BEN WEBSTER
Tenor sax. Born Kansas City, Missouri, February 27, 1909 and died Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 20, 1973. First studied violin, switched to piano at Wilberforce University and started as pianist at Enid, Oklahoma. In the meantime mostly self-taught on tenor sax. Joined Dutch Campbell still on piano. Switched to tenor sax and occasionally playing alto sax in the band of Gene Coy. Worked with Blanche Calloway, Andy Kirk and Bennie Moten 31-34. Moved to New York in 34 and played with Fletcher Henderson. Two brief moments with Duke Ellington in 35 and 36. Played with Willie Bryant, Cab Calloway, Stuff Smith and other swing bands until Duke engaged Ben in 1940. Ben became one of the most important band members playing a key role in the many masterpieces Duke created in the 1940-44 period. After Ben left Duke he played mostly with own group with the exception of 48-49 when he was back with Ellington and in 50 with the Jazz At The Philharmonic. In the 50's and early 60's Ben was mostly active as studio musician accompaning singers such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Carmen McRae. In 64 Ben decided to go to Europe and made his headquarters in Amsterdam. He was much in demand and played all over Europe recording numerous sessions. Ben belongs to the top swing tenor players. He belongs to the Hawkins school with a broad fat tone and he had a quite personal sound. On ballads he played warm and sensitive solos with his trademark of just breathing air through his saxophone. The up tempo numbers contained great swing and were powerful, explosive and full of tension. He is by all means one of the jazz greats whose unique and personal style was cherised by jazz lovers in the past, by jazz lovers today and certainly also by jazz lovers in the future.
Ben Webster and his Orchestra : Hot Lips Page (tp) Ben Webster (ts) Clyde Hart (p) Charlie Drayton (b) Denzil Best (d)
World Transcriptions, New York, February 8, 1944
N1633-1 Woke up clipped Circle CLP42
N1633-2 Woke up clipped -
N1633-3 Woke up clipped (*) Br 80103, Circle CLP41, Jazz Archives
JA35, (F)158612 (CD), Best of Jazz (F)
4052(CD), Classics (F)CD1017, History
(G)10.1964-HI (CD)
N1634-1 Teezol Circle CLP42
N1634-2 Teezol (false start) -
N1634-3 Teezol (false start) -
N1634-4 Teezol -
N1634-5 Teezol (*) CLP41, Jazz Archives JA35, ASV
(E)CDAJA5152, Classics (F)CD1017,
President (E)PLCD549
N1635-1 'Nuff said Circle CLP42
N1635-2 'Nuff said (*) CLP41, Jazz Arch. JA35, Classics
(F)CD1017
N1636-1 The horn (I got rhythm) Circle CLP42
N1636-2 The horn (I got rhythm) (*) Br 80103, Circle CLP41, Jazz Arch. JA35
ASV (E)CDAJA5152, Classics (F)CD1017,
President (E)PLCD549
N1637-1 Dirty deal (false start) Circle CLP42
N1637-2 Dirty deal -
N1637-3 Dirty deal (*) CLP41, Jazz Arch. JA35, Classics
(F)CD1017
N1638-1 Don't blame me (incomp) Circle CLP42
N1638-2 Don't blame me -
N1638-3 Don't blame me (*) CLP41, Jazz Arch. JA35, Classics
(F)CD1017
N1639-1 I surrender, dear (*) Circle CLP41, Jazz Arch. JA35, Classics
(F)CD1017
N1640-1 Tea for two (false start 10 sec) Circle CLP42
N1640-2 Tea for two (talking, p, 8 sec) -
N1640-3 Tea for two (false start 21 sec) -
N1640-4 Tea for two -
N1640-5 Tea for two (*) CLP41, Jazz Arch. JA35, Classics
(F)CD1017, In + Out (G)78013-2
