Originally released in 1959, Ben Webster & Associates marked the last of Norman Granz’s ventures showcasing tenor saxophone icons Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins together. On this set, veteran Budd Johnson joins them on the same instrument, along with trumpeter Roy Eldridge, guitarist Les Spann, pianist Jimmy Jones, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jo Jones. The material consists of two standards, “Time After Time” and Ellington’s “In a Mellow Tone”, plus three original compositions by Webster. Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging.
