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 Kirkegรฅrd in the Nรธrrebro 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).
Stardust
Ben Webster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Steals across the meadows of my heart
High up in the sky the little stars climb
Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away
Leaving me a song that will not die
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The music of the years gone by.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The lonely nights
Dreaming of a song
The melody
Haunts my reverie
And I am once again with you
When our love was new
And each kiss an inspiration
But that was long ago
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
Besides the garden wall, when stars are bright
You are in my arms
The nightingale
Tells his fairytale
Of paradise, where roses grew
Though I dream in vain
In my heart it will remain
My stardust melody
The memory of love's refrain.
The lyrics to Ben Webster's "Stardust" tell the story of a person who is longing for a lost love. As the sun sets and night falls, the purple dusk represents the darkness and loneliness the singer feels. The stars in the sky, which have climbed high, remind him of their distance and separation. He sings of his former lover who has "wandered down the lane and far away," leaving him with only a song that reflects his pain and longing. The memory of their love is like stardust that has faded away, representing the music of the years gone by.
Line by Line Meaning
And now the purple dusk of twilight time
The time of day when the sun has gone below the horizon and the sky is changing colors to purple.
Steals across the meadows of my heart
The purple dusk seems to spread across his heart like the color spreading over the sky.
High up in the sky the little stars climb
The stars are slowly moving higher in the sky as the night progresses.
Always reminding me that we're apart
The stars serve as a reminder that the singer is separated from his loved one.
You wander down the lane and far away
The loved one has gone away and is far from the singer's reach.
Leaving me a song that will not die
The loved one has left behind a song that still lingers on in the singer's mind.
Love is now the stardust of yesterday
The singer's love has faded away and is now just a memory.
The music of the years gone by.
The song is a reminder of the time that has passed since the love was strong.
Sometimes I wonder, how I spend
The singer is reflecting on how he spends his lonely nights.
The lonely nights
The singer spends many evenings feeling alone.
Dreaming of a song
The singer often imagines a particular tune.
The melody
The tune of the song is what captures the singer's imagination.
Haunts my reverie
The tune of the song is constantly present in the singer's thoughts.
And I am once again with you
The song brings back vivid memories of being with the loved one.
When our love was new
The song reminds the singer of when the love was fresh and new.
And each kiss an inspiration
The physical affection shared was a great source of inspiration for the singer.
But that was long ago
The love and inspiration are things of the distant past.
And now my consolation is in the stardust of a song
The only solace the singer has now is in the memory of the song that brings back those past memories.
Besides the garden wall when stars are bright
The singer sets the scene of where he longs to be with his loved one.
You are in my arms
The singer is holding his loved one.
The nightingale
The bird's song echoes that same longing for love.
Tells his fairytale of paradise where roses grew
The bird's song is like a fairy tale, speaking of a place where love is free and beautiful things like roses are plentiful.
Though I dream in vain
The singer knows his dreams may never come true.
In my heart it will remain
The image of his loved one will always remain in his heart and mind.
My stardust melody
The tune, reminiscent of stars and a magical quality, will always stay with him.
The memory of love's refrain.
Lastly, the song will always serve as a reminder of the endless refrain of love that touched his heart.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHRISTOPHER GENTRY, JOHN HUTCHINSON DEAN, MATTHEW EVERITT, SIMON IAN WHITE, STUART BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@conimacmckithen2839
Been Websterโs tenor saxophone was one of the world's best!
@GlaucoCastillo-cc9lo
An absolutely poetic musical trip unequaled for all eternity.
@ronaldlwhitaker3458
Ben truly had a sound that was all his own; simply beautiful!
@bennyjazzful
WOW
Wonderful version of a classic tune by one of the world's best sax players.
God how smooth is that sound!
From a 70yo Aussie fan.
@homeboyTIMOSMAN
smoooth like a babys butt
@MS-xn8ub
Hey John, you still around? Hope so and that you are well. I feel like I have lived before everytime I hear Mr Webster. All the best from The Gold Coast Australia
@donnyrichard4644
Ben makes his tenor sax sing. What a superb musician.
@GhislainMuller
ah le souffle รฉternel de ben Webster , quelle magnifique interprรฉtation de "stardust" et grande รฉmotion , inoubliable !
@SELMER1947
the way he plays the last note is absolutely fabulous
@skeloton56
Love me some Ben Webster. I will never forget a day my Mom came to visit me in NYC. We got in a cab and Ben was playing on the radio. I called it to the cabbie and he said to my Mom, "Your daughter knows a thing or two about jazz." She was so proud you'd think I was playing.