018452, 2015
Recorded 12th & 13th June, 2014 Live At Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Jesper Lundgaard - Bass
Enrico Pieranunzi - Piano
Alex Riel - Drums

Tracks:
1. Autumn Leaves {Joseph Kosma} (9:21)
2. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern} (8:50)
3. I Can't Get Started {Vernon Duke} (8:07)
4. My Funny Valentine {Richard Rodgers} (12:05)
5. Medley (16:25)
    What Is This Thing Called Love {Cole Porter}
    Everything I Love {Cole Porter}
    Round Midnight {Thelonious Monk}
6. Oleo {Sonny Rollins} (7:03) 

Total Time: 61:51 

Credits:
Producer - Jesper Lundgaard, Christian Brorsen
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Mik Neumann
Mastering Engineer - Jorgen Vad, VADYD
Photos - Torben Christensen
Design - Kenneth Schultz
Liner Notes - Peter H. Larsen
Translation - Steve Schein 

Oleo

Ole Jacob Hystad Quartet - Tune In - Take Out (2002)

From the jazz metropolis Stord comes the saxophonist Ole Jacob Hystad. His debut CD, "Touch Of Time" from 1998, more than suggested that we were dealing here with a musician in the extension of the bebop tradition who really had a lot on his mind. "Tune In - Take Out" confirms that assumption in every way. ~ by Tor Hammerø. 

Participating in the debut were, as now, the very talented Danish pianist Ben Besiakov and bassist Sigurd Ulveseth, who both together with Hystad and with his own bands have told us that we are dealing with a solid and hard-swinging musician. The drummer is thus the only "new" one here and, without disparagement to Stein Inge Brækhus who did an excellent job in 1998, it is actually not possible to find many people who fill such a role better in such a musical expression than the Danish court drummer - I just take it for granted that he is - Alex Riel. He has played with everything and everyone and everyone has played with him, and the reasons are obvious. More groovy, stylish and always just as life-affirming drumming, there are only a handful worldwide who can match the gentle Dane and, despite the fact that he is around 60 by a good margin, his playing in 2002 is as exuberant as ever. Among the many legendary collaborations Riel has been involved in are numerous concerts and records with tenor giant Dexter Gordon. It is also easy to state that Ole Jacob Hystad has listened to Long Tall Dexter a lot and for a long time, and let it be clear: It is far from the stupidest thing you can do if you want to play the saxophone in continuation of the bebop tradition. One of Dexter's - he was one of those we were all on first name terms with without knowing him - most exuberant compositions, "Soy Califa", shows that Hystad has respect for the boss, while at the same time using him as inspiration. Here we find everything from original songs via standard songs to fairly unknown material by people like Jerry Bergonzi and Pat Martino. Hystad has some excursions on the baritone and soprano saxophone, but it is absolutely the tenor that is closest to his heart and that is where he is most Ole Jacob Hystad as well. In terms of tempo, the whole thing varies from the lightest ballads to fierce tempo affairs and the quartet thrives just as well regardless. I do that too - even if not a single marker is moved. [Translated from Norwegian] 

Taurus Records, TRCD 842, 2002
Recorded 12th-13th March, 2002 at NRK Recording Studios, Oslo, Norway 

Musicians:
Ole Jacob Hystad - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Baritone Sax
Ben Besiakov - Piano
Sigurd Ulveseth - Bass
Alex Riel - Drums

Tracks:
1. Invisible Light {Jerry Bergonzi} (4:57)
2. Some Time Ago {Sergio Mittanovitch} (5:47)
3. Blues On Shore {Ole Jacob Hystad} (3:59)
4. Isfahan {Duke Ellington} (5:27)
5. On The Stairs {Pat Martino} (4:51)
6. Sonnymoon For Two {Sonny Rollins} (6:10)
7. Soy Califa {Dexter Gordon} (5:44)
8. Up Jumped Spring {Freddie Hubbard} (6:26)
9. To Glass {Svein Olav Herstad} (3:54) 

Total Time: 47:20 

Credits:
Producer - Ole Jacob Hystad
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Kjetil Fluge
Co-mixed - Sigurd Ulveseth, Ole Jacob Hystad 

Blues On Shore

Al Grey & Jesper Thilo Quintet - Al Grey & Jesper Thilo Quintet (1987)

This studio session in which the great swing trombonist Al Grey leads a fine quintet through a set of mostly standards is exactly what journalist Eddie Cook calls "Happy Jazz" in the liner notes. Grey is right at home with tunes such as "God Bless the Child," "The Girl From Ipanema," and "A Night in Tunisia." The surprise of the session is "On the Sunny Side of the Street," which is played at a slow though compelling pace. Grey came to favor the tenor-bone front line in his small groups, and the Dane, saxophonist Jesper Thilo, does a commendable job as his partner. Thilo's thick, rich tone recalls Coleman Hawkins, a perfect foil to the trombonist's brash, brassy sound. While Grey's best work was performed as a big-band sideman, both with Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie, his excellent solo work here and in other intimate settings is nonetheless an important part of his discography. His unique tone and style are in full bloom, and this recording should appeal to anyone who enjoys the sound of the jazz trombone in a joyous, no frills, and straight-ahead role. ~ by Steve Loewy, AMG. 

Storyville Records, STCD 4136, 1987
Recorded Sunday 10th August, 1986 at Studio 39, Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Al Grey - Trombone
Jesper Thilo - Tenor Saxophone
Ole Kock Hansen - Piano
Hugo Rasmussen - Bass
Alex Riel - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Just Jazz {Al Grey; Arr. Don Sickler} (5:25)
2. God Bless The Child {Arthur Herzog, Jr., Billie Holiday} (6:13)
3. The Girl From Ipanema {Jobim, Gimbel, De Moraes} (6:49)
4. I'm Hungry, Sabrina {Al Grey} (5:07)
5. The Vanguard Groove {Al Grey} (7:11)
6. A Night In Tunisia {Gillespie, Paparelli, Robin} (7:13)
7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street {Fields, McHugh} (6:55) 

Total Time: 44:56 

Credits:
Producer - Arnvid Meyer
Executive-Producer - Karl Emil Knudsen
Engineer - Hans Nielsen
Layout - Chris Olesen 

Just Jazz

Jan Lundgren Trio - Blue Lights (2003)

Here, we have yet another fine trio outing by the marvellous Swedish pianist Jan Lundgren. For this release Jan continues to join company with bassist Jesper Lundgaard and drummer Alex Riel. Apart from two of his own compositions the trio delve into a bunch of bop tunes and other jazz standards. Recorded in Copenhagen in 2003 this album has been remastered and released again in 2010 by the Japanese marshmallow label. Not much more to say other than just dig and enjoy! 

Marshmallow Export, MMEX-101; 2003
Marshmallow Export, MMEX-142-CD, 2010
Recorded 20th & 21st January, 2003 at Sun Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Jan Lundgren - Piano
Jesper Lundgaard - Bass
Alex Riel - Drums

Tracks:
01. Take Me In Your Arms {Fred Markush} (6:19)
02. Blue Lights {Gigi Gryce} (4:34)
03. Love Of My Life {Artie Shaw, Johnny Mercer} (5:53)
04. Easily Found {Jan Lundgren} (5:10)
05. Stranger In Paradise {Robert White} (5:32)
06. Winter Moon {Hoagy Carmichael} (4:59)
07. A Sunny Rain {Jan Lundgren} (6:47)
08. Fair Weather {Benny Golson} (5:34)
09. Skylark {Hoagy Carmichael} (4:51)
10. Out Of The Past {Benny Golson} (4:57)
11. We Could Make Such Beautiful Music Together {Henry Maners} (4:13) 

Total Time: 58:59 

Credits:
Producer, Photography, Remastering - Mitsuo Johfu
Reissue Producer - Guy Jones
Engineer - Bjarne Hansen
Engineer [Assistant] - Andreas Hviid
Design - Makoto Kanemura
Liner Notes - Ulf Abjörnsson 

Easily Found

Jan Lundgren Trio - Perfidia (2002)

Here's another wonderful session by the sensational Jan Lundgren Trio in its classic configuration comprising of as expected Jan on piano and his two veteran collaborators’ bassist Jesper Lundgaard and drummer Alex Riel. For this release the trio explore a broad selection of bop, hard bop and post-bop tunes. The album was produced by Jan and released on the sought after Japanese M&I label over twenty years ago but hasn't lost its scintillating appeal, it will easily become a favourite of any jazz piano fan, enjoy! 

