Gerry Mulligan & Ben Webester - Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (Acoustic Sounds Series)

Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams, baritone saxophonists from the golden age of modern jazz, mastered the deep-toned instrument with distinctive styles. While Adams is celebrated for his hard bop work with Donald Byrd, Mulligan is renowned for his west coast cool jazz innovation. Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster, recorded in 1959, is a standout in Mulligan's series of "meets" albums. Webster, a jazz legend from the swing era, pairs brilliantly with Mulligan's versatile, airy baritone. Their collaboration on this album, backed by the talented rhythm section of Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar and Mel Lewis, features inventive solos and memorable melodies. The most acclaimed track, Billy Strayhorn's 'Chelsea Bridge,' features Webster's evocative tenor solos, reminiscent of his days with Duke Ellington. The album evokes the swinging big band era while sounding modern in the jazz world of 1960. As Dave Brubeck noted in the LP's liner notes, Mulligan's music transcends time with taste and respect for jazz idioms.