Right freakin' on, Roy E.

Ben was the BASF of jazz.

He didn't make Billie Holiday, he made her better.

He didn't make Duke Ellington, he made Duke sound better.

He didn't make swing, he made swing better.

My most cherished discs have Ben on them.

My Mount Rushmore of sax has Lester Young (George Washington), Coleman Hawkins (Thomas Jefferson), Ben Webster (Abe Lincoln), and John Coltrane (Teddy Roosevelt) on it!

I'll shut up now, but we can keep this thread on Ben going, baby!

If you love Ben Webster, you've gotta like Scott Hamilton, huh? Too many great sax men over the years to limit yourself to your Mount Rushmore list. What about Zoot Sims, Johnny Hodges, Gerry Mulligan, etc. etc.

For the sake of conversation and conveying enthusiasm, why not make lists?

It don't mean I only listen to four sax players, just that at the moment, that grouping struck me. My favorite Beatle can vary, too.

Otherwise all I could do when I see a thread about Ben would be to stroll in and say that the author shouldn't limit his enthusiasm to one player. That doesn't seem as fun.

Also, just 'cause someone isn't on Mount Rushmore doesn't make him any less a president.

Those other guys can be Adams, Monroe, and Jackson, with Ben Franklin tossed in for good measure to cover "statesman."