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).
Prelude To A Kiss
Ben Webster Lyrics
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A song in blue
Like a flower crying
For the dew
That was my heart serenading you
My prelude to a kiss
If you hear a song that grows
That was my heart trying to compose
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
With nothing fancy
Nothing much
You could turn it to a symphony
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
Oh how my love song so gently cries
For the tenderness within your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
A prelude to a kiss
The lyrics to Ben Webster’s song “Prelude to a Kiss” are a beautiful expression of love through music. The first stanza introduces the image of a blue song that cries for the dew, symbolizing the singer's heart serenading the loved one. In the second stanza, the singer reveals that the song grows from their sentimental woes and represents their attempt to compose a prelude to a kiss. The song may be simple, but it contains the singer's deepest emotions that could be turned into a sophisticated symphony, like a Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch.
The chorus repeats that the love song gently cries for the tenderness within the loved one's eyes, expressing the singer's longing and adoration. My love is a prelude that never dies, signifies that their love is timeless like a prelude to a music piece, which is always the first thing to be played and creates a lasting impression. The lyrics are touching and meaningful, showing how music can be a powerful way to express love and sentiments that go beyond words.
Line by Line Meaning
If you hear
If you feel the same way that I do
A song in blue
A melancholic tune
Like a flower crying
Like a flower that needs water to survive
For the dew
To renew, to come alive again
That was my heart serenading you
That was my heart singing to you, expressing my love
My prelude to a kiss
My way of telling you how much I love you before we kiss
If you hear a song that grows
If you hear my love for you grow
From my tender sentimental woes
From my most vulnerable and emotional moments
That was my heart trying to compose
That was my heart trying to express how deeply I feel
A prelude to a kiss
My way of telling you how much I love you before we kiss
Though it's just a simple melody
Even if my love for you may seem simple
With nothing fancy
Without any embellishments or extravagance
Nothing much
Nothing extraordinary
You could turn it to a symphony
You could make it more grand, more magnificent
A Shubert tune with a Gershwin touch
A beautiful composition with both classical and contemporary influences
Oh how my love song gently cries
How my expression of love is filled with tenderness and emotion
For the tenderness within your eyes
For the love and compassion that I see in your eyes
My love is a prelude that never dies
My love for you will always be strong and constant
A prelude to a kiss
My way of telling you how much I love you before we kiss
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, IRVING MILLS, IRVING GORDON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
tellitlikeitis1963
Nothing to say smileeee