Ben Webster Stardust Master Quality Reel To Reel Tape (2 Reels)

Master Quality Reel To Reel Deluxe 2 Tape Edition!
Duplication AAA from Analog Master!
Recorded at 15 ips in CCIR!
The double LP "Stardust" contains a careful selection of Ben Webster recordings from the years 1964 to 1970. The American jazz scene changed permanently in the 1960s under the influence of John Coltrane and it became increasingly difficult for Webster to make a living from his music. The offer to play at Ronnie Scott's London jazz club for a month marked a turning point in his career: he settled in Northern Europe and spent his final years there.
Webster's playing is as passionate and intense as ever. In his beautiful, almost tender ballad interpretations, he never succumbed to the temptation to increase the tempo, as was common at the time. Thus, he is also considered one of the "warmest and most sensitive" performers (Barry Ulanov).
Mastered by René Laflamme, this "Deluxe 2 Tape Edition" contains two audiophile SM900 tapes recorded at 15 ips in CCIR (also available in NAB) on two symmetrical metal coils, manufactured in Germany by Feinwerktechnik Allgäu. This is supplemented by an accompanying booklet.
The nickname "The Brute and the Beautiful" was aptly given to Ben Webster. He became famous for his beautiful sound, which gave his ballad playing a unique touch of tenderness, while his playing in faster tempos was virile and filled with growl. Webster was not exactly under-recorded during his forty-year playing career, but he is among that exclusive hierarchy of jazz artists to whose consistent excellence there can never be an over-abundance of recorded testimony. He is regarded as one of the three foremost swing-era tenor saxophonists - the two others being Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.
"I've heard Ben play in so many settings, but to sit down and listen to him play a ballad - nobody who ever played a ballad does a better job than Ben Webster does on it." - Dizzie Gillespie.
The sound of this collection is nothing short of astounding. A must for all Ben Webster's fans!
The package includes two audiophile SM900 tapes recorded at 15 ips in CCIR (also available in NAB), on two balanced metal reels manufactured in Germany by Feinwerktechnik allgäu GmbH and an elegant booklet.
This is a historically significant album.
Based in Montreal and created by audiophile sound engineer René Laflamme and producer André Perry, all 2xHD Tapes are from the original analog master and transfer in analog domain using a Nagra-T tape recorder, modified with high-end tube playback electronics, wired from the playback head. In the high-end audio world, René has carved out a reputation for definition of excellence and uses his knowledge and unfailing instinct to match various audio components to create the best all-encompassing sound experience.
For the recording on this tape, the original 1/4" 15 ips NAB or CCIR master tapes were played on a Nagra-T tape recorder, modified wtih high-end tube playback electronics, wired with OCC silver cable from the playback head direct to a Nick Doshi tube head preamplifier. The Nagra T, with its four direct drive motors, two pinch rollers and a tape tension head, is one of the best transports ever made. A custom-built carbon fiber head block and a head damping electronic system permit 2xHD FUSION to obtain more transparency and better 3D imaging. This copy was recorded on a Nagra IV-S 1/4" at 15 ips.
** It is standard practice in all recording studios to keep the tape "tail out." This reduces "pre-echo" and it means that the tape should be placed on the right hand side of the recorder, re-wound and then played.

Features:

• Deluxe Edition
• Numbered, Limited Edition - Only 100 Copies
• 2 Master Quality Reel To Reel Tapes
• Pure Analogue Copy
• 15IPS CCIR EQ tape from the Analog Master Tape
• One Microphone Analogue Recording
• 2 Audiophile SM 900 Tapes
• 2 Balanced Metal Reels Made in Germany by Feinwerktechnik allgäu GmbH Metal Reels
• 2xHD Mastering by René Laflamme on Nagra Equipment with Vacuum Tube Tape Head Electronics
• Elegant Booklet
• Clamshell Box
• Made in Canada

Musicians:

• Ben Webster, tenor saxophone

Selections:

Tape 1/2
1. Stardust
2. Cry Me a River
3. Willow Weep for Me
4. Old Folks
5. My Romance
Tape 2/2
1. Going Home
2. Cottontail
3. Come Sunday
4. Our Blues
5. Sunday
6. For Heaven's Sake