Ben Webster, My Man: Live at Montmatre 1973 (1973)
His last album – released the year he died, Ben Webster was in poor health at the time of this, a diminished capacity to blow (never good for a horn player) but still there’s something here. Sympathetic band, great set of tunes, relaxed blowing session – I like it a lot. Always loved Webster’s playing, one of the first ‘name’ players I found when teaching myself about jazz – extending beyond the compilations in my folks’ house. Found this on a whim the other day, wasn’t looking for it, didn’t actually know about this album – but as soon as I saw the date and location, a live album from his final years when he toured Europe picking up whatever bucks he could, I was in. Because this is new to me in the scheme of Ben Webster – and much like some of the later-career Chet Baker albums there’s something tender, fragile, fail and lovely about these end-of-the-career records.

Sample Track:  Old Folks

The Vinyl Countdown is a document of every LP I listen to, brand new discoveries and old-old favourites; extremely pre-loved, previously abandoned or with the shrink-wrap having just been removed it’s all here at The Vinyl Countdown