Ben Webster had already enjoyed an extensive music career by the time these recordings were made. However, he still wasn’t known for the sensual ballad feeling that would become his trademark over the last two decades of his life. In the earlier days of his career he was best known for the hard blowing fast tenor sax he exhibited laying with either the Duke Ellington orchestra or with his own multiple small groups. The ballad sets included here mark almost the beginning of Webster’s new musical direction. They were originally issued on two LPs, titled Music with Feeling and Music for Loving, which compile the results of four different sessions. Three of these dates were big band/string efforts – one conducted by Billy Strayhorn (who also played the piano) and two by Ralph Burns. The fourth session consisted of four quartet tunes. Allof this music was brought together shortly after Ben Webster’s death in 1973 and reissued on a 2-LP set as Ballads. It was under this title that these already successful recordings became true classics. Our CD compiles the three big band sessions in their entirety. It also includes an interesting quartet version of “Almost Like Being in Love” recorded at the Billy Strayhorn date which completes the session (it wasn’t included on the original album Music for Loving, nor on Ballads). However, due to time limitations we were forced to omit two quartet selections from the last session with Teddy Wilson (“Love’s Away” and “You’re Mine, You!”), which originally rounded out the two aforementioned LPs.

“Yes, I would say that, I approach ballads and up tempos in a different manner. And I do it, mostly, for a change of pace. You wouldn’t want to play ballads all night. Anything gets monotonous. And you wouldn’t want to play blasting numbers all night, either. So I try to mix it up. I like to play things that people understand, or maybe tunes that they could recognise. And so—I play for the people, just as much as for myself. Because, as I say, I still like to play.”BEN WEBSTER (speaking to Les Tomkins, 1965)

BEN WEBSTERtenor sax on all tracks, plus:Collective personnel: Tony Scott, Jimmy Hamilton (cl), Hank Jones, Teddy Wilson, Billy Strayhorn (p), Ray Brown, George Duvivier (b), Jo Jones, Louie Bellson (d), among others. Plus strings arranged and conducted by Billy Strayhorn & Ralph Burns.New York, 1954-55.

• 1. Chelsea Bridge
• 2. Love is Here To Stay
• 3. It Happens To Be Me
• 4. All Too Soon
• 5. Willow Weep For Me
• 6. Come Rain or Come Shine
• 7. Prelude To a Kiss
• 8. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
• 9. My Greatest Mistake
• 10. There is No Greater Love
• 11. Blue Moon
• 12. What Am I Here For
• 13. We'll Be Together Again
• 14. Early Autumn
• 15. Until Tonight
• 16. Teach Me Tonight
• 17. My Funny Valentine
• 18. Sophisticated Lady
• 19. Almost Like Being In Love