2 sept 2009

(104)

Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster

Mulligan liked to do these "meets" albums. He did an excellent one with another Ellington sideman, Johnny Hodges, and with Monk--among others. Mel Lewis plays drums. The combination of two distinctive sounds is what makes this album great. Mulligan's joyful, bouncy, and exuberant lilt, played with that baritone fullness, and Webster's whispery wistful attack. Both players have a little raspiness, though of course Mulligan is much "smoother." I don't know that this is the greatest either played, but it's a very tasty outing.

Their version of Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" is excellent. "In a Mellotone" is also from the Ellington catalogue. "Who's Got Rhythm" is a "Rhythm Changes" tune, taken at a very swinging medium tempo. They also do a version of Cole Porter's "What is this thing called love."

2 comentarios:

Andrew Shields dijo...

I've been getting into Webster's "Soulville." My iPod shuffled up Webster right after Lester Young the other day, which helped me hear the difference: both with a very rich, breathy tone, Young a bit deeper, and Webster, as you put it so well, more "whispery."

Ben Gage dijo...

nice to hear about the music, whenever my ears and heart tire, I always go back to the "changes." We need to know more about those masters. Thanks for the reminder.