Throughout his life Chick Webb battled terrible physical handicap. Downbeat magazine described him in 1939 as �??deformed, dwarfish and delicate." Despite all personal adversity Chick was regarded by his contemporaries as the finest drummer in jazz. Buddy Rich said of him, �??He represented true hipness. His playing was original, different, completely his own,�?� and Gene Krupa stated, �??I found direction when I first heard Chick. He changed everything around me not long after I came to New York. He thought in an original way and knew exactly what to do, particularly in a big band. All of us in that �??learnin�?? groove�?? in the 1930s were enlightened by him.�?� Using a drum kit custom built for his specific needs, Chick fronted one of the finest big bands of the swing era. Not only did his band feature some of the best instrumentalists and arrangers of the day, it also proved the launching pad and nurturing ground for the phenomenal talents of Ella Fitzgerald, with the band producing one of the biggest hits of the swing era in �??A-Tisket, A-Tasket�?�, a number one for 10 weeks during summer 1938. Chick and Ella had finally arrived and the band became a national attraction. However Chick�??s health began to steadily deteriorate, yet he carried on playing and recording, even being carried to and from his drum kit at gigs. On June 16, 1939, Chick Webb died of tuberculosis of the spine, aged just 32. The recordings in this box set are testament to his abilities, with tracks ranging from his earliest recordings up to a broadcast mere weeks before his death, providing telling evidence of the collective energy Chick Webb and his band could muster, and that Chick himself played with undiminished fervour almost until the day he died. His short life had been a story of inner strength and perseverance.

Stomping At The Savoy - Webb, Chick & His Orchestra  

Disc 1

1. Heebie Jeebies 3:05
2. Blues In My Heart 3:04
3. Soft And Sweet 3:23
4. On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:52
5. Darktown Strutters' Ball 2:47
6. If Dreams Come True 3:19
7. Let's Get Together 3:00
8. I Can't Dance (I Got Ants In My Pants) 2:58
9. Imagination 3:16
10. Why Should I Beg For Love? 3:06
11. Stompin' At The Savoy 3:08
12. Blue Minor 2:48
13. True 2:45
14. Lonesome Moments 2:45
15. If It Ain't Love 3:02
16. That Rhythm Man 2:52
17. On The Sunny Side Of The Street 2:46
18. Lona 2:45
19. Blue Minor 3:00
20. It's Over Because We're Through 3:09
21. Don't Be That Way 2:32
22. What A Shuffle 2:49
23. Blue Lou 2:57
24. I'll Chase The Blues Away 2:32
25. Down Home Rag 2:48

Disc 2

1. Are You Here To Stay? 3:09
2. Love And Kisses 3:17
3. Rhythm And Romance 3:03
4. Moonlight And Magnolias 2:49
5. I'll Chase The Blues Away 2:41
6. I May Be Wrong 3:03
7. Facts And Figures 2:33
8. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now 3:28
9. King Porter Stomp 3:08
10. Crying My Heart Out For You 3:07
11. Under The Spell Of The Blues 3:03
12. When I Get Low I Get High 2:27
13. Go Harlem 2:20
14. Sing Me A Swing Song (And Let Me Dance) 2:32
15. Love, You're Just A Laugh 3:07
16. Devoting My Time To You 2:25
17. (If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have To Swing It 2:56
18. Swinging On The Reservation 3:05
19. I Got The Spring Fever Blues 3:01
20. Love Marches On 2:51
21. There's Frost On The Moon 2:49
22. Gee, But You're Swell 2:35
23. Rusty Hinge 3:05
24. Wake Up And Live 2:37
25. It's Swell Of You 3:13

Disc 3

1. You Showed Me The Way 3:06
2. Clap Hands! Here Comes Charley 2:31
3. Cryin' Mood 2:35
4. Love Is The Thing, So They Say 2:49
5. That Naughty Waltz 2:58
6. In A Little Spanish Town 2:39
7. I Got Rhythm 2:34
8. I Ain't Got Nobody 3:02
9. Just A Simple Melody 2:58
10. I Got A Guy 3:21
11. Strictly Jive 3:17
12. Holiday In Harlem 3:09
13. Sweet Sue, Just You 2:44
14. Rock It For Me 3:12
15. Squeeze Me 3:11
16. Harlem Congo 3:14
17. I Want To Be Happy 4:28
18. The Dipsy Doodle 3:13
19. If Dreams Come True 2:36
20. Hallelujah 4:02
21. Midnight In A Madhouse 2:33
22. A-Tisket, A-Tasket 2:36
23. Heart Of Mine 2:57
24. I'm Just A Jitterbug 3:18
25. Azure 3:11

