Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Without That Gal
2. Toby - Bennie Moten
3. Blue Room - Bennie Moten
4. Happy as the Day Is Long - Fletcher Henderson
5. Hotter Than 'Ell - Fletcher Henderson
6. Dream Lullaby - Benny Carter & His Orchestra
7. Everybody Shuffle - Benny Carter & His Orchestra
8. Ghost of Dinah - Bob Howard
9. Rigamarole - Willie Bryant
10. What a Little Moonlight Can Do - Teddy Wilson
11. Sunbonnet Blue (And a Little Straw Hat) - Teddy Wilson
12. Voice of Old Man River - Willie Bryant & His Orchestra
13. Truckin' - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
14. In a Jam - Duke Ellington
15. Wedding of Mr and Mrs Swing
16. Easy to Love - Teddy Wilson
17. I'll See You in My Dreams - Teddy Wilson
18. Sing You Sinners - Fletcher Henderson
19. Early Session Hop - Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra
20. 71 - Teddy Wilson
21. Solitude - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
22. Conga Brava - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
23. Cotton Tail - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
24. Bojangles (A Portrait of Bill Robinson) - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra

Disc 2:

1. All Too Soon - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
2. Sepia Panorama - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
3. Chloe (Song of the Swamp) - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
4. Linger Awhile - Rex Stewart
5. Stardust - Duke Ellington
6. Lament for Javanette - Barney Bigard
7. St. James Infirmary - Jack Teagarden
8. World Is Waiting for the Sunrise - Jack Teagarden
9. Big Eight Blues - Jack Teagarden
10. Shine - Jack Teagarden
11. Blue Serge - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
12. Just A-Settin' and A-Rockin' - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
13. Five O'Clock Drag - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
14. Chelsea Bridge - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
15. Perdido - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
16. C Jam Blues - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
17. Palm Springs Jump - Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys
18. Ra-Da-Da-Da - Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys
19. Groove Juice Special - Slim Gaillard & His Flat Foot Floogee Boys
20. Main Stem - Duke Ellington & His Orchestra
21. Woke Up Clipped - Ben Webster Quartet
22. Teezol - Ben Webster Quartet
23. 'Nuff Said - Ben Webster Quartet

Disc 3:

1. Horn - Ben Webster Quartet
2. Dirty Deal - Ben Webster Quartet
3. Don't Blame Me - Ben Webster Quartet
4. I Surrender, Dear - Ben Webster Quartet
5. Tea for Two - Ben Webster Quartet
6. Noah - Woody Herman & His Orchestra
7. Cryin' Sands - Woody Herman & His Orchestra
8. Victory Stride - James P. Johnson & his Orchestra
9. After You've Gone - James P. Johnson
10. Joshua - Cozy Cole
11. Talk to Me - Cozy Cole
12. Body and Soul - Cozy Cole
13. Sleep - Big Sid Catlett
14. Linger Awhile - Big Sid Catlett
15. Memories of You - Big Sid Catlett
16. Just a Riff - Big Sid Catlett
17. Blues on the Delta - Walter "Foots" Thomas
18. Honeysuckle Rose - Ben Webster Quartet
19. I Surrender, Dear - Ben Webster Quartet
20. Blue Skies - Ben Webster Quartet
21. Kat's Fur - Ben Webster Quartet
22. My Old Flame - Benny Morton
23. Sheik of Araby - Benny Morton's All Stars

Disc 4:

1. Conversing in Blue - Benny Morton's All Stars
2. Limehouse Blues - Benny Morton's All Stars
3. John Hardy's Wife - Woody Herman
4. Jeep Is Jumpin' - Ben Webster
5. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) - Ben Webster
6. Dark Corners - Ben Webster
7. Blues, Mister Brim - Ben Webster
8. Frog and Mule - Ben Webster Quartet
9. Spang - Ben Webster Quartet
10. Doctor Keets - Ben Webster Quartet
11. Park and Tilford Blues - Ben Webster Quartet
12. You're Only Happy When I'm Blue
13. New Style Baby - Jay McShann & His Orchestra,
14. Let's Love Awhile - Jay McShann & His Orchestra,
15. Nasty Attitude - Jay McShann & His Orchestra,
16. Slow Down Baby - Jay McShann & His Orchestra,
17. Duke and the Brute - Jay McShann & His Orchestra,
18. Reach - Jay McShann & His Orchestra,
19. One O'Clock Jump - Johnny Otis & His Orchestra
20. Stardust - Johnny Otis & His Orchestra
21. Randle's Island - Ben Webster
22. Old Folks - Ben Webster
23. King's Riff - Ben Webster
24. You're My Thrill - Ben Webster

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164063 in Music
• Released on: 2002-03-18
• Number of discs: 4
• Formats: Box set, Import

Album Description
Ben Webster's development into one of the undisputed masters of the tenor saxophone is depicted in this budget-price box set. From his early days with the bands of Blanche Calloway, Bennie Moten, Teddy Wilson & others, to the full blossoming of his talents with Duke Ellington & small bands on 52nd Street. This is music full of energy, intensity & great passion. 94 tracks amply demonstrate what an ever developing talent this man had, the 48 page booklet tells the story of this giant among jazz musicians. Standard jewel cases housed in a slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Almost a 'proper' sampling
Proper does put together some nice box sets. This one is no exception, filling many gaps in a long career. Maybe it's the time span covered, or just copyright issues, but, while good, it could have been better. I guess the Ellington work & Oscar Peterson pairings are good enough to buy on their own, but I think all 4 of the tracks from the James P. Johnson session could have been included; and, if blues is to be included, I miss the work with Jimmy Witherspoon & Gerry Mulligan. Then there's the European sessions from Ben's twilight years. I see no indication on the box about the time span covered; so it must be due to copyrights & maybe just the picks of the compilers. Still, a nice collection, even if listened to in 'random play/shuffle' mode.

GET DOWN WITH BIG BEN WEBSTER ALTO SAX
I have been buying many Proper Records Box Sets, and Big Ben with Ben Webster covers his covers with everyone from Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, Teddy Wilson, Duke Ellngton, Cab Calloway, Ben Webster, James P. Johnson, Woody Herman, Jay McShann, and Johnny Otis. He may be only one tenor sax in major jazz orchestras, quintets, and sextets, but he is in there with the best.
Try Properboxes Boss Bird, Bud Powell Tempus Fugue-It, The Count Basie Story, The Sidney Bechet Story, Young Miles (Davis), and Fats Navarro Story for extensive 4 CDs sets that became available after copyright ran out. Lester Young is a good bet. I couldn't get Peggy Lee. This music from the Forties and Thirties was new to me and I could get it at a good price. Enjoy. Get down.

Incredible music, mediocre remastering
Remember those cassettes friends used to make for you of their favorite music? Well, they're back, only they're called Proper Boxes! The sound is nowhere near as bad as on those Complete Duke Ellington 1925-38 sets you can buy in Germany for about 20 dollars. Those sound like they were recorded in a toilet over the telephone. But this set is certainly not all it could have been. Somewhere I read somebody ask the question "Proper versus JSP?" That's not even a question. JSP's have fantastic remasterers doing their best. This set is only serviceable. But the music is wonderful and many of the tracks are almost impossible to find. So you have to get it. Should I review the music? No, not this time...Maybe later.