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).
How Long Has This Been Going On
Ben Webster Lyrics
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I was kissed by my sisters, my cousins, and my aunties.
Sad to tell, it was hell, an inferno worse than Dante's.
So my dear I swore,
"Never, never more !"
On my list, I insisted that kissing must be crossed out.
Now, I find I was blind, and oh my! How I lost out!
I could cry salty tears,
Where have I been all these years?
Little wow, tell me now:
How long has this been going on?
There were chills up my spine,
And some thrills I can't define.
Listen, sweet, I repeat:
How long has this been going on?
Oh, I feel that I could melt,
Into Heaven I'm hurled!
I know how Columbus felt,
Finding another world.
Kiss me once, then once more.
What a dunce I was before.
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
Dear, when in your arms I creep,
That divine rendezvous,
Don't wake me, if I'm asleep,
Let me dream that it's true!
Kiss me twice, then once more.
That makes thrice, let's make it four!
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
How long has this, been going on?
The song "How Long Has This Been Going On" by Ben Webster is a romantic ballad that depicts the rediscovery of love and attraction. The opening phrase of the song portrays a worldview that is jaded by the singer's negative experiences with kissing. The lyrics describe how the singer grew up being kissed by his/her sisters, cousins, and aunties, a memory that is not pleasant. Consequently, the singer swore off kissing, insisting that it should be crossed out from the list of activities. However, as the singer meets someone new, he or she experiences an intense attraction that seems to have been neglected for a long time, and this realization provokes the questions: "How long has this been going on?"
The singer's experiences are vividly communicated through the use of vivid images that generate intense emotions. For example, when the singer says "Oh, I feel that I could melt/Into Heaven I'm hurled!," it is apparent that he or she is experiencing feelings that he/she has never felt before. Furthermore, the singer draws a comparison to Christopher Columbus when he/she says, "I know how Columbus felt/Finding another world," which suggests that the feelings he/she has are new and undiscovered.
In conclusion, Ben Webster's "How Long Has This Been Going On" is a poignant love song that describes the rediscovery of love and attraction. It is a song that captures the experience of someone who has been caught off guard by the intensity of their attraction to someone new.
Line by Line Meaning
As a tot, when I trotted in little velvet panties,
When I was very young, just trotting around in my fancy little velvet clothes,
I was kissed by my sisters, my cousins, and my aunties.
My female family members would often kiss me when I was a child.
Sad to tell, it was hell, an inferno worse than Dante's.
But unfortunately, those experiences felt like hell to me, even worse than described in Dante's Inferno.
So my dear I swore,
So I made a promise to myself, my dear,
"Never, never more !"
"I will never, ever experience that again!"
On my list, I insisted that kissing must be crossed out.
I made a list and crossed out kissing as something I wanted to avoid.
Now, I find I was blind, and oh my! How I lost out!
However, now I realize how foolish I was and how much I missed out on!
I could cry salty tears,
I feel so strongly about this that I could cry tears filled with salt (i.e. real tears).
Where have I been all these years?
I'm wondering where I've been for all these years not realizing the pleasurable aspects of kissing.
Little wow, tell me now:
So, tell me now:
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on this feeling?
There were chills up my spine,
When I finally experienced it, I got chills up and down my spine,
And some thrills I can't define.
And there were some feelings of excitement that were hard to define.
Listen, sweet, I repeat:
Listen to me, my sweet, I'll say it again:
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on this feeling?
Oh, I feel that I could melt,
I feel so good that I could melt,
Into Heaven I'm hurled!
It feels like I've been sent into heaven!
I know how Columbus felt,
I understand now how Christopher Columbus must have felt
Finding another world.
When he discovered a new world.
Kiss me once, then once more.
Kiss me twice in a row, please.
What a dunce I was before.
I can't believe how foolish I was before.
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
This is such a great opportunity, for heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on this feeling?
Dear, when in your arms I creep,
My dear, when I sneak into your arms,
That divine rendezvous,
It feels like a heavenly meeting,
Don't wake me, if I'm asleep,
Please don't wake me up if I'm asleep,
Let me dream that it's true!
Let me keep dreaming that this is all real!
Kiss me twice, then once more.
Kiss me three times, please.
That makes thrice, let's make it four!
That's three kisses, let's make it four!
What a break! For Heaven's sake!
This is such a great opportunity, for heaven's sake!
How long has this been going on?
How long have I been missing out on this feeling?
How long has this, been going on?
How long have I failed to recognize the joy of kissing?
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind