Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson

Renowned for stoic improvisational techniques, Ben Webster teams with an ideal foil in pianist Oscar Peterson on this 1959 date, anchored by two gorgeous ballads and an overall lustrous sense of swing. Free of arrangements, it nonetheless takes its position as a definitive mainstream period jazz recording.

Here, in a program of timeless songs, Peterson proves to be the perfect partner, his effortless swing an excellent set-up for the unhurried scoops, slurs and bent notes of tenor saxophone balladeer Webster. Supporting musicians include Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums. The set is on par with Webster's classic Soulville.