Disc 4

1. Spinnin' The Webb 3:04
2. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away) 2:45
3. Pack Up Your Sins And Go To The Devil 2:54
4. Mac Pherson Is Rehearsin' (To Swing) 3:09
5. Everybody Step 2:46
6. Ella 2:45
7. Wacky Dust 3:04
8. Gotta Pebble In My Shoe 2:53
9. I Can't Stop Loving You 3:05
10. Who Ya Hunchin'? 2:46
11. I Let A Tear Fall In The River 3:10
12. F.D.R. Jones 2:54
13. I Love Each Move You Make 3:01
14. It's Foxy 3:02
15. I Found My Yellow Basket 2:35
16. By Heck 3:09
17. Undecided 3:15
18. 'Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That Cha Do It) 3:01
19. In The Groove At The Grove 2:35
20. One Side Of Me 3:21
21. My Heart Belongs To Daddy 3:07
22. Chew-Chew-Chew (Your Bubble Gum) 3:01
23. Little White Lies 2:50
24. Breakin' Em Down 4:11
DISCOGRAPHY





P1485 - DISC ONE: DON�??T BE THAT WAY





Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Shelton Hemphill, Louis Hunt, tp, Louis Bacon, tp, voc (-1); Jimmy Harrison, tb; Benny Carter, cl, as; Hilton

Jefferson, cl, as; Elmer Williams, cl, ts; Don Kirkpatrick, p; John Trueheart, bj, g; Elmer James, tu, b; Chick Webb, d.

New York, March 30, 1931



E 36432 HEEBIE JEEBIES (arr. Benny Carter)

E 36433-A BLUES IN MY HEART (-1; arr. Benny Carter)



Chick Webb�??s Savoy Orchestra : Mario Bauza, Reunald Jones, tp; Taft Jordan, tp; voc (-1); Sandy Williams, tb; Pete Clark, Edgar Sampson, as; Elmer Williams, ts; Joe Steele, p; John Trueheart, bj, g; John Kirby, b; Chick Webb, d; Chuck Richards, voc (-2)

New York, December 20, 1933



152658-1 ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

152659-2 DARKTOWN STRUTTERS�??BALL (arr. Benny Carter)



Same personnel as above

New York, January 15, 1934



152686-3 IF DREAMS COME TRUE (arr. Edgar Sampson)

152687-2 LET�??S GET TOGETHER (arr.Edgar Samson)



Same personnel as above

New York, May 9, 1934



152733-2 I CAN�??T DANCE (I GOT ANTS IN MY PANTS ) (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

152734-2 IMAGINATION (-2)



Same personnel as above

New York, May 18, 1934



152735-4 WHY SHOULD I BEG FOR LOVE ? (-1, arr. Edgar Sampson)

152740-2 STOMPIN�?? AT THE SAVOY (arr. Edgar Sampson)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, tp; Taft Jordan, tp; voc (-1); Sandy Williams, Fernando Arbello, tb; Pete Clark, Edgar Sampson, as; Wayman Carver, fl, ts; Elmer Williams, ts; Joe Steele, p; John Trueheart, bj, g; John Kirby, b; Chick Webb, d; Charles Linton, voc (2)

New York, July 6, 1934



152769-2 BLUE MINOR (arr. Edgar Sampson)

152770-2 TRUE (-2; arr. Edgar Sampson)

152771-2 LONESOME MOMENTS (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

152772-2 IF IT AIN�??T LOVE (-2; arr. Edgar Sampson)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, tp; Taft Jordan (tp, voc (-1); Sandy Williams, Claude Jones, tb; Pete Clark, cl, as; Edgar Sampson, as; Elmer Williams, ts; Wayman Carver, ts, fl; Don Kirkpatrick, p; John Trueheart, g; John Kirby, tu, b; Chick Webb, d; Charles Linton, voc (-2)

New York, september 10, 1934



38593-1 THAT RHYTHM MAN (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

38594-A ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

38595-A LONA (arr. Edgar Sampson)

38596-A BLUE MINOR (arr. Edgar Sampson)



Same personnel as above

New York, November 19, 1934



39138-A IT�??S OVER BECAUSE WE�??RE THROUGH (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

39140-A DON�??T BE THAT WAY (arr. Edgar Sampson)

39141-A WHAT A SHUFFLE (arr. Don Kirkpatrick)

39142-A BLUE LOU (arr. Edgar Sampson)



Same personnel as above, but add Ella Fitzgerald, voc (-3)

