overview

Ben Webster was one of the legendary "big three" tenor sax players of jazz history along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. From Ben's early days honing his style in the great bands of Duke Ellington, Bennie Moten and others, to later years following his move to Europe in the 1960s, his playing improved with age as the passion of his Kansas City Swing became enriched with a more mature and tender approach to melody. The legendary swing tenor saxophonist headlines this series of programs originally produced for Danish television during the late 1960s and early 1970s, which depict the musical giant at the very peak of his form. The first program, entitled 'Big Ben' (1971), presents a documentary overview of Webster's life - one of those rare occasions when he spoke candidly about his career. Three of the programs in question feature Webster in concert, accompanied by a variety of groups including a big band, a large string ensemble, and two musicians that formed a trio with him.