M&I, MYCJ-30176, 2002
Recorded 16th & 17th September, 2002 at Sun Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Jan Lundgren - Piano
Jesper Lundgaard - Bass
Alex Riel - Drums

Tracks:
01. Russian Lullaby {Irving Berlin} (7:32)
02. Perfidia {Alberto Dominguez} (5:20)
03. Med Ogon Kansliga For Gront {Barbro Hörberg, Nisse Hansén} (4:42)
04. Carnival {Harry Warren} (4:56)
05. Dat Dere {Bobby Timmons} (5:25)
06. Alfie {Burt Bacharach, Hal David} (5:57)
07. Don't Cha Go 'Way Mad {Jimmy Mundy} (3:25)
08. Jordu {Duke Jordan} (6:10)
09. More Than You Know {Billy Rose, Edward Eliscu, Vincent Youmans} (5:29)
10. Star Eyes {Don Raye, Gene DePaul} (5:21)
11. Long Ago And Far Away {Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern} (6:13) 

Total Time: 60:30 

Credits:
Producer - Jan Lundgren
Executive-Producer, Photography - Mitsuo Johfu
Recording Engineer - Bjarne Hansen
Re-mastering Engineer - Kazuhiro Yamagata
A&R - Takeo Yokota 

Perfidia

Jan Lundgren Trio - Soft Summer Breeze (2007)

The title itself is inviting, not to say seductive. And just like that the record is, a warm summer breeze that flies by quickly, but a very pleasant one. At first unfocused listening, it can sound like talented bar music. But if you put your ear closer to the record, you can't avoid Lundgren's elegance and imagination. There are no bolder moves, but that's not what Lundgren is known for either, low-key and thoughtful as he is. The disc was recorded during a tour in Japan that Jan Lundgren told about in an interview in orkesterjournalen (12/2007). Lundgren and his producers know what Japanese concert-goers want: safe cards from The Great Songbook. Here are many of the most played: Mood Indigo, Things Ain't What They Used To Be, Lets Face The Music And Dance, Lullaby Of Birdland, to name a few. The Danish co-players Jesper Lundgaard and Alex Riel reinforce the elegance and softness that surrounds the record. None of them go off for hoes. Piano trio lovers will not be disappointed. Lundgren tackles the standard songs, as usual, with an enormous sense of style and lyrical play, with nourishing roots in the very greatest. One of the songs was written by saxophonist Al Cohn's (died 1988) Tasty Pudding. Just like that. A delicious and tasty pudding! ~ Peter H Larsen, orkesterjournalen.com. [Translated from Swedish] 

Marshmallow Records, MMEX-120, 2007
Recorded September, 2007 at "Sugita Theatre", Yokohama, Japan 

Musicians:
Jan Lundgren - Piano
Jesper Lundgaard - Bass
Alex Riel - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Mood Indigo {Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard} (4:41)
02. Tasty Pudding {Al Cohn} (4:34)
03. Darn That Dream {Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen} (5:11)
04. Rhythm-A-Ning {Thelonious Monk} (5:01)
05. Things Ain't What They Used To Be {Duke Ellington} (5:04)
06. Soul Train {Tadd Dameron} (6:51)
07. Soft Summer Breeze {Eddie Heywood} (5:39)
08. Velvet Moon {Edgar De Lange, Josef Myrow} (5:08)
09. Let's Face The Music And Dance {Irving Berlin} (5:38)
10. Am I Blue {Harry Akst, Grant Clarke} (5:57)
11. Lullaby Of Birdland {George Shearing} (4:52)
12. From This Moment On {Cole Porter} (3:46) 

Total Time: 62:28 

Soft Summer Breeze

Enrico Pieranunzi - In That Dawn Of Music (1990-93)

A marvelous compilation of works by Enrico Pieranunzi spanning the years 1990 till 1993. All tracks are taken from live dates spread across venues in Denmark, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. As a result, he is accompanied by unique players from those countries whilst on tour. Many of these groupings have appeared on some of his Soul Note records from this period, but like other ‘giveaways’ by the Musica Jazz magazine these tracks have been compiled from unreleased ‘live’ recordings. So many thanks to that magazine for promoting and perpetuating another fantastic resource for Jazz Lovers throughout the world. 

Musica Jazz/Soul Note, SNMJ 003-2, 1993
13th August, 1990 (#1) Broadcast from Danish Radio, Copenhagen, Denmark
12th March 1993 (#2) at Ivrea Jazz Festival, Turin, Italy
27th August, 1992 (#3) at Roccella Ionica, Calabria, Italy
21st November, 1992 (#4) at "Fabrik", Hamburg, Germany
13th December, 1990 (#5) Broadcast, Radio Suisse Romande, Lausanne, Switzerland
27th August, 1992 (#6) Live at Roccella Ionica, Calabria, Italy
18th April, 1990 (#7) in Rome, Italy
20th November, 1992 (#8) at "Jazzhouse", Copenhagen, Denmark 

Musicians:
Enrico Pieranunzi - Piano (All Tracks)
Pietro Tonolo - Tenor Saxophone (#4)
Stefano D'Anna - Tenor Saxophone (#7)
Mads Vinding - Bass (#1)
Enzo Pietropaoli - Bass (#4,7,8)
Marc Johnson - Bass (#5)
Alex Riel - Drums (#1)
Paul Motian - Drums (#3,6)
Fabrizio Sferra - Drums (#4,8)
Roberto Gatto - Drums (#7) 

Tracks:
1. Someday My Prince Will Come {Larry Morey, Frank Churchill} (7:57)
2. Impromptu No. 5 {Enrico Pieranunzi} (4:30)
3. Anthropology {Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie} (6:52)
4. What's What {Enrico Pieranunzi} (12:06)
5. Je Ne Sais Quoi {Enrico Pieranunzi} (8:52)
6. Straight No Chaser {Thelonious Monk} (4:48)
7. In That Dawn Of Music {Enrico Pieranunzi} (7:39)
8. Someday My Prince Will Come {Larry Morey, Frank Churchill} (11:22) 

Total Time: 64:06 

Notes:
Given away free with "Musica Jazz" Magazine, n. 10/93

Dexter Gordon Quintet - Ladybird (1965)

The latest offering from the seemingly bottomless Danmarks Radio Archive, this disc presents another air shot of Gordon’s lengthy mid-1960s Cafe Montmarte stint. Dex’s sizable cachet as an expatriate jazz icon prompted a nightly spooling of the tape machines. The resulting cache, so far doled out one set at a time, documents a particularly fertile time for the saxophonist. Shortly after arriving on European shores he teamed with pianist Kenny Drew and a topflight pair of locals in the persons of Pedersen and Riel, set up shop and enjoyed a more relaxed lifestyle than the scuffling of his earlier Big Apple years. This package is a bit different from the previous ones in that it presents trumpeter Donald Byrd, a fellow NYC emigre, sitting in with the working group.

The top-heavy program revolves around extended readings of two standards: the Tad Dameron-penned title track and a blue-chip modal number from the best-selling jazz album of all-time. After a brief ensemble stroll through theme Gordon essays a hungry, if slightly boilerplate solo that swallows up a healthy string of choruses. Byrd follows, cooler in cast and surfing across Riel’s frothy snare and cymbal-driven fills with a succession of slightly smeared runs. Pithy Drew and Pedersen statements follow. Riel lends steady hi-hat and sharp, textured brushwork to the latter’s deft pizzicato exposition and the two wear their advanced postbop pedigrees proudly. The piece winds up with a short spate of robust exchanges between Riel and the rest. These closing minutes are marred by a recurring and intrusive tape warble that ends up sounding oddly like a third remedial horn.

“So What” receives a comparably elongated reading with Pedersen paying homage to and capaciously expanding on Paul Chambers’ original epochal role. After the familiar bass invocation and riffing theme Gordon breaks away and spools out a sultry solo flanked briefly by just Pedersen and Riel at a brisk, but effervescent tempo. As on the previous cut, Drew delivers deft complementary chords that push the action without prodding it. Byrd’s improvisation unfolds in the leader’s wake, displaying a bit of the gelid clarity that was the composer’s calling card. Pedersen brings up the rear with another compact colloquium on killer contrabass technique. The horns wisely abstain from reentry and let it stand as the denouement.

Byrd sits out on a luxurious “Who Can I Turn To?”, but the band returns to full-size for the closer, another Miles Davis’ tune, “Blues By Five.” The trumpeter’s presence and the high degree of rapport shared by the rhythm section make this date one of note. Coupled with a tune choice that strays dexterously in more challenging directions than the band’s usual diet of bop standards it’s a welcome program that finds Gordon in a limber and exploratory mode. Foibles in fidelity aside, Dex aficionados will be sold on the disc’s face value. But casual listeners will probably also be pleasingly surprised by the caliber of this classic conclave. ~ Bagatellen.com

SteepleChase Records, SCCD 36035, 2005

Recorded 19th August, 1965 Live at "Jazzhus Montmartre", Copenhagen, Denmark

Personnel:

Dexter Gordon - Tenor Saxophone

Donald Byrd - Trumpet (#1,2,4)

Kenny Drew - Piano

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen- Bass

Alex Riel - Drums

Track Listing:

1. Ladybird {Tadd Dameron} (19:59)

2. So What? {Miles Davis} (18:00)

3. Who Can I Turn To [When Nobody Needs Me] {Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley} (5:25)

4. Blues By Five [Inc.] {Miles Davis} (4:12)

Credits:

Producer, Restoration - Nils Winther

Photography - Kirsten Malone

Archie Shepp, Lars Gullin Quartet - The House I Live In (1963)

This is a fascinating release. Tenor-saxophonist Archie Shepp would not burst upon the U.S. avant-garde scene until 1964-65 but here he is featured at a Danish concert with the great coolbop baritonist Lars Gullin and a top-notch straightahead rhythm section (pianist Tete Montoliu, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Alex Riel). The quintet stretches out on four lengthy standards (including "Sweet Georgia Brown" and a 19-minute rendition of "You Stepped out of a Dream") and it is particularly interesting to hear the reactions of the other musicians to Shepp's rather free flights; at a couple of points Gullin tries to copy him; an important historical release. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG.

Nearly four decades have passed since this nightclub date in Copenhagen was recorded, and I still haven’t caught up with Archie Shepp. Perhaps I never will. Shepp, who never met a squeak, squawk, grunt or growl he didn’t like, is paired with Sweden’s Lars Gullin, one of the most restrained and lyrical baritone saxophonists of his era. How they ever got together is a mystery to me. Talk about your odd couples! On the one hand we have Gullin, struggling to stay somewhere in the neighborhood of a recognizable theme; on the other, Shepp, as determined to abandon any such constraints in favor of his own free–thinking approach to improvising. While it’s obvious that Shepp has extraordinary technique, his solos are (in my opinion) full of sound and fury but signifying very little. As with most “free Jazz,” I find listening to his dissonant and, yes, repetitious ad–libs a rather painful experience (but not as painful as I once did, which could be a step forward or backward; I’ve not yet resolved that). It’s said that Shepp incorporates elements of many players into his unorthodox style, from Webster, Hawkins and Lucky Thompson on through to his contemporaries. If what we hear on this recording is the result of that fusion, give me Zoot Sims or Stan Getz any day. Even Gullin (who performs with Shepp on only the first and last of the four extended numbers) is drawn into Shepp’s vortex, playing more stridently than is his custom and even screeching a few times, almost as if he were trying to earn Shepp’s stamp of approval. We admired him more when he was easygoing and ultra–cool. Lars has the first solo on “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and is featured all the way on “I Should Care,” as is Shepp on “The House I Live In” before the two are reunited for the finale, “Sweet Georgia Brown.” The topnotch rhythm section is composed of the late Catalonian pianist Tete Montoliu and a pair of “young lions,” Swedish drummer Alex Riel and Danish bassist Niels–Henning Ørsted Pedersen, seventeen years old when the recording was made. Montoliu’s swinging; straight–on solos are a breath of fresh air. In an interview with Coda magazine shortly before this concert in November ’63, the usually articulate Shepp makes a sweeping statement about Jazz that is not only totally unsupported but reveals far more about his personal agenda than the music itself. Jazz, he says, is “the one music that has not been mastered by white people.” Sorry, Archie; I can’t buy that, nor can most of the white people who have been mastering Jazz since its earliest days and continue doing so today. Like any music, Jazz has nothing to do with color and everything to do with artistry, which isn’t limited to any race or creed. Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, back to the album. As its running time is only 49:44, there seems no excuse for the fadeout on “Sweet Georgia Brown” unless the engineer simply ran out of tape. That’s only an observation, not a complaint, as there’s nothing here that would have caused me to look forward to hearing more. ~ by Jack Bowers, 1st June, 2001, allaboutjazz.com

SteepleChase Records, SCCD 36013, 1993

Recorded 21^st November, 1963 'Live' at Montmatre Jazzhus, Copenhagen, Denmark

Personnel:

Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone

Lars Gullin - Baritone Saxophone

Tete Montoliu - Piano   

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Bass

Alex Riel - Drums

Track Listing:

1. You Stepped Out Of A Dream {Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn} (18:50)

2. I Should Care {Sammy Cahn, Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston} (8:50)

3. The House I Live In {Earl Robinson} (9:01)

4. Sweet Georgia Brown {Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, Maceo Pinkard} (11:19)

Credits:

Producer, Mixing - Nils Winther

Artwork - Per Grunnet

Photography - Jan Persson

Note:

These tracks are from previously unissued recordings by the Danish radio. The quality of the captured tracks suffered from a discreet hum throughout and a couple of minor glitches. Also as the reviewer complains the last track is inadvertently faded out. The hum was sensitively filtered along with the removal of unnecessary extended applause and futile announcements, leaving the listener to enjoy the essence of the music.

Ben Webster - There Is No Greater Love (1965)

On this rare studio session of Webster playing with a trio he usually worked with live at the Montmarte Jazzhus in Copenhagen, we hear Webster and his cohorts in a set comprised mostly of ballads. Typically, Webster sounds superb on these standard tunes. Readings of "I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good]," "Yesterdays," "There is No Greater Love," and "Autumn Leaves" are particularly inspired. Webster's airy, yet thick tone is one that many saxophonists have tried to copy for generations. However, while many of his imitators can offer decent versions of his style, there is no one who can truly evoke meaning from a melody like Webster. One of the great instrumental balladeers in history, Webster, even in 1965, played with a passion for music that was truly remarkable. Not all jazzbos can boast such a high level of musicianship late in their career. ~ CDUniverse.com

Black Lion, BLCD-760151, 1987

Recorded 5^th September, 1965 at Metronome Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark

Personnel:

Ben Webster - Tenor Saxophone

Kenny Drew - Piano

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Bass

Alex Riel - Drums

Track Listing:

1. Easy To Love {Cole Porter} (4:23)

2. Stardust {Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish} (3:49)

3. There Is No Greater Love {Isham Jones, Marty Symes} (4:39)

4. Close Your Eyes {Bernice Petkere} (5:03)

5. What's New? {Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart} (4:29)

6. I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster} (4:57)

7. Yesterdays {Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern} (5:51)

8. Autumn Leaves {Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer} (5:19)

Credits:

Producer - Alan Bates

Engineer - Birger Svan

Liner Notes - Alun Morgan

Note:

Like many Black Lion releases the sound quality is not always desirable. I have ripped, cleaned and optimized maintaining integrity.