50 years on from Ben Webster’s death, pianist & arranger Alex Webb and saxophonist Tony Kofi curate a narrated show about this legendary tenor player. ‘Big Ben: celebrating saxophonist Ben Webster’ premieres in Watford as part at the EFG London Jazz Festival 2023.

ABOUT THE EVENT
Ben Webster (1909 – 1973) was a true giant of the tenor sax and one of the most-loved of all African-American jazz musicians. His career spanned several generations of jazz and resulted in hundreds of recordings, including many acknowledged classics.

Big Ben: celebrating saxophonist Ben Webster covers his acclaimed years with Duke Ellington, his work with Billie Holiday, his visits to Ronnie Scott’s in London, his later years in Copenhagen, and his remarkable work with strings.

Line-up

Tony Kofi (saxophone) and Alex Webb (piano) will lead a band of major UK jazz musicians, including Alan Barnes (reeds), Freddie Gavita (trumpet), David Lalljee (trombone) and a rhythm section of Dave Green (bass) who played and recorded with Ben Webster in the 1960s, and Clark Tracey (drums) whose legendary father also accompanied Webster on his 1960s UK dates.

This fabulous group will be augmented with the J.A.M. String Collective from Tomorrow's Warriors for some selections, and the show will be narrated by Lulu Pierre, who will also sing some of the songs on which Billie Holiday partnered with Webster.

Information

Doors open 7pm; show starts at 8pm.

Full bar available from 7pm and during the interval.

The show is performed in two halves, with a 20 minute interval.

Free parking is available on site, and nearby in Century Retail Park (please their check conditions of parking on arrival). The Pump House Theatre and Arts Centre is a 4-minute walk from Watford High Street Overground Station.

Credits

This show is a Copasetic Production and is the first promotion by the Watford Jazz Juncti