RECORDS

“The Big Tenor: The Complete Ben Webster on EmArcy.” EmArcy. Webster (1909-1973) was a big man with a warm, full tenor sax sound to match both his size and his improvisational stature. This two-record set of 1951-3 sessions finds him leading his own groups, working as a sideman with Johnny Otis and Jay McShann, even backing Dinah Washington (a riveting “Trouble In Mind”) and The Ravens. There are numerous alternate takes and previously unissued masters. The anthology includes three takes of “Stardust.” 1/2