Ben Webster - Danny Boy

Ben Webster (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (b), Alex Riel (d). Denmark, 1965.

[@carlkulzer5982]

Ben Webster could play a ballad like nobody else. I played the tenor sax as an amateur and can say Ben got the most beautiful tone out of the horn I have ever heard. Ben if there is a heaven above I hope you are there.

[@michaelshore2609]

you KNOW he's there. and if you hear his inimitable tone -- the perfect sweet spot between Hawk and Pres --- you'll know you're there too.

[@dst35bwl]

Nobody ever produced such pathos of love as Ben Webster. He moistens the eyes of even sober people.

[@philipbrown2225]

guys like this just can't be made anymore. who else could wear hat too small and still be cool?

[@MrBoybergs]

:) was sitting a tad high on the head wasn't it.....

[@oupamodikeng3240]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ullaholdt6477]

​@@MrBoybergs1😮

[@tellitlikeitis-rg4ny]

He could play a ballad the way no one has ever come close

[@davidallen2518]

Just makes you want to cry your heart out while smiling at the same time, for such beautiful music. No wonder my Dad loved him some Ben Webster that when I played one of his cd's at my Dad's funeral so many people knew the great Ben Webster.

[@jandeboer426]

Is he great or what? No hurry, no rush. He sounds so relaxed. What a sound. One of my favourites.

[@mikefarmer7238]

Ben plus Kenny Drew trio = perfection.

[@bennyjazzful]

GOD---Orgasm for your ears & soul. Amazing performance by one the music giants of Jazz sax. From a mad keen 76yo Aussie fan Thanks for the clip.

[@Nanoci62]

MAGIC ... PURE VELVET .... ❤️

[@mikefarmer7238]

Another great tenor player that knew how to play a ballad.

[@philpryor7524]

Nothing lovelier in jazz ballad playing than this...for the inner Ben had a drive to love and be loved, in his desperate sadness and terrible drives. But in this, he deserves our love, yes.

[@joediaz117]

everything that Ben Webster payed is so cool and wonderful it takes you away to your happy place and enjoy

[@Msclarity]

So soft and sweet... Love this!

[@yokkim7976]

이 음악과 함께 편안한밤 되세요!

[@user-fz8lc8zx3v]

恰好良すぎでしょ！！ 渋い上に優しさに満ち溢れています。

[@Fm-xu9id]

Delicious and Beatiful music!

[@nedohamilli]

such phrasing, such breath control, such good music,words as such would only spoil such a beautiful tune ,fair play to the oul' jazsz man for such a rendition, of a tune that most 'traddlddley dee ' musicians frown on in their ignorance

[@apossemiers]

Ben Webster. Nothing to add.

[@armandosoares9401]

é o som... na quarentena no RJ. Brasil...

[@tonysilver7937]

Ben plays with so much tenderness truly one of the greats

[@nela7594]

Sweet ❤️

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

The tune is originally called "The Londonderry Air". It is from the mid-19th century.

[@girlinagale]

After 25 years playing saxophone I'm amazed at how Ben Webster is probably the biggest influence, after all the Sanbourn, Lauren Hill, Candy Dulfer and other players have subsided there's just the beauty of Ben Webster playing emotion and softly.

[@cldavis33]

LOL, 25 yrs? You wouldn't mention Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Sonny Rollins, Micheal Brecker, Julies Adderley, Stan Getz, Michael Brecker? But you mention Candy and Lauren....LOL seriously?!!!

[@helluvagun]

Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane top four tenorists all time!

[@chanmicky99]

girl in a gale how can he make that "exhale" sound on the sax?

[@Creabsley]

Nope. Ditch Sonny. Stan Getz, then the rest. Hank Mobley and Zoot.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Ben Webster has the most unique, and a very complex saxophone sound. The number of different articulations he does in a few seconds of playing, even with pianissimo, is extraordinary. Moreover, he kept a very consistent level of artistry throughout his career, the age did not influence his ability.

[@wyndhl9465]

Ben's presentation is akin to a romantic soliloquy that evokes an ambiance of melancholia.

[@angusm9419]

Eloquently stated.

[@Nanoci62]

MARVELOUS ❤️❤️❤️

[@creatorsnetwork]

MAGIC!

[@janhendrik64]

so nice , i love it!

[@DreSmoove1]

Danny boy was my favorite traditional song by far. Props for posting this

[@billhesmondhalgh1250]

Wonderful

[@tanyadixon7980]

Just plain gifted.

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Decades of practice. In one instance (there is a video on KZbin, him playing in a London's jazz club) he was asked how he practices his sound and he answered, "I am still working on it".

[@garyhosty]

beautiful

[@gprosser11]

Danny Boy Ben Webster..

[@alanthedrum]

He seems to sing through the horn!

[@lesterwyoung]

Ben always played this in D natural. I have many recordings of him playing it. Always in D (Concert key.)

[@RM-gm7lu]

Speechless!!

[@profhennig]

super, danke

[@bernardmaye6545]

Grand Monsieur Ben

[@mrbluesky2410]

A black man soulfully playing the whitest of Irish music; the irony is not lost; wonderful work.

[@tjazz669]

You've used three labels in this comment; black, white, irish. I know what you're saying here, but I think you're categorizing too much here and therefore missing the point. Really, so much of jazz of this time was taking traditional melodies and putting one's own sound on them/improvising. As Duke Ellington would say about music he loved , it was "beyond category." Not to rant but open your mind and see that soul is found in music throughout.

[@tjazz669]

T Jazz I'm not sure irony is present either

[@39matheson]

Mr Blue Sky ~ also some .first nation' in theree i believe..

[@aminsamadi5634]

T Jazz I’m also deeply opposed to categorization, in terms of segregation. Benny on the other hand, is quite certainly black, nd the original tune this song was sampled from, was definitely first played by a white irishman. These facts of the matter, make this spectacular cover, slightly ironic.

[@jenshultgren6769]

The paradox is you need lips of steel to play so soft.

[@flat5flat9flat13]

+Jens Hultgren Not so much if you choose the right mouthpiece and reed you can play at any volume. Playing soft does require good breath control.

[@byronsigrano6849]

+Jens Hultgren Only where the bottom lip contacts the reed. Then it should be more like the Rock of Gibraltar; immovable. The top lip should hang softly like a curtain. The corners of the mouth should also be very relaxed. I learned this from Victor Morosco who learned it from Joe Allard. Morosco had both Webster and Hawkins down perfectly on his alto. He'd just adjust his setup from diaphragm to embrouchure to replicate either of their sounds. Amazing.

[@wallsky]

❤

[@davidcullen6797]

This is incredible. What a soft touch he had.

[@donnythompson3188]

BOSS!!

[@wandascott3933]

im in my happy place

[@lucianoinvernizzi5027]

I agree with allo you thanks. Luciano invernizzi trombone

[@apistosig4173]

Has anybody done "breathy" better than Ben? Lips of Steel" hmm, Diaphragmatic power perhaps? who cares, Ben was / is awesome!

[@MrBoybergs]

You're right. His wonderful breathy vibrato is 99% diaphragm, 1% lips....

[@user-xu3tt4ws8d]

素晴らしい！ (^｡^)/

[@perasljivce8357]

REX !

[@anssikyckling8492]

Olkoon niin. Tämä luo unen...

[@user-tq8rv1tm9n]

훌늉한연주

[@leondobrzanski6260]

Super ?

[@baldrick1485]

fa fa fa fa...

[@aminsamadi5634]

Nvr a fan of the oscar peterson style piano, benny is spectacular as always tho...

[@barrytcook1]

it's Kenny drew on piano?

[@aminsamadi5634]

barry cook sounds like OP

[@user-wh5md4im7p]

아~ 짜증나 어느정도 고수가 되어서 쉬면서 불겠다.. 지랄이 넘치네~

[@jenshultgren6769]

Brutish

[@barbarawilliams684]

awful audio!

[@lucianoinvernizzi5027]

I agree with everytning you just sayd, Luciano invernizzi italy trombone player