This 1953 date matched
Webster with such peers as alto saxophonist
Benny Carter, trumpeter
Harry Edison, and pianist
Oscar Peterson for a series of elegant yet soulful and exuberant small group dates. With no cut longer than four and a half minutes, the players didn't have time for excess statements or overkill; they had to quickly get to the heart of the matter in their solos, make their points, and return to the head. The original session has been enlarged by the addition of two previously unissued tracks, plus an alternate version of "That's All" that was later issued as a single. Label head
Norman Granz excelled in producing swing-oriented, crisply played mainstream dates. Although this date is more than four decades old,
Ben Webster's solos have a freshness and vitality that make them quite relevant to contemporary events.