Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster - Walkman Jazz : Ben Webster & Coleman (1987)

It is a pleasure to know that some musicians have been blessed with the ability to duplicate life's most cherished moments. Perhaps I'm biased, this CD being my first introduction into the world of Jazz years ago, but I must say that this compilation is the closest thing I've found to candle-lit dinners and sleepy Manhattan strolls.
The two alpha-tenors, although separately gifted, each revel in making complex passages sound simple and seamless. Their rendition of the Rodger's/Hart ballad "It never entered my mind" is as timeless as it musically pure; the two saxophones exchanging melodies as if they were engaged a cheerful coffee shop conversation: Hawkins displaying his remarkable knack for reproducing the lush tonality of the female disposition, while Webster chimes in with what sounds like laughter one moment, bitter nostalgia the next. Track six, "La Rosita" is a dynamic piece in which Hawkins plays with flirtatious vigor.
These are all studio recordings taking place between 53' and 57', so each song shines with clarity. I'm more for the ballads, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a handful of slow and sappy tracks. The Oscar Peterson Quartet backs most of the cuts, and Lester Young-Inspired Budd Johnson joins in on two cuts, making this disk a true showcase of talent. Overall, you will find this collection to be both medicinal and provocative. With such a colorful palette of tones, there is no day so rough that a dose of this disc couldn't cure.