#W 52nd Street

[federer7]

An Anxious Wait

"Gloria Swanson, centre), anxiously awaits the results of the Best Actress award at the La Zambra nightclub at 127 W. 52nd Street, New York City, during a live radio link with the Oscars ceremony (Billy Wilder’s , Sunset Boulevard) in Los Angeles, 29th March 1951. On her left is her fellow nominee and the eventual winner, Judy Holliday" (From Getty Images)

Photo by Slim Aarons

[blueelectricroom]

Coming up on a quarter of a century ago I had the great joy of interviewing Burt Bacharach for Black & White. This was on the tail end of his 1999 South American tour and a couple of weeks before the Birmingham show.

Still can't believe how generous he was with his time, and it cracks me up that, while I have most of his music in my very DNA, I can't hear any of those iconic tunes without thinking of what Bacharach's kitchen prep sounded like. Here's the chat from November of 1999.

What’s New, Bacharach?

It’s 11:30 a.m. in Los Angeles at Burt Bacharach’s house, and judging from sounds picked up by the speaker phone, he’s rambling around trying to put some kind of breakfast or brunch together. He arrived last night from a tour in Argentina, and in his own words, he’s “kind of whacked.” Nonetheless, his conversational tone is as bright and pleasant as…well, a Bacharach tune, with a kind of stop-start inflection that keeps one guessing if more words are to follow.

“Hold on a second, don’t go anywhere”, he says before going after what sounds like more ice. A full minute later, “Are you there? Okay, good.”

Black & White: Let’s talk about your youth, specifically that time when music first began making a deep impression on you.

Burt Bacharach: 52nd Street. The jazz club scene, without question. In the late ’40s, when I’m a teenager seeing Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, those guys. I was hooked. I got caught up in what they were doing in terms of, first of all, the excitement and stirring quality of the music, but technically speaking those artists were inventing possibilities. Not merely new songs, but new sounds.

B&W: Considering the tremendous transitions in popular music from 1946 to 1966, your music seems to fall somewhere between the American songbook, Tin Pan Alley tradition, and the less mainstream realm of sophisticated time signatures, chord shifts, and other elements of the jazz sound that impressed you so much.

Bacharach:  Elements. That’s a good point. Yes, I’m sure my influences, in terms of composition, come from that, but I was also profoundly impressed, in my music studies, with Ravel and Debussy. I was intrigued very early by that music. If you want to say my songs are sophisticated, I have to credit those influences. I see what you mean by tremendous range, that’s one of the best aspects of late popular music, but you really don’t have to cover a span of 20 years. Just start with Harry James and move to Charlie Parker and you have a tremendous shift in music.

B&W: It seems that the odds would be against a songwriter, such as yourself, using complicated elements to make popular music or hit songs.

Bacharach: [laughing] Are my songs complicated?

B&W: I’ll put it in terms of a paradox: keeping time with “This Boy’s In Love,” or “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” is a challenge. They are tricky songs, you must admit. Yet for those of us growing up in the ’60s and ’70s, your music was ubiquitous, a new song every 3 or 4 months, each with a melody that is now instantly recognized and adored.

Bacharach: Well, I certainly don’t try to make things difficult for the listener. [laughing] Sorry about that. You’ll have to admit, on the other hand, that I’m not writing anything now nearly as—let’s say complex—as “Promises, Promises.” But all along I was just trying to stay with what pleased me, what I thought sounded good. More importantly, I have always written what I was comfortable with, which meant staying with certain musical values; I wasn’t deliberately trying to be “sophisticated.” But you don’t want to write cheap, you know? It’s like being involved with a person really, when you create a song. You want to get up the next day or the next week and feel good about yourself. If a certain phrasing or 7/8 chord sounds good, I think you have to stay with it. You don’t try to anticipate what the public will like. You stay with the values.

B&W: There is another paradox in many of your songs: those infectious, upbeat melodies are accompanied by lyrics that convey poignancy or even melancholy. These songs are mindful of the pitfalls of romance, the tension involved.

Bacharach: Well, I think when you can get something like that going, that contrast, and you can put a meaningful story there, that’s what you’re after. Hal [Hal David, longtime Bacharach collaborator] is great lyric writer. He has a terrific way of taking care of certain notes, matching the right vowel with a high note, you know what I mean? A love song deals with the heart, and so with that passion everything is heightened, “I’m gonna live forever”; “each day I’m falling more in love,” that sort of feeling. We have a lot of songs like that,  I think “Anyone Who Had a Heart” gets those ideas across.

B&W: Have you ever been surprised by a particular interpretation?

Bacharach: [laughing] There have been all kind of surprises. One record that I love, really love, that’s kind of different from the way I wrote it, is Aretha Franklin doing “Say a Little Prayer.” Oh, it’s brilliant. And a surprise, certainly.

B&W: What kind of music are you most likely to listen to today?

Bacharach: Brazilian music. We just finished a South American tour; that may be why. But really it’s a kind of music from which I’ve always derived a lot of pleasure. When I worked with Sergio Mendes, and he’s great, Sergio’s wonderful; I enjoyed Brazil so much.

B&W: You are also enjoying  a new generation of fans right now. Elvis Costello, Michael Myers, and the electronica and lounge-core crowds seem universally to admire your music.

Bacharach:  I think it’s great; you can’t plan that. It’s gratifying. These kids weren’t even born when this music was first recorded. It’s not a revival, they’re hearing it for the first time. I was just so pleased that Michael Myers wanted me to be a part of the Austin Powers movies. Great guy. He’s brilliant and hilarious. Very quick. In those two scenes in those pictures, I was just laughing and smiling through the entire shot. I wasn’t acting; I found it all just too much.

B&W: Has there been a moment at which you thought to yourself, “Wow, I’ve written the soundtrack to a good portion of the 20th century?”

Bacharach: Actually, no, I’ve never said that to myself. I don’t think I will. I’m approached sometimes with compliments like that, people who talk in terms of my contribution to popular music, and it is certainly flattering. I’m very uneasy with that kind of idea, though. I’m extremely happy to do what I do for so long, with so much success, but I just can’t look at it in those terms. Having a show go well, I mean, giving a good performance is much more appealing to me.

B&W: From where you’re standing, do you know the way to San Jose?

Bacharach: Ha! Oh gosh. Well, you know I have found my own way there a couple of times. I worked with the symphony and it’s a really nice town. For specific directions, I think you’d have to ask Hal David.

[waywardmillennial]

#SaveGentlemanJack

I could say a lot of things about HBO giving up on this show before it’s time (but I won’t do that here). This is a PSA to let people know about the #SaveGentlemanJack campaign.

A group of really passionate fans have started a petition that already has over 15k signatures: change.org/gentlemanjack

They also built an entire website to document their campaign: bringbackgentlemanjack.com

Besides the obvious route of getting #SaveGentlemanJack trending on socials (which they also have tips on) some of their advice is to write positive letters to the networks, letting them know what the show means to us.

Also recommended:

Leave a positive review for the show

Buy it on DVD

Obviously, the letters and reviews are (nearly) free so those are easier for everyone to do. But, even though it’s not free, purchasing the content you love is such a good idea I couldn’t leave it out. Streaming services are sadly becoming known for canceling and discarding good (queer) media. Maybe ask for a copy for an upcoming holiday or birthday.

This campaign still has a lot of momentum. The website was published beginning of Sept 2022, so it’s nice to see fans aren’t giving up on this show yet. You can read about the campaign team, and follow their socials, to get more updates.

[image ID and typed addresses for easier copy & paste under read more]

First image: A graphic with the silhouettes of Ann Walker and Anne Lister, next to a banner that reads “Save Gentleman Jack. She wrote the story. Now let’s finish it.” Second image: An infographic that reads: “A Well Worded Letter. We have been encouraging everyone to reach out to the powers that be at various global streaming platforms to express their passion for Gentleman Jack, and just how much support is out there for a new series.  If you feel so inclined, please do continue to send your ‘well worded letters’ to the decision makers below. Other targets will be revealed in due course. Keep them positive and focused on how the show means to us and our community! BBC

Ms Charlotte Moore Chief Content Officer, BBC The Lighthouse, White City Place 201 Wood Lane London W12 7TQ United Kingdom HBO

Mr Casey Bloys Chief Content Officer, HBO 30 Hudson Yards New York, NY 10001 United States of America Paramount+ George Cheeks President and CEO, Paramount+ 51 W 52nd Street, 35th Floor New York City, NY 10019 United States of America

[burlveneer-music]

The 52nd Street Experimental Planet Ensemble - Broken Jazz Volume 1 - one-man (Ihba Baskette) improvising band from Philadelphia

52nd Street Experimental Ensemble is an American project spawned by the pandemic and created in Philadelphia P.A, by Ihba Baskette a multi instrumentalist playing all instruments on this recording. The recording takes of every instrument on this album was done in a few weeks; recording a song a day for 13 days as a way to combat the social turmoil, pandemic and firecracker epidemics in urban areas in the city. Ihba is known for world music specializing in abstract reggae world dance music and jazz influenced hints. With o”years of performance these songs are for an audience who love the non conformity and boundaries being juggled. 52 Street A/K/A Area 52 has collaborated and performed with Ra’oof Atelier presents: Ice Station Zero 2.0 @ “The House of Schlesinger “ - a collaborative art happening w/ Installation, sculptures , videos, photography & soundscape provided by Ihba Baskette-reeds & percussions & TR7 - applied piano & synthesizers. John Schlesinger - art works. As well as Artist and Sculpture maker Anthony Bayne senior on Soprano saxophone and Percussion

All tracks by Ihba Baskette except Anthony Bayne senior on soprano saxophone on Stone Throw remix. Schoichi Serigano: track 8. Cover photograph: Brytant Eugene Varquez. Additional artwork:Troy Williams and Ihba Baskette

[ultraheydudemestuff]

Franklin Boulevard Historic District

Franklin Boulevard

Cleveland, OH

Houses on the southern side of Franklin Boulevard east of the Forty-Fourth Street intersection in western Cleveland, Ohio, are part of the Franklin Boulevard Historic District, a historic district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It runs along Franklin Boulevard from W. 52nd to W. 38th Sts.   Franklin Boulevard was called the West Side’s “Euclid Avenue.”  Franklin Circle, the centerpiece of one of Cleveland's rare radial street designs, was surveyed in 1836--the same year in which Ohio City became a city and Cleveland's chief commercial competitor across the Cuyahoga River. The land for the Circle, which lies at what is today the intersection of West 28th Street, Fulton Road, and Franklin Boulevard, was donated to Ohio City by Josiah Barber, a Connecticut pioneer who came to the Western Reserve in 1818 and settled the area just west of the Cuyahoga River and just south of the Lake. Today this area lies at the heart of the Ohio City neighborhood.

      As originally laid out, the Circle was called Franklin Place or Franklin Square, and was informally utilized for several decades as an open farmers market. Later, after Ohio City was annexed to the City of Cleveland, Cleveland moved that "west side" market in 1859 to the northwest corner of Pearl (West 25th) Street and Lorain Avenue, and eventually in 1912 to the northeast corner of that same intersection where it has been known ever since as the West Side Market. The City then built on the Circle the west side's first public park, which featured a water fountain surrounded by an iron fence. In 1872, Franklin Boulevard was extended through the park as part of a renovation by the City of Cleveland. At about this time, the park was remodeled with a rock garden and, for years thereafter, was known as Modoc Park. In 1907, a combination of streetcar tracks and newly constructed apartment buildings contributed to almost destroy the park-like setting of the Circle, which thereafter became known simply as Franklin Circle.

     From the mid-nineteenth century until the early twentieth century, Franklin Circle was surrounded by some of the grandest mansions on the west side of Cleveland, including those of Marcus Hanna, Daniel Pomeroy Rhodes, James Ford Rhodes, and Robert Russell Rhodes. Today, the Circle is still a pleasant area of the near west side with a park-like ambiance. However, most of the great mansions of the Circle are long gone. They have been replaced by multifamily and institutional buildings, including Lutheran Hospital and the Masonic Temple, which in the early twentieth century joined Franklin Circle Christian Church as the predominant buildings on the Circle.

     The Franklin Boulevard Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 31, 1989.  These are a few of the historic homes in the district.  Known as the William H. Ford House, the home at 4201 Franklin Blvd. is regarded by Ohio City residents as perhaps the most intact original Victorian home in the historic neighborhood.  The house at 4206 Franklin Boulevard is one of only a few Second Empire style houses on Franklin Boulevard.  The Nelson Sanford House at 2843 Franklin and the Robert Russell Rhodes House at 2905 Franklin, both recently restored, are two of the grandest nineteenth century mansion still standing on Franklin Boulevard near Franklin Circle.

[signaturewindowwashingfl]

Things to do in Denver, CO

When it comes to having fun, Denver has something for everyone. Whether you're visiting with the family or looking to celebrate your birthday weekend with friends, there are plenty of things to do in this beautiful city. From museums and parks to sporting events and concerts, there's no shortage of ways to spend your time while visiting Denver.

Sun Valley

Sun Valley is a central Denver neighborhood, bordered by I-25 on the east, Federal Blvd. on the west, 6th Avenue on the south and 20th Ave. on the north. It is located in the area known as West Denver.

Sun Valley, one of Denver's formally recognized neighborhoods is bound by Colfax Avenue and the Broncos Stadium on the north, Federal Boulevard on the west, 6th Avenue and the light industrial district on the south, and the South Platte River on the east. Currently, the disconnected street grid and concentrated poverty isolate Sun Valley from economic opportunity and area amenities, creating one of the lowest income neighborhood in Denver with 80% of residents living in poverty.

A Straight Up Fence Company

We are a local, quality oriented fence, gate, and iron work business. We specialize in custom fencing.

Straight Up Fence Company is a family owed and operated fence installation and repair company. Since we are relatively small, we can focus on each job with a true workmanship spirit. We will take the time to do the job right. With our 12 month standard warranty, you will have an added sense of security with your new investment. We also currently hold general liability insurance. We use only the best materials available to ensure the greatest quality for our customers. Domestic western red cedar is our lumber of choice, you can choose between a premium grade and a standard grade on all parts of the fence. We can customize your order for the best combination of value and quality to fit your budget. Made in the U.S.A. We use a local distributor of domestic western red cedar. All of your fence will come from the Pacific Northwest. Feel proud that your investment is doing a small part in keeping American jobs.

Coors Distributing Company

Founded in 1971, Coors Distributing Company (CDC) started as the distributor for the Coors Banquet brand in the Denver Metro area. We began by distributing 16 SKUs via our 14 trucks, with the support of our 50 employees. Since then we have grown to over 450 employees and have evolved with the dynamic Denver market, expanding our beer portfolio to over 31 breweries, hundreds of different brands, and thousands of SKUs.

We are an LLC of Molson Coors Beverage Company but operate independently, building strategies and making decisions locally for our business. We believe this structure gives us a competitive advantage as it gives us insight into how breweries operate while also affording us valuable tools and resources to deliver excellence every day.

Signature Window Washing is a window washing company located in Denver, Colorado. We provide Window washing Denver Co services to the entire state. We are fully insured and licensed. We offer custom window cleaning packages for all types of windows including: residential windows, commercial windows, and more! Our trained professionals will make sure that your windows look great! We can't wait to help you keep your windows clean!

Signature Window Cleaning is a Window Cleaning Denver service. We are a family-owned business that specializes in residential and commercial window washing services.

Signature Window Washing 1929 W 52nd Pl, Denver, CO 80221, United States 303-551-1708 https://signaturewindowwashing.com/ https://www.google.com/maps?cid=14494640408978149463

[arinewman7]

Dizzy Gillespie on 52nd Street

Photography by William Gottlieb

NYC, 1946

[lu-vin-it]

So I’m thinking about an Eddie Munson x singer!reader, probably gonna be using songs from 52nd Street by Billy Joel cause omg i love that album…

I’ll start it later tonight, I have to go watch Stranger Things s1 w my mom and younger sister while reading the genderbent version of Twilight and then finish a Robin request, but after that I’ll get it started (and hopefully finished…)

[el-im]

American actress Gloria Swanson (1899 - 1983, right) is unable to hide her disappointment at losing out to Judy Holliday (1921 - 1965, left) in the 23rd Annual Academy Awards for Best Actress. They are guests of José Ferrer (1912 – 1992, centre) at the La Zambra nightclub at 127 W. 52nd Street, New York City, during a live radio link with the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles, 29th March 1951. Ferrer won the award for Best Actor. (Photo by Popperfoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: Sept. 18/20

Hey everyone!!! I’ve been mostly reading Red Dwarf fics the past couple weeks, so I don’t have any new Johnlock / Good Omens recs (unless you guys want Rimmster fics?? LOL) so here’s some more stuff y’all put on my radar recently! ALSO!! 5FF is gonna be one year old so I believe this is officially the 52nd 5FF! <3 I’m so happy that this is a project that is going well and that y’all love! <3 

Everyone go check out these fics! <3 Enjoy!

NEW MFL’s THIS MONTH

Swallow the Night by ArwaMachine (E, 5,788 w., 1 Ch. || TSo3/Stag Night Fix It, PWP, Drunk Sex, Public Sex, Anal Fingering/Sex) – “Do you know how long,” John panted, his cheek scraping against the wall, looking back at Sherlock through half-closed eyes, “I’ve wanted this?” Sherlock pressed himself against John’s back, biting at John’s ear. “Not nearly as long as I have,” he whispered.

This Year by DiscordantWords (T, 6,283 w., 2 Ch. || TEH Divergence, New Year’s Eve, John’s A Mess, Jealous John, Awkward Conversations, Trapped in a Closet) – Last year, Sherlock Holmes showed up at the Landmark with a fake moustache and a bad French accent and threw John's entire life into disarray with two words: "Not dead." This year, there are more surprises in store.

The Chauffeur and The Consultant by eragon19 (M, 6,892 w., 1 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || Run-Away Groom Sherlock, Driver John, First Kiss, Soft Idiots) – Invalided home from Afghanistan, John Watson takes a job as a chauffeur with Stamford’s Limo Service to make ends meet. The work is mundane, with his clients usually ignoring him for the most part, until he drives his first run-away-groom; Sherlock Holmes. 

The Adventure of the Vatican Cameos by Garonne (E, 18,710 w., Ch 2 || ACD Canon || Case Fic) – Holmes and Watson solve a case in Catholic London while navigating the turbid waters of their new relationship.

How To Unfold a Heart by elwinglyre (E, 25,477 w., 7 Ch. || Post S4, BAMF John, Mentioned Eurus, POV First Person Sherlock, Case Fic, Fluff, Slow Burn Topping from the Bottom) – To Sherlock’s dismay, John’s return to Baker Street with Rosie is only temporary. Sherlock’s daily visits to Regent Park with John and Rosie illuminate his lost childhood memories and missed opportunities. But with each trip to the park, Sherlock also feels a growing sense of hope. That is until the past horrors return unexpectedly in a cryptic note folded in the shape of a heart. To decipher the message, Sherlock must uncover the nature of the hearts around him, including his own.

[rabbitcruiser]

Fifth Avenue, Manhattan (No. 4)

The Cartier Building, also 653 Fifth Avenue, is a commercial building on the southeast corner of 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. The building serves as the flagship store of Cartier in New York City. It consists of two conjoined residences completed in 1905: the Morton F. Plant residence at 651–653 Fifth Avenue, designed by Robert W. Gibson, and the Edward Holbrook residence at 4 East 52nd Street, designed by C. P. H. Gilbert.

The Plant House was designed in the Neo-Renaissance style and has facades on both 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue. The 52nd Street facade of the house contains an ornate pavilion, and both facades have an attic hidden inside a frieze. The Edward Holbrook House was also designed in a neoclassical style but has a mansard roof. Both houses are five stories tall and are connected internally. The Cartier store takes up all of the stories inside the building.

The southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street was planned as a hotel in the early 1900s after the Roman Catholic Asylum vacated the site. After the Vanderbilts blocked the development of the hotel, the northern portion became the Morton F. Plant House, while the southern portion of the site was developed as the Marble Twins at 645 and 647 Fifth Avenue. In the late 1910s, Plant sold his house to Cartier. The Holbrook House was occupied by a variety of tenants until 1927, after which it was purchased by 653 Fifth Avenue's owners and used by various organizations and firms. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Cartier Building as a city landmark in 1970, and it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 along with 647 Fifth Avenue.

Source: Wikipedia

[fashionbooksmilano]

Swing Era New York

The Jazz Photographs of Charles Peterson

W.Royal Stokes

Photographic preparaion by Don Peterson, Foreword by Stanley Dance

Temple Univ. Press, Philadelphia 1994, 232 pages, paperback,  25,5x20,5cm.,    ISBN  978-1566392273

euro 30,00

email if you want to buy :booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Charles Peterson entered the jazz world of New York as a guitarist but made his true contribution documenting an era and its most notable performers. A photographer whose images captured the passion and intensity of his subjects, Peterson took up the camera in the mid-1930s and transformed himself from a performer on stage to a visual recorder and observer of the stage. Creating a photographic style that combines artistic sensibility and technical skill, he became a preeminent New York jazz photographer of the pre-bebop, small combos and Big Band era. A deep love of jazz led Peterson to the legendary clubs of Harlem, 52nd Street, and Greenwich Village; concert halls and ballrooms; jam sessions; recording studios; backstage get-togethers; and private parties. As a jazz scene insider, Peterson had access to all of these formal and informal venues and was often recommended to shoot special events by musicians, record producers, and club owners .Among the countless subjects he enshrined on film are Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Zutty Singleton, Fats Waller, Mildred Bailey, Cab Calloway, Pee Wee Russell, Lester Young, and Jack Teagarden. Jazz historian and critic W. Royal Stokes provides commentary, historical and biographical information, and lively anecdotes that connect the musicians featured in Peterson's photographs to each other and to the music within the social world of jazz. Don Peterson, the son of Charles Peterson, restored the 229 photographs included here from his father's original negatives. More than half have never been published, while many others have not been seen in print since the 1940s. This striking collection represents a historical document of a city and an era that brought the great jazz and swing musicians of the time to the height of success and solidified their reputations.

04/06/21

orders to:     booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

ordini a:        booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

twitter:         @fashionbooksmi

instagram:   fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano tumblr:          fashionbooksmilano, designbooksmilano

[shoutsfromthedesert]

For my 7th Painting Brooklyn session I found myself, somewhat randomly, on the corner of New Utrecht Ave at 52nd St. I’ve felt that there is a large cultural gulf between me and my Jewish neighbors. Some of them seemed genuinely perplexed to see me there. But then, like every corner I’ve worked on, New Yorkers from all walks of life, all races, all religions cross the gulf and come talk to me. I gave out sketch pads and pencils to several kids and even a couple of teenagers. Some quotes: Jose spoke about painting. I showed him my extra rig, explained how it worked and that he could use it. But he was working making deliveries for the Boro Pharmacy down the street. He said “My real job is a clown!” @chacharitas_show A gentleman said “If you put this guy in your painting it’ll be worth 10 times as much. He’s a famous singer!” I thought it was two guys ribbing one another but no, it’s true. So I asked Yidi to pose. @yidibialostozky “What would be the price of this painting?” “Maybe I’ll get you to come over and draw a picture of us! I got your number. I’ll call you one day.” “Painting 39, Borough Park, Brooklyn” oil on canvas h 11” x w 14”, 2021 Painting Brooklyn is supported by a grant from #CityArtistCorps Thanks to @nyfacurrent, @NYCulture, @madein_ny, and @queenstheatre for the support! #nystreets #nycstreets #nycpainter #newyorkpainter #newyorkart #newyorkartist #artcollector #pleinairnyc #pleinairartist #pleinairpainter #pleinairpainting #pleinair #outdoorpainting #landscapepainting #oilpainting #impressionism #paintingfromlife #cityscapes #plein_air_life (at Near Borough Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/CR95NO_l1rD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[blackkudos]

Ben Webster

Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He is considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. Known affectionately as "The Brute" or "Frog", he had a tough, raspy, and brutal tone on stomps (with growls), yet on ballads he played with warmth and sentiment. He was indebted to alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges, who, he said, taught him to play his instrument.

Early life and career

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, United States, he studied violin in elementary and taught himself piano with the help of his neighbor Pete Johnson, who taught him the blues. In 1927-1928 he played for silent movies in Kansas City and in Amarillo, Texas.

Once Budd Johnson showed him some basics on the saxophone, Webster began to focus on that instrument, playing in the Young Family Band (which at the time included Lester Young), although he did return to the piano from time to time, even recording on the instrument occasionally.

In his first biography (‘Ben Webster / In A mellow Tone’, Van Gennep/The Netherlands, 1992, published as ‘Ben Webster / His Life and Music’ with Berkeley Hills Books/USA in 2001), author Jeroen de Valk (assisted by Ben’s cousin Harley W. Robinson) traces back his ancestry to his great-great grandmother, a woman from Guinea who reportedly was brought to America as a slave in the early 19th century. Her son managed to escape from slavery. Ben’s father, who worked as a porter on Pullman trains, separated from his mother before his son was born. Ben was raised by his grand-aunt, Agnes Johnson, to whom he referred as his ‘grandmother’. His mother Mayme worked as a school teacher. He had to play the violin as a kid but hated the instrument, as other kids called him ‘sissy with the violin’. He had his first piano lessons by his second cousin, Joyce Cockrell. He changed to the tenor saxophone after hearing Frankie Trumbauer’s solo on the C-Melody saxophone in 'Singing The Blues', but soon Coleman Hawkins became a major influence. Webster was married for a couple of years in the early 40s to Eudora Williams. He never had a family of his own and lived with his mother and grand-aunt off and on until their passing in 1963.

Kansas City was a melting pot from which emerged some of the biggest names in 1930s jazz. Webster joined Bennie Moten's band in 1932, a grouping which also included Count Basie, Hot Lips and Walter Page. This era was recreated in Robert Altman's film Kansas City.

Webster spent time with quite a few orchestras in the 1930s, including Andy Kirk, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra in 1934, then Benny Carter, Willie Bryant, Cab Calloway, and the short-lived Teddy Wilson big band.

With Ellington

Ben Webster played with Duke Ellington's orchestra for the first time in 1935, and by 1940 was performing with it full-time as the band's first major tenor soloist. He credited Johnny Hodges, Ellington's alto soloist, as a major influence on his playing. During the next three years, he played on many recordings, including "Cotton Tail" and "All Too Soon"; his contributions (together with that of bassist Jimmy Blanton) were so important that Ellington's orchestra during that period is known as the Blanton–Webster band. Webster left the band in 1943 after an angry altercation during which he allegedly cut up one of Ellington's suits. Another version of Webster's leaving Ellington came from Clark Terry, a longtime Ellington player, who said that, in a dispute, Webster slapped Ellington, upon which the latter gave him two weeks notice.

After Ellington

After leaving Ellington in 1943, Webster worked on 52nd Street in New York City, where he recorded frequently as both a leader and a sideman. During this time he had short periods with Raymond Scott, John Kirby, Bill DeArango, and Sid Catlett, as well as with Jay McShann's band, which also featured blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon. For a few months in 1948, he returned briefly to Ellington's orchestra.

In 1953, he recorded King of the Tenors with pianist Oscar Peterson, who would be an important collaborator with Webster throughout the decade in his recordings for the various labels of Norman Granz. Along with Peterson, trumpeter Harry 'Sweets' Edison and others, he was touring and recording with Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic package. In 1956, he recorded a classic set with pianist Art Tatum, supported by bassist Red Callender and drummer Bill Douglass. Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster with fellow tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins was recorded on December 16, 1957, along with Peterson, Herb Ellis (guitar), Ray Brown (bass), and Alvin Stoller (drums). The Hawkins and Webster recording is a jazz classic, the coming together of two giants of the tenor saxophone, who had first met back in Kansas City.

In the late 1950s, he formed a quintet with Gerry Mulligan and played frequently at a Los Angeles club called Renaissance. It was there that the Webster-Mulligan group backed up blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon on an album recorded live for Hi-Fi Jazz Records. That same year, 1959, the quintet, with pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Mel Lewis, also recorded "Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster" for Verve Records (MG V-8343).

In Europe

Webster generally worked steadily, but in late 1964 he moved permanently to Europe, working with other American jazz musicians based there as well as local musicians. He played when he pleased during his last decade. He lived in London and several locations in Scandinavia for one year, followed by three years in Amsterdam and made his last home in Copenhagen in 1969. Webster appeared as a sax player in a low-rent cabaret club in the 1970 Danish blue film titled Quiet Days in Clichy. In 1971, Webster reunited with Duke Ellington and his orchestra for a couple of shows at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; he also recorded "live" in France with Earl Hines. He also recorded or performed with Buck Clayton, Bill Coleman and Teddy Wilson.

Webster suffered a cerebral bleed in Amsterdam in September 1973, following a performance at the Twee Spieghels in Leiden, and died on 20 September. His body was cremated in Copenhagen and his ashes were buried in the Assistens Cemetery in the Nørrebro section of the city.

Legacy

After Webster's death, Billy Moore Jr., together with the trustee of Webster's estate, created the Ben Webster Foundation. Since Webster's only legal heir, Harley Robinson of 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". The trust is a beneficial foundation which channels Webster's annual royalties to musicians in both Denmark and the U.S. An annual Ben Webster Prize is awarded to a young outstanding musician. The prize is not large, but is 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 used the same Saxophone from 1938 until his death in 1973. Ben left instructions that the horn was never to be played again. It is on display in the Jazz Institute at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ.

Ben Webster has a street named after him in southern Copenhagen, "Ben Websters Vej".

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Ben Webster among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

Discography

As leader / co-leader

King of the Tenors [AKA The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster] (Norgran, MGN-1001, 1953)

1953: An Exceptional Encounter [live] (The Jazz Factory, 1953) – with Modern Jazz Quartet

Music for Loving (Norgran MGN-1018, 1954) AKA Sophisticated Lady (Verve, 1956), and Music With Feeling (Norgran MGN-1039, 1955) – reissued as a 2-CD set: Ben Webster With Strings (Verve 527774, 1995; which also includes as a bonus: Harry Carney With Strings, Clef MGC-640, 1954)

The Art Tatum - Ben Webster Quartet (Verve, 1956 [1958]) – with Art Tatum

Soulville (Verve, 1957)

The Soul of Ben Webster (Verve, 1958)

Ben Webster and Associates (Verve, 1959)

Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster (Verve, 1959)

Ben Webster Meets Oscar Peterson (Verve, 1959)

Ben Webster at the Renaissance (Contemporary, 1960)

The Warm Moods (Reprise, 1961)

Wanted to Do One Together (Columbia, 1962) – with Harry Edison

Soulmates (Riverside, 1963) – with Joe Zawinul

See You at the Fair (Impulse!, 1964)

Stormy Weather (Black Lion, 1965) – recorded at The Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen

Gone With The Wind (Black Lion, 1965) – recorded at The Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen

Meets Bill Coleman (Black Lion, 1967)

Big Ben Time (Ben Webster in London 1967) (Philips, 1968)

Webster's Dictionary (Philips, 1970)

No Fool, No Fun [The Rehearsal Sessions, 1970 with The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra] (Storyville Records STCD 8304, 1999)

Ben Webster Plays Ballads [recordings from Danish Radio 1967–1971] (Storyville SLP-4118, 1988)

Autumn Leaves (with Georges Arvanitas trio) (Futura Swing 05, 1972)

Gentle Ben (with Tete Montoliu Trio) (Ensayo, 1973)

My Man: Live at Montmartre 1973 (Steeplechase, 1973)

Ballads by Ben Webster (Verve, Recorded 1953-1959, released 1974, 2xLP)

As a sideman

With Count Basie

String Along with Basie (Roulette, 1960)

With Buddy Bregman

Swinging Kicks (Verve, 1957)

With Benny Carter

Jazz Giant (Contemporary, 1958)

BBB & Co. (Swingville, 1962) with Barney Bigard

With Harry Edison

Sweets (Clef, 1956)

Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You (Verve, 1957)

With Duke Ellington

Never No Lament: The Blanton-Webster Band (RCA, 1940–1942 [rel. 2003])

With Dizzy Gillespie

The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (Bluebird, 1937–1949 [rel. 1995])

With Lionel Hampton

You Better Know It!!! (Impulse, 1965)

With Coleman Hawkins

Rainbow Mist (Delmark, 1944 [1992]) compilation of Apollo recordings

Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster (Verve, 1957)

Coleman Hawkins and Confr��res (Verve, 1958)

With Woody Herman

Songs for Hip Lovers (Verve, 1957)

With Johnny Hodges

The Blues (Norgran, 1952–1954, [rel. 1955])

Blues-a-Plenty (Verve, 1958)

Not So Dukish (Verve, 1958)

With Richard "Groove" Holmes

"Groove" (Pacific Jazz, 1961) – with Les McCann

Tell It Like It Tis (Pacific Jazz, 1961 [rel. 1966])

With Illinois Jacquet

The Kid and the Brute (Clef, 1955)

With Barney Kessel

Let's Cook! (Contemporary, 1957 [rel. 1962])

With Mundell Lowe

Porgy & Bess (RCA Camden, 1958)

With Les McCann

Les McCann Sings (Pacific Jazz, 1961)

With Carmen McRae

Birds of a Feather (Decca, 1958)

With Oliver Nelson

More Blues and the Abstract Truth (Impulse!, 1964)

With Buddy Rich

The Wailing Buddy Rich (Norgran, 1955)

With Art Tatum

The Tatum Group Masterpieces, Volume Eight (Pablo, 1956)

With Clark Terry

The Happy Horns of Clark Terry (Impulse!, 1964)

With Joe Williams

At Newport '63 (RCA Victor, 1963)

[mldigitalart]

#womenempowerment is the movement

MEET OUR 2020 SPECIAL GUEST: SYMIA MCKELLAR, Artist,  https://youtu.be/gcotWGgTXQo

BIO: Symia is a visually impaired artist from Las Vegas, Nevada and student at the School of Visual Arts in New York who refuses to let her disability define what she can do. She works hard and sees past her disability. Her goal in life is to become a fine arts teacher, as well as, start her own non-profit outreach program, Whitelashes, to bring art to children as a way of self-expression and growth.

Meet Symia at our 8th Annual Women Empowerment Event on Wed, March 11 at 6pm at The Artist Co-op, 500 W 52nd Street NYC

Tix to the 8th Annual Women Empowerment Event NYC here

[vintagemanhattanskyline]

The 42-story Equitable Life Assurance Society Building. 1285 Avenue of the Americas west block between 51st to 52nd streets. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, architect, 1958-1961.

View looking southwest of the new Equitable Life Building from the Tishman Building, in Autumn, 1961, showing the excavation works on the site for the future Sperry Rand Building in foreground.

Photo: Joseph W. Mollitor.

Source: Architectural Record, May, 1962.