Note : Entire session on Progressive PCD-7001 (CD) entitled "The Horn", All titles on Jazz Archives JA35 as
"Ben and the Boys" = Properbox (E)37 as "Big Ben" = Definitive DRCD11189 = Viper's Nest CD-VN-1012
as "Jammin' with Ben Webster" =Archives of Jazz (F)380135-2 as "Ben and the boys" = Bluenite (Du)
BN022 (CD) as "Ben Webster. Circle CLP41 as "The Horn-1944" & CLP42 as "The Horn/Alternate and
Incomplete takes". Classics (F)CD1017 as "Ben Webster 1944-1946", rest see following sessions and
also Sidney Catlett, Al Hall & Walter Thomas. Best of Jazz (F)4052 (CD) as "An introduction to Ben
Webster : His best recordings 1931-1946", see April 17, 1944 and other artists. Jazz Archives (F)
158612 (CD) as "Vol. 91-Ben Webster Story", rest see April 17, 1944 and other artists. President (E)
PLCD549 as "Ben and the Boys", see April 17, 144 and rest by other artists. ASV (E)CDAJA5152 as
"Cottontail-The Best of Ben Webster 1931-1944", rest of this CD by other artists. History of Jazz
(G)20.1964-HI (CD) a 40 CD box as "From Swing to Bebop", In + Out (G)78013-2 as "Jazz : The
Essential Collection Vol.3", rest of this CD by others. Classics (F)CD1017 and Best of Jazz (F)4052
(CD) both list incorrectly N1633-1 for "Woke up clipped" but it actually plays N1633-2. For a
session of March 13, 1944 see under Cozy Cole. "Body and soul" of this session was erroneously
reissued under Ben's name on Savoy SJL2220 & WL70812. Both albums as "The Tenor Sax Album". One
more session of March 18, 1944 on Commodore was originally isued under Sidney Catlett's name.
Ben Webster Quartet : Ben Webster (ts) Marlowe Morris (p) John Simmons (b) Sidney Catlett (d)
New York, March 25, 1944
170 Perdido Session 10-010, Onyx ORI217
171 I surrender dear - , -
Note : Both titles on New World NW284 entitled "Jazz in Revolution-Big Bands 1940's", rest of this LP by
other artists, Xanadu FDC5170 (CD) and EPM Musique (F)FDC5170 both as "6 Classic Tenors", rest of
these CD's by other artists and Classics (F)CD1017. Onyx ORI217 as "Coleman Hawkins/Nat Jaffe/Ben
Webster/Don Byas - 52nd Street, Vol.2". For 2 more titles of this session see Sidney Catlett.
Ben Webster Quartet : Ben Webster (ts) Johnny Guanieri (p) Oscar Pettiford (b) David Booth (d)
New York, April 17, 1944
S5436-1 Honeysuckle rose Savoy SJL2208, (G)1C148-99014/15,
Charly (G)CDGR181-2
S5436-2 Honeysuckle rose (*) Savoy 506, XP8088, MG9008, MG14009, SJL
2220, (F)WL70812, Allegro LP1634, Rondo
A31, Time-Life STL-J21, Concord 3012,
Everest FS331, Harlem Hit Parade HHP-
5011, IAJRC 43, Royale 18154, DGR (Du)
DGR2003, Galaxy 4831, Byg (F)529168,
Musidisc (F)CV969, Drive Archive DE2-
42031 (CD), Pickwick 58602 (CD), Topaz
(E)TPZ1071 (CD), History (G)20.1986-HI
(CD), Bluenite (Du)BN039, Tradition (E)
TCD1026, Classics (F)CD1017, President
(E)PLCD549, Savoy 92856-2
S5437-1 I surrender dear (*) Savoy 505, 580, MG14009, SJL2220, (F)
WL70812, IAJRC 43, Everest FS331, Jazz
Arch. (F)158612, Classics (F)CD1017,
President (E)PLCD549, Charly (G)CDGR-
181-2, In & Out (G)IORCD78013-2,
History (G)20.1964-HI (CD)
S5437-2 I surrender dear Savoy SJL2208, (G)1C148-99014/15, (Jap)
K16P-6318/20
S5438-1 Blue skies Savoy SJL2208, (G)1C148-99015/15, Topaz
(E)TPZ1071 (CD)
S5438-2 Blue skies (*) Savoy 505, 553, XP8088, MG9013, MG14009
SJL2220, (F)WL70812, IAJRC 43, ASV (E)
CDAJA5152, Time-Life STL-J21, Classics