Biography

Saxophonist Ben Webster first gained recognition as a featured soloist with the Benny Moten band in the early 1930s. After stints with Fletcher Henderson, Benny Carter, and Cab Calloway, among others, he joined the Duke Ellington band in 1940, galvanizing its veteran reed section. Duke showcased him on such masterpieces as "Cottontail" and "All Too Soon," but the volatile tenor man left after a few years, continuing to play in a wide variety of contexts. Though perhaps less an innovator than Coleman Hawkins or Lester Young, he completes the trio of great pre-war tenors, and his warm, breathy sound is instantly recognizable.

Top Tracks

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• All Too Soon

• Ben's Blues

• Blue Skies

• Blues In B Flat

• Blues On The Delta

• Blues Skies

• Body And Soul

• Bojangles (a Portrait Of Bill Robinson)

• Bounce Blues

• Bye Bye Blackbird

• Bye, Bye Blackbird

• C Jam Blues

• Chelsea Bridge

• Come Rain Or Come Shine

• Come Sunday

• Conga Brava

• Cotton Tail

• Dark Corners

• Did You Call Her Today

• Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me

• Don't Get Around Much Anymore

• Everybody Shuffle

• Fajista

• Go Home

• Going Home

• Gone With The Wind

• Honeysuckle Rose

• Hoot

• Hotter Than 'ell

• How Deep Is The Ocean?

• How Long Has This Been Going On?

• I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)

• I Surrender, Dear

• In A Mellotone

• In A Mellow Tone

• It Was So Beautiful

• Jumpin' With Judy

• Just A-settin' And A-rockin'

• Kat's Fur

• King's Riff

• Limehouse Blues

• Love Is Here To Stay

• Main Stem

• Medley: How Long Has Thing Been Going On?/sophisticated Lady

• Meet The Frog

• My Funny Valentine

• My Romance

• Old Folks

• On Green Dolphin Street

• Over The Rainbow

• Perdido

• Poutin'

• Randle's Island

• Someone To Watch Over Me

• Sophisticated Lady

• Soulmates

• Soulville

• St. James Infirmary

• Stardust

• Stars Fell On Alabama

• Stella By Starlight

• Stompy Jones

• Stridin' With Ben

• Sunday

• Sweet Georgia Brown

• Tangerine

• Tea For Two

• Teezol

• Tenderly

• That's All

• The Blue Room

• The Horn (i Got Rhythm)

• The Jeep Is Jumpin'

• The Man I Love

• The Touch Of Your Lips

• The Voice Of Old Man River

• There Is No Greater Love

• Time After Time

• Toby

• Victory Stride

• What Is This Thing Called Love?

• When I Fall In Love

• While We're Dancing

• Woke Up Clipped

• You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

• Young Bean

• You're My Thrill

Discography

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• Live at Ronnie Scott's 1964: The Punch

  Storyville

  2005

• Complete 1953 Leader Studio Sessions

  Definitive

  2003

• Ben & Teddy

  Sackville (Canada)

  2001

• Black Lion Presents

  Black Lion

  1996

• Atmosphere for Lovers and Theives

  1974

• My Man

  Steeplechase

  1973

• Did You Call

  Nessa

  1972

• Makin' Whoopee

  Spotlite

  1972

• Live at the Haarlemse Jazzclub

  Limetree Projects / Wim Wigt

  1972

• Live in Paris, 1972

  Charly Holdings

  1972

• The Kid and the Brute

  Verve

  197?

• Blow Ben Blow

  Catfish

  1969

• At Work in Europe

  Prestige Records

  1969

• Live in Amsterdam

  Charly Records

  1969

• Meets Don Byas in the Black Forest

  1968

• Swingin' in London

  Black Lion

  1967

• Blue Light

  Polydor

  1966

• In a Mellow Tone

  Jazz House (UK)

  1965

• Duke's in Bed!

  Black Lion

  1965

• Live: Providence, Rhode Island, 1963

  Storyville

  1963

• Live at Pio's

  Enja

  1963

• Trav'lin Light

  Milestone Records

  1963

• The Soul of Ben Webster

  1961

• Meets Gerry Mulligan

  Verve

  1959

• At the Nuway Club (1958)

  Jazz Guild

  1958

• King of the Tenors

  Verve

  1956

• Music with Feeling/Ben Webster with Strings

  Verve

  1955

• The Big Tenor

  1955

• Ballads

  Essential Jazz / Essential Jazz Albums / Disconforme

  1955

• Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster

  1954

• Plays Music with Feeling

  Norgran

  1950