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).
When Your Lover Has Gone
Ben Webster Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That comes with each new love affair
The dreams that we cherish so often might perish
And leaves you with castles in air
When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies?
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies
At break of dawn there is no sunrise
What lonely hours the evening shadows bring
What lonely hours with memories lingering
Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything
When your lover has gone
The lyrics of Ben Webster's song When Your Lover Has Gone reflect the feeling of heartbreak and loneliness that one feels after a breakup. The first stanza questions the purpose of going through the motions of planning and dreaming about a new love affair, considering they often lead to disappointment and leave behind nothing but a sense of emptiness. The mention of "castles in air" represents the unreal and fragile nature of our hopes and dreams.
The second stanza deals with the aftermath of a breakup when one is left alone with only memories and no one to share the starlit skies or the magic of moonlight. The reference to "break of dawn" brings to light the fact that without our lover to share our life with, there is no new beginning, and life loses its meaning.
The line "like faded flowers, life can't mean anything" portrays the feeling of despair and loss that sets in after the end of a relationship. The absence of companionship leaves us with a feeling of meaningless existence.
In total, the lyrics of Ben Webster's When Your Lover Has Gone are an insightful reflection of the emotions that accompany the end of a relationship, a time of loneliness and sadness that people have been experiencing for centuries.
Line by Line Meaning
What good is the scheming, the planning and dreaming
What is the point of making plans and imagining things in a new relationship?
That comes with each new love affair
Whenever you start a new relationship, do you really know what the future holds?
The dreams that we cherish so often might perish
Often, the dreams we hold so dear in new relationships might not come true after all.
And leaves you with castles in air
Leaving you with hopes and dreams that lead to nothing but disappointment.
When you're alone, who cares for starlit skies?
When you are lonely, the beauty of the world no longer matters to you.
When you're alone, the magic moonlight dies
The enchantment of the night sky disappears when you are all by yourself.
At break of dawn there is no sunrise
Even the beauty of the sunrise is lost when you don't have a lover to share it with.
When your lover has gone
The absence of your lover makes everything meaningless and lonely.
What lonely hours the evening shadows bring
The shadows of the evening remind you just how lonely you are without your lover.
What lonely hours with memories lingering
Your memories of your time with your lover only serve to make you more miserable.
Like faded flowers, life can't mean anything
Just like flowers that lose their beauty over time, your life lacks meaning without your lover.
When your lover has gone
Without your lover, everything in life feels empty and meaningless.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Einar Aaron Swan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Guty
Relajante, me encantan los años 50's. Saludos desde el Perú
Walter Gray
Beautiful.
Thank you for sharing this gem.
Erika Valentina Carter Leyton
Me encanta la música 🎶 jazz saxofon 🎺 piano 🎹
tatia chakhvadze
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍
Luis Perry
I love Sax
Rose Luca
Oh I need liquor🍸
Lee Ai
Thanks
Йцук Фыва
Русские есть?