Chick Webb, born in Baltimore in 1905, has become a mythical figure for drummers and swing afficionados, but the evidence is fading into the sands of time. It should be remembered that as an infant, Webb fell down some stairs in his family's home, crushing several vertebrae and requiring surgery, from which he never regained full mobility. Subsequent tuberculosis of the spine (Pott's disease) then left him with short stature, a badly deformed spine and limited life expectancy. Despite these ominous and daunting handicaps, Chick Webb drove himself to become one of the finest drummers of the 1920s and 30s, also a successful and respected bandleader. He introduced Ella Fitzgerald to the jazz world. His innovative equipment and techniques were adopted by the next generation of drummers, especially the great Buddy Rich, Louie Bellson and Art Blakey.
To check our listings of Chick Webb recordings in various formats:
