Chick Webb was known as “The King of the Savoy” where he and his orchestra would regularly win battles of music against the other leading big bands of the day including Benny Goodman. He stood tall amongst big band drummers even though his diminutive frame was only a tad over four feet tall. Can you imagine the fireworks that flew watching the great drummers Gene Krupa from Goodman’s band battling against Chick Webb and his band? You can tell by the recordings both bands left behind that there was always plenty of mayhem behind the drum kit! Webb’s major discovery was Ella Fitzgerald whose jive vocals light up this gem from 1938. This stuff is as hip as anything that will appear at next week’s Pitchfork Music Festival!