New York, June 12, 1935



39614-A I�??LL CHASE THE BLUES AWAY (-3; arr, Edgar Sampson)

39615-A DOWN HOME RAG (arr. Wayman Carver)





P1486 - DISC TWO: GO HARLEM





Same personnel and date as �??Down home rag�?�



39616-A ARE YOU HERE TO STAY (-2; arr. Edgar Sampson)

39617-A LOVE AND KISSES (-3; arr. Edgar Sampson)



Same personnel as above, but Bill Thomas, b replaces John Kirby

New York, October 12, 1935



60054-A RHYTHM AND ROMANCE (-3; arr. Edgar Sampson)

60055-A MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS (-2; arr. Edgar Sampson)

60056-A I�??LL CHASE THE BLUES AWAY (-3; arr. Edgar Sampson)

60057-A I MAY BE WRONG (-1; arr. Edgar Sampson)

60058-A FACTS AND FIGURES (arr. Edgar Sampson)



Same personnel as above

�??Radio Transcriptions�?�, New York, February 8,9, 1936



KEEPIN�?? OUT OF MISCHIEF NOW

KING PORTER STOMP



Same personnel as above

New York, April 7, 1936



61000-A CRYING MY HEART OUT FOR YOU (-3 : arr. Edgar Sampson)

61001-A UNDER THE SPELL OF THE BLUES (-3 : arr. Edgar Sampson)

61002-A WHEN I GET LOW I GET HIGH (-3 : arr. Edgar Sampson)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, Taft Jordan, tp; Sandy Williams, Nat Story, tb; Pete Clark, cl, as; Edgar Sampson, as; Ted McRae, cl, ts; Wayman Carver, ts, fl; Don Kirkpatrick, p; John Trueheart, g; Bill Thomas, b; Chick Webb, d; Charles Linton, voc (-1); Ella Fitzgerald, voc (-2)

New York, June 2, 1936



61123-A GO HARLEM (arr. Edgar Sampson)

61124-A SING ME A SWING SONG (AND LET ME DANCE) (-2)

61126-A LOVE, YOU�??RE JUST A LAUGH (-2)

61127-a DEVOTING MY TIME TO YOU (-2)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra ; Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, Taft Jordan, tp; Sandy Williams, Nat Story, tb; Pete Clark, cl, as, bs; Louis Jordan, as, voc (-1); Ted McRae, ts; Wayman Carver, ts; fl; Tommy Fulford, p; John Trueheart, g; Beverley Peer, b; Chick Webb, d; Ella Fitzgerald, voc (-2), Charles Linton, voc (-3)

New York, October 29, 1936



61361-A (IF YOU CAN�??T SING IT) YOU�??LL HAVE TO SWING IT (-2)

61362-A SWINGING ON THE RESERVATION (-2) (arr. Wayman Carver)

61363-A I GOT THE SPRING FEVER BLUES (-2)



Same personnel as above

New York, January 14, 1937



61528-A LOVE MARCHES ON (3)



Same personnel as above

New York, January 5, 1937



61529-A THERE�??S FROST ON THE MOON (vcl.trio) (arr. Van Alexander)

61530-A GEE, BUT YOU�??RE SWELL (-1)



Same personnel as above

New York, March 24, 1937



62064-A RUSTY HINGE (-1)

62065-A WAKE UP AND LIVE (-1,-2,-3)

62066-A IT�??S SWELL OF YOU (-1)





P1487 - DISC THREE: STRICTLY JIVE





Same personnel and date as �??It�??s swell of you�?�



62067-A YOU SHOWED ME THE WAY (-2)

62068-A CLAP HANDS ! HERE COMES CHARLEY

62069-A CRYIN�?? MOOD (-2)

62072-A LOVE IS THE THING, SO THEY SAY (-2)

62073-A THAT NAUGHTY WALTZ (arr. Charlie Dixon)



Chick Webb and his Little Chicks : Chauncey Haughton, cl; Wayman Carver, fl; Tommy Fulford, p; Beverley Peer, b; Chick Webb, d.

New York, September 21, 1937



62618-A IN A LITTLE SPANISH TOWN

62619-A I GOT RHYTHM

62620-A I AIN�??T GOT NOBODY



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Mario Bauza, Bobby Stark, Taft Jordan, tp; Sandy Williams, Nat Story, tb; Chauncey Haughton, cl, as;

Louis Jordan, as; Ted McRae, ts; Wayman Carver, ts; fl; Tommy Fulford, p; Bobby Johnson, g; Beverley Peer, b; Chick Webb, d; