Ben Webster

Ben Webster

Ben Webster (1909–1973), tenor saxophonist, fused muscular swing with breathy, romantic ballads. A star soloist with Duke Ellington—hear his 1940 “Cotton Tail”—he later led small groups and cut classics like Soulville, Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson and See You at the Fair. He settled in Europe in the ’60s and shaped generations of ballad players.