Ben Webster - Chelsea Bridge (1964)

With Stan Tracey - piano; Ricky Laird - bass; Jackie Doogan - drums

[@clivecolledge4191]

I heard Ben play this live in 1964 at Ronnie Scott’s old place. That huge sound in such a small room was magnificent. Changed my life.

[@rhythmfield]

A treasured memory - its great hearing it from someone who was there

[@ocnoreen]

One of my faves, Chelsea Bridge! You don't hear this stuff on the so-called jazz stations any longer. They are busy playing some half-playin' lotsa' notes dudes. I am able to appreciate technicality as well as the next person, but sometimes leave out a few notes!

[@donnawilcox7938]

I get so tired of the trash the internet brings us, but I can't bless it enough for this kind of wonderful music. The fact that we can hear and sometimes witness the truly greats of jazz is so terrific. Thank you.

[@claudiopontes5191]

Ben Webster one of the greatest sax tenor I've ever heard in all my life. Wonderful!👍

[@magn8195]

The great Rick Laird on bass! RIP

[@thedogduncan]

probably one of the top 10 musical performances of all time. listen up, kiddies: this is PASSION, this is SOUL and completely understated. educate yourselves, dummies....

[@rmoraespinto]

Ben was such a master on every aspect of music playing. The air, the slurs and the tone. And the ability of playing the second part of this haunting tune without loosing the mood. I feel blessed for hearing him after so many years have passed.

[@ssg263]

Ben Webster was simply the best ballad saxophonist. I would've loved to have heard him play ballads with Bill Evans.

[@pevensielavere22]

Agreed with you 100%. :) :)

[@robertvanruyssevelt7159]

This style maintained still by Scott Hamilton (here accompanied by some fine Catalan musicians): kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKvLlpWVd56Kfsk

[@thedogduncan]

when i watch and listen to this vid, i dry my eyes frequently. if music can bring a grown man to tears, that's when you know it's freakishly awesome....

[@AlvarezCutaway]

Ben Webster : the best of the best. Listening him to play is next to the best: watching him. He knew the lyrics (if such existed) of all the music hed play; hence, the lyrical and organic quality of his touch. When Webster plays, he reminds me of Sarah Vaughn singing.

[@ABrandsma]

Just love to hear Ben. Our bass player used to play with him when Ben lived in Amsterdam. In fact he did play on Ben's very last date.

[@ivorrosenberg4076]

So many versions of this intriguing melody. Such interesting chord structure and so beautifully played by Ben Webster and friends. I loved it.From ancient busker

[@donnyrichard4644]

Soft, sensuous, almost ethereal is Ben's style. One of the greats on the tenor sax.

[@UltraMN]

This is a gem. A carefully crafted masterpiece.

[@leonardseed7717]

Listen to the breath going into the horn. A true human experience!

[@oliverecords8524]

This is timeless of course.

[@MARKMANIATT]

A time lost forever........

[@alanwitton5980]

Absolutely beautiful

[@travelobs57]

This is simply...immortal.

[@antoniopalmero4063]

It’s also the notes he doesn’t play that makes him such a talent , And damn ,,,,,,that Piano is sweet. Metronomic Bass playing setting the pace too.

[@bourgeoisbrats]

...drummer (especially those brushes and cymbal build at the end) isn't shabby, either :-)

[@Blackgeoff1]

Beautiful! One of my favourite Billy Strayhorn songs.. (I've always liked the name - "stray horn") Nothing stray about Big Ben's horn though.. what a sound, no-one sounded like this guy . One of my first jazz albums years ago was the classic Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster, and they played this tune to perfection.. Great posting

[@NJJ77]

"The Brute", yet this is played so softyly, so excellent.

[@neilbombd]

I was looking for good Ben Webster performances of Chelsea Bridge, and this is phenomenal, thank you for uploading! Strayhorn was amazing.

[@jameschristiansson3137]

Ben Webster and Gerry Mulligan recorded this twice in 1959, both takes worth a listen.

[@thedogduncan]

2 words: magical masterpiece....

[@klezmando]

Ahh Just beautiful.

[@richardiritano1197]

Hauntingly addictive and transcendent!

[@swingmanic]

It's great to hear the genius of Stan Tracey too!

[@rubengreenberg2253]

Thank you for mentioning Stan Tracey. I knew Ben Webster, and he always cited Stan Tracey as one of the pianists he most enjoyed playing with. The others were Art Tatum, Duke Ellington and Oscar Petersen. So Stan wasn't in such bad company!

[@elimiNator345]

My gosh you can truly hear his heart. His tone is so firm but delicate.

[@tejorch]

This is hauntingly beautiful !

[@JeraldRJ1]

Vibrato at the end is sweet. You can hear the air in the bell of the horn.

[@thedogduncan]

this song is so sad and happy at the same time- it's like if you were about to jump off the chelsea bridge and all of a sudden you changed your mind and thought, "nahhhh, life's worth living". great performance by webster and crew....

[@josephinethorns7680]

Thank you for this wonderful upload. Fabulous playing by all of the band.

[@thedogduncan]

ben webster might be the greatest guy of all time. his performance of billy strayhorn's 'chelsea bridge' makes the case....

[@nakitinunu]

so beautiful

[@whitefeet1]

....because its always 3 AM somewhere.....

[@davidmaslow7473]

listen to the marvelous tone coming from that bass!

[@johnsluggett1822]

That's the bass player from the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

[@mer1red]

I was just thinking something similar. This is the kind of players than one would wish to have in his band.

[@solidred4]

there's another truly fabulous version played with an orchestra on the Ben Webster: Music for Loving on a Verve re-issue

[@skimdavidson]

pure golden god level music, no one holds a candle.

[@joediaz117]

listening at the King to get inspiration as I,m a Tenor sax player to

[@photo161]

So beautiful...!

[@lyndahenderson4264]

beautiful..ty Bob

[@yebyo]

simply wonderful

[@MuriMorello]

what an amazing footage

[@ToneG0911]

Why doesn’t this have a million views

[@hiTekHOBO55]

the masses are asses... 🤦‍♂

[@56conn6h]

Touches the soul! Simply beautiful. Thanks for passing this along!

[@ieattapes]

I like to listen to this, put on a fedora, and pretend I'm a hardboiled private eye in a Film Noir.

[@NeoNovastar]

Glad I'm not the only one!

[@jameslaugtug8937]

Don't forget the Bourbon or Scotch

[@Reuben_95]

😂😂😂

[@vomfegefeuer2614]

Моя любимейшая баллада! Спасибо!!!

[@jeanhartely]

Thank you-- Gorgeous! Love Ben Webster, and I love Billy Strayhorn (sp?). The Edward Hopper of music. Thanks again.

[@MickGough1957]

brilliant thanks

[@guilhermeisoppo8208]

Quantas inspirações, uau! Muito bom.

[@MrRickywallace]

Love the tune by Strayhorn and Ben’s rendition. Check out Keith Jarrett’s and Duke Ellington’s band. I first hear it at an Ellington concert in Charleston, SC in 1969. Paul Gonsalves or Johnny Hodges played it! It was one of the greatest concerts and musical moments of my life.

[@mannypuslicker]

Amazing

[@anderson3673]

essa música é sensacional

[@andyfourme4]

"Chelsea Bridge" definitely shades of the soundtrack for the movie Taxi Driver (De Niro 1976)

[@MrBongoagogo]

Rick laird on bass who just pass away on the 4th July at 8o . My condolences to Rick's family r.i.p Mr laird.

[@antosax]

un tema che vale tutta la canzone grazie FROG

[@VirtualGuard00]

La melodía tiene algo muy especial. Y esi bajista de la aún inexistente Mahavishnu Orchestra ahí dándolo to, muy grandes. Gracias por compartir.!!

[@tidepoolbay]

What a Great Technician! WooF!

[@paulostroff99]

As good as it gets.TY for posting.

[@sherriekoberevans3935]

brings back good memories what is life all about

[@toledolim]

Perfection exists, I believe!

[@Jonsskillfulmove]

my right ear loves this tune

[@docnshe]

Genius . . .

[@JazzWithoutANet]

Ben Webster is my idol. You could pour his melodies over pancakes.... Does anyone know what Mr. Webster's setup was in this session? I'm in the market for a tenor. Looking at Martins and vintage SMLs.

[@edwarddesenne6153]

He’s playing a Selmer Series 2 Tenor sax with a gold plated Otto Link mouthpiece, possibly New York model and very open lay & tip opening , probably an 8, with his large lip embouchure

[@mrbluesky2410]

Dave Gelly's book about Lester Young mentions that while Webster did speak of Johnny Hodges, he was heavily influenced by Prez. But I guess, weren't we all?!

[@bobriedinger5287]

Three of the all-time great saxophonists. :-)

[@rodrigoartilheiro2985]

The king!

[@sunwon67]

넘곱고 취하는으막임다ㅡㅡㅡ

[@Inu91]

Hermoso :,)

[@lukevaughan7706]

Kool as kool gets.....

[@mmaybrown]

Delicious!

[@TeresaCasas726]

Excelente Mix de Ben Webster Chelsea Bridge (1964)

[@claitontesch]

Beautiful sond

[@jamesmagana6917]

Thats whatt jazz is about love ballads

[@zwartetoets]

At Ricky Gear: Would you mind sending it to me? I wouldn't be using it for anything else than studying material. Wonderful wonderful wonderful music!

[@spinedoc18]

There wasn't anything better on a summer night date in my 2 seat convertible!

[@rhythmfield]

Interesting fact: the great bassist in this video became electric bass player for John McLaughlin’s intense, groundbreaking Mahavishnu Orchestra - just one of those crazy things that can and does happen in the jazz world.

[@arisowizard7178]

hopefully a reminder to all those guys who pack their music full of fast crammed notes...you don't need many notes to make something sound good!

[@ronfroehlich12]

Understated elegance

[@SIRONEDRAGON]

cool !!

[@thedogduncan]

THIS IS AWESOME. kiddies: listen, learn and take note....

[@marcellomentasimonsennico5670]

He might have left Ellington, but Duke has never left Him!

[@thedogduncan]

in this day and age, it's scary to see real human beings making actual music. nowadays, it's all machines and douchebags. ben webster and co. will live on forever in my heart....

[@cole_bh0373]

I’m with you! But let’s not bash the modern music, because even though we may not like it, it doesn’t mean that the production quality is any less, but that the music doesn’t sound good to our ears.

[@davidutu]

smooooooooooooooooth, yeeeeeeeehhh

[@Aloprado_oficial]

ho yes

[@raypizzi]

..... The master... not a dry seat in the house.

[@ghairraigh]

Notice Ben doesn't bury the microphone in the bell of his horn- this shows he comes from an earlier Era- and plays with a full tone from the time when there were no stage microphones. Playing off mic gives much more freedom to his, and his contemporaries' expressiveness. I've seen Masters such as Johnny Hodges, and younger musicians like Hank Crawford and Don Menza, use this same approach in club appearances at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago. Study the microphone technique of Sarah Vaughan!

[@freejazzandcheese1]

Yeah its Stan Tracey he's one of the few players who can play like Monk. Check him out.

[@ephraimschanneldaddontuse445]

Our school just got a surperior playing this piece at jpa

[@guyleclairemusic]

was this in the UK? Rick Laird went on to join John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. Cool Ben sounds great

[@erikplaza4911]

2023

[@KevinMichaelCallihan]

Only going to subscribe to the blue squares symbol throughout this holiday season. So be it known.

[@RattlerBK]

Sure is, he was about 22 at that time I read (1944-present). Doubled on upright and bass guitar.

[@lestmbly]

Whose that cool bass player in the back ground...

[@bobbymobay]

Stan Tracey reminds a little bit of Monks' percussive approach to the piano... ..isn't he British?

[@coilhead]

Mmmmmmm......

[@phanioma]

I think the pianist was liking Monk in that period

[@TheTralfaz]

Rick Laird ,..who would have known...far out

[@helluvagun]

My commments are constantly lost in some space,

[@timothylee8935]

don't get to close to the mike just like ben dont

[@MEDYK1961]

Krzysztof Komeda - Ballad of Brent 1962 kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKG2gZKXar2XhLM