Benjamin Francis Webster (Kansas City, Missouri, USA, March 27, 1909 – Amst… Read Full Bio ↴Benjamin Francis Webster (Kansas City, Missouri, USA, March 27, 1909 – Amsterdam, The Netherlands, September 20, 1973) was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist.

Ben Webster, a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog", was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins (his main influence) and Lester Young. Known affectionately as "The Brute", he had a tough, raspy, and brutal tone on stomps (with his own distinctive growls), yet on ballads he played with warmth and sentiment. Stylistically he was also indebted to alto star Johnny Hodges, who, he said, taught him to play his instrument.
Webster learned to play piano and violin at an early age, before learning to play the saxophone. Once Budd Johnson showed him some basics on the saxophone, Webster began to play that instrument in the Young Family Band (which at the time included Lester Young). Webster spent time with quite a few orchestras in the 1930s (including Andy Kirk, Fletcher Henderson in 1934, Benny Carter, Willie Bryant, Cab Calloway, and the short-lived Teddy Wilson big band).

In 1940 Ben Webster became the first major tenor soloist of Duke Ellington's orchestra. During the next three years he was on many famous recordings, including "Cotton Tail" and "All Too Soon." After three productive years of playing with Ellington, Webster left the band in an angry altercation, during which he cut up one of Ellington's suits. After leaving Ellington in 1943, Webster worked on 52nd Street in New York City; recorded frequently as both a leader and a sideman; had short periods with Raymond Scott, John Kirby, and Sid Catlett; and toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic during several seasons in the 1950s.

Webster recorded a classic set with pianist Art Tatum and generally worked steadily, but in 1964 he moved permanently to join other American jazz musicians in Copenhagen, Denmark where he played when he pleased during his last decade. Although not all that flexible, Webster could swing with the best, and his tone was a later influence on such diverse players as Archie Shepp, Lew Tabackin, Scott Hamilton, David Murray, and Bennie Wallace. In 1971 Webster reunited with Duke Ellington and his big band for a couple of shows at the Tivoli Gardens in Denmark

Ben Webster died in Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 1973 and was interred in the Assistens Kirkegård in the Nørrebro section of Copenhagen.

After Webster's death, Billy Moore Jr. created The Ben Webster Foundation, together with the trustee of Webster's estate. Since Webster's only legal heir, Harley Robinson in Los Angeles, gladly assigned his rights to the foundation, The Ben Webster Foundation was confirmed by The Queen of Denmark's Seal in 1976. In the Foundation's trust deed, one of the initial paragraphs reads: "to support the dissemination of jazz in Denmark".
It is a beneficial Foundation, which channels Webster's annual royalties to musicians, both in Denmark and the U.S. An annual Ben Webster Prize is awarded to a young outstanding musician. The prize is not large, but considered highly prestigious. Over the years, several American musicians have visited Denmark with the help of the Foundation, and concerts, a few recordings, and other jazz-related events have been supported.
Webster's private collection of jazz recordings and memorabilia is archived in the jazz collections at the University Library of Southern Denmark, Odense.
Ben Webster has a street named after him in southern Copenhagen, "Ben Websters Vej" (Ben Webster's Street).

Don't Get Around Much Any More
Ben Webster Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Missed the Saturday dance
Heard they crowded the floor
Couldn't bear it without you
Don't get around much anymore

Though I'd visit the club
Got as far as the door
They'd have asked me about you

Don't get around much anymore

Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
But nevertheless why stir up memories?

Been invited on dates
Might have gone but what for?

Awf'lly diff'rent without you
Don't get around much anymore

Overall Meaning

Ben Webster's rendition of Don't Get Around Much Anymore explores the feeling of isolation and loneliness that one experiences after losing a lover. The first stanza talks about how the singer missed the Saturday dance because they could not bear it without their ex-lover. The crowded floor, usually a place of joy and entertainment, is now a painful reminder of the love they lost. The second stanza follows the singer's attempt to visit the same club but was unable to enter because they knew they would have been asked about their ex-lover, and they were not ready to discuss it. The song's third segment gives insight into the singer's internal struggles. They acknowledge that their mind is at ease, but they do not want to stir up memories of past love.

The fourth and final stanza talks about how the singer was invited to go out on dates. Still, they opted out, believing it would be different and less enjoyable without their ex-lover. Ben Webster's soft and mellow saxophone notes create an intimate atmosphere to express the raw emotions of the song's protagonist. The song's message emphasizes the complications of trying to move on from lost love and the difficulty that comes with re-entering spaces that were once shared and enjoyed.

Line by Line Meaning

Missed the Saturday dance
Didn't attend the Saturday dance

Heard they crowded the floor
Knew that the dance floor was packed

Couldn't bear it without you
Didn't want to attend the dance without the person

Don't get around much anymore
Doesn't go out much anymore

Though I'd visit the club
Had the intention to go to the club

Got as far as the door
Only made it to the entrance

They'd have asked me about you
People would have inquired about the person

Don't get around much anymore
Doesn't go out much anymore

Darling, I guess my mind's more at ease
Feeling more relaxed and comfortable without the person

But nevertheless why stir up memories?
Why bring up and remember past experiences?

Been invited on dates
Got asked to go on dates