Ben Webster Foundation
Encyclopedia
The Ben Webster Foundation, a non-profit organization
, was formed by jazz
enthusiasts and musicians in Denmark
and it was confirmed by the Queen of Denmark’s Seal
in 1976.
During the eight years where Ben Webster
lived in Denmark, (he died in 1973), he did not have a personal manager or agent
to take care of his artistic rights
. In 1972 he joined up with Billy Moore Jr., former arranger
for Jimmie Lunceford
, among others. Moore took it upon himself to clarify Webster's present and past recording
history
in an attempt to secure all the means and royalties
that Webster was legally entitled to - but rarely received - from the different companies that kept reissuing Webster's musical
works on LP
and CD. After his death Billy Moore Jr. took the initiative to create the Ben Webster Foundation together with the trustee
of Webster's estate. As Webster's only legal heir, Harley Robinson assigned his rights to then-new-formed foundation and it was subsequently 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 insemination of Jazz in Denmark. The board of the foundation consists of close friends and enthusiasts of Ben Webster. Webster’s annual royalties are conveyed back to musicians, both in Denmark and the US
. The Ben Webster Prize
is awarded by vote to one of the outstanding young musicians each year. The prize is not a grand, but a reward for the good work being done by the talented Jazz artists each year on the name of Ben Webster's legacy. During the years, several American musicians have visited Denmark to help the foundation. They gave concerts, participated in recordings of some of those live performances. They also supported some other, jazz related, events too. The Board of Trustees monitor Ben Webster's artistic rights
and the many reissues of his music around the world
. The foundation further assures that the legality, technical
quality and the musical validity
of these reissues are kept in line. The foundation has been in existence for last 34 years while Ben Webster's music is being enjoyed all over the world.
In year 2009, Ernie Wilkins
' Almost Big Band
opened the Copenhagen Jazz Festival
with a concert at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse where a special arrangement called the All-time Battle of the Tenor Saxophones in Hundred Years were presented which were fonded by the Ben Webster Foundation. Politiken, the influential paper from Denmark, published the story.
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, was formed by jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
enthusiasts and musicians in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and it was confirmed by the Queen of Denmark’s Seal
Seal (contract law)
In the law, a seal affixed to a contract or other legal instrument has had special legal significance at various times in the jurisdictions that recognise it...
in 1976.
During the eight years where Ben Webster
Ben Webster
Benjamin Francis Webster , a.k.a. "The Brute" or "Frog," was an influential American jazz tenor saxophonist. Webster, born in Kansas City, Missouri, was considered one of the three most important "swing tenors" along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young...
lived in Denmark, (he died in 1973), he did not have a personal manager or agent
Talent agent
A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
to take care of his artistic rights
Rights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
. In 1972 he joined up with Billy Moore Jr., former arranger
Arranger
In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the...
for Jimmie Lunceford
Jimmie Lunceford
James Melvin "Jimmie" Lunceford was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era.-Biography:...
, among others. Moore took it upon himself to clarify Webster's present and past recording
Recording
Recording is the process of capturing data or translating information to a recording format stored on some storage medium, which is often referred to as a record or, if an auditory medium, a recording....
history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
in an attempt to secure all the means and royalties
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
that Webster was legally entitled to - but rarely received - from the different companies that kept reissuing Webster's musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
works on LP
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
and CD. After his death Billy Moore Jr. took the initiative to create the Ben Webster Foundation together with the trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
of Webster's estate. As Webster's only legal heir, Harley Robinson assigned his rights to then-new-formed foundation and it was subsequently 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 insemination of Jazz in Denmark. The board of the foundation consists of close friends and enthusiasts of Ben Webster. Webster’s annual royalties are conveyed back to musicians, both in Denmark and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The Ben Webster Prize
Ben Webster Prize
The Ben Webster Prize is an annual jazz award set up by the Ben Webster Foundation to honour Danish and American Jazz musicians as well as other professionals active in the promotion of jazz in those countries. The American jazz musician Ben Webster spent his last ten years in Copenhagen, Denmark,...
is awarded by vote to one of the outstanding young musicians each year. The prize is not a grand, but a reward for the good work being done by the talented Jazz artists each year on the name of Ben Webster's legacy. During the years, several American musicians have visited Denmark to help the foundation. They gave concerts, participated in recordings of some of those live performances. They also supported some other, jazz related, events too. The Board of Trustees monitor Ben Webster's artistic rights
Rights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
and the many reissues of his music around the world
World
World is a common name for the whole of human civilization, specifically human experience, history, or the human condition in general, worldwide, i.e. anywhere on Earth....
. The foundation further assures that the legality, technical
Technical
Technical may refer to:*Technical , a fighting vehicle based on a pickup truck*Technical analysis, a discipline for forecasting the future direction of prices through the study of past market data*Technical drawing, also known as drafting...
quality and the musical validity
Validity
In logic, argument is valid if and only if its conclusion is entailed by its premises, a formula is valid if and only if it is true under every interpretation, and an argument form is valid if and only if every argument of that logical form is valid....
of these reissues are kept in line. The foundation has been in existence for last 34 years while Ben Webster's music is being enjoyed all over the world.
In year 2009, Ernie Wilkins
Ernie Wilkins
Ernest Brooks Wilkins Jr. was a jazz arranger and writer who also played tenor saxophone. He might be best known for his work with Count Basie. He also wrote for Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, and Dizzy Gillespie...
' Almost Big Band
Almost Big Band
The Almost Big Band was a 13 piece jazz band formed by Ernie Wilkins in 1980 after his permanent move to Copenhagen, Denmark. Members included expatriate American such as Kenny Drew and Ed Thigpen as well as prominent Danish jazz musicians such as Jesper Thilo and Bent Jaedig.Mainly an arranger,...
opened the Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Copenhagen Jazz Festival
Copenhagen Jazz Festival is an annual Jazz event, taking place in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, each July. The first Copenhagen Jazz Festival was held in 1979. According to reports, around 240,000 people attended the festival in 2004...
with a concert at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse where a special arrangement called the All-time Battle of the Tenor Saxophones in Hundred Years were presented which were fonded by the Ben Webster Foundation. Politiken, the influential paper from Denmark, published the story.