Hot Stamper Jazz Recordings Featuring the Saxophone Available NowOur review from years ago for the Discovery reissue of The Warm Moods can be found below.
We loved the sound, so much so that we found it hard to fault.
Imagine our surprise when we discoverd that that the original was clearly better.
Much better. At least a full grade better.
When we did the shootout again, a rare (in stereo anyway) original Reprise showed us just how wrong we were.
The best original pressing we found took the sound of The Warm Moods to another level, and a pretty high one at that.
It’s yet another example in which the most important question in all of audio had been overlooked: compared to what?
Who knew the recording could sound any better than the wonderful Discovery pressing we’d played?
Our Old Review
Amazing sound and wonderful music on this lovely Ben Webster and Strings album recorded in 1961! I don’t think you could find a better sounding album of this kind of music. This is calm, relaxed jazz performed expertly by Webster, backed by a small orchestra capably conducted by Johnny Richards.
Drop the needle on any of these great ballads and appreciate how relaxed, natural, balanced and warm the sound is. This is going to be a record you come back to over and over I imagine. It’s hard for me to picture this record ever getting old with such a wonderful combination of material, performance, and sonics.
It’s not easy to find good sounding Ben Webster records in clean condition, so this is the perfect choice to add to your Hot Stamper jazz collection.
Want to find your own top quality copy?
Consider taking our modestly helpful advice concerning the pressings of The Warm Moods that tend to win shootouts.
In our experience, this record sounds best this way: