He has been described as "the best loved of all saxophonists, perhaps of all jazz musicians" (The Penguin Guide to Jazz). Yet there has not been a biography of Ben Webster until now. Best known for his ballads, Webster had the most personal and immediately identifiable sound in all the music. He was Duke Ellington's premier tenor player. He also played with Fletcher Henderson, Cab Calloway, Teddy Wilson and Billie Holiday. Charming and offending by turns (the latter linked to his fondness for the bottle), Webster was called 'The Brute and the Beautiful' and 'the Jekyll and Hyde of the tenor sax.'

De Valk tells the whole story of Ben's life and times, beginning with his years as a piano player, his switch to saxophone in Kansas City bands, his glory years with the Duke, tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic, and years abroad playing with local and expatriate musicians. The author has interviewed dozens of Ben's friends, fellow musicians, and surviving relatives. He sheds light on his complex personality, as well as the secret of his seductive sound. There is a select discography and many photos from all phases of Webster's career.

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