Ben Webster and Joe Zawinul "Soulmates" 1963/1991

Joe Zawinul, at the time this album was recorded, was the pianist with Cannonball Adderley's group. He was a modern stylist with an affinity for Third Stream music; he would later be a key member of the fusion group Weather Report. That he would record with Ben Webster is somewhat a mystery, but for the most part, the pairing works well. It's a well-balanced program that the group plays (Richard Davis [b] and Philly Joe Jones [d] round out the quartet, with, another surprise, Thad Jones added on cornet on half the numbers; Sam Jones [b] repalces Davis on Thad's numbers). There are a couple of slow ballad features for Ben's mournful tenor (TOO LATE NOW and COME SUNDAY), and another medium-slow version of TRAV'LIN LIGHT where Ben plays about as sexy as I've ever heard him play. Webster's own THE GOVERNOR is taken up, and Ben puts on his gruff bear suit for this one. Zawinul has a nice solo on EVOL DEKLAW NI (read it backwards), and his composition FROG LEGS has a clever boppish theme.
Thad doesn't get much of a chance to do anything, and you wonder if maybe he was in the right place at the right time and got invited into the proceedings. This album didn't set the world on fire, but it's a respectable addition to both Ben and Joe's discography. Three of the tunes had alternates made available in the LP days, and it's a surprise they weren't put on here. Oh well. --Amazon customer reviewWhat initially seems like an unlikely pairing for this session delivers on its unique pedigree with performances that do full justice to tenor legend Ben Webster and to the then up and coming pianist Joe Zawinul. Recorded in 1963 while the pianist was a member of the Cannonball Adderley Sextet, the session came about as a result of Webster's and Zawinul's sharing a New York apartment for several months. It's actually billed as Zawinul's first session as leader and Webster's last in the U.S. before his move to Europe. The tunes generally keep to mid-tempos, a pace that affords Webster the opportunity to wield the gentler side of his legendary sound. His rich, nuanced tone and magnificent phrasing are superbly in evidence. Listeners only familiar with Zawinul's soul-jazz side with Adderley and later his pioneering synthesizer work with Weather Report may be surprised at his eloquent playing here in a classic style right out of Tommy Flanagan or Red Garland. The presence of Thad Jones -- a legend in his own right -- on cornet for four tacks is a bonus. With a rhythm section rounded out by the slightly lesser legends of drummer Philly Joe Jones and bassist Sam Jones, alternating with Richard Davis, there isn't one false step on this set. It may tend to the mellower side of things, but that simply means there's more opportunity to luxuriate in Webster's peerless sound. --Jim Todd, AllMusic (Rating: 4/5 stars)

trax:

1. Too Late Now 2. Soulmates 3. Come Sunday 4. The Governor 5. Frog Legs 6. Trav'lin' Light 7. Like Someone in Love 8. Evol Deklaw Ni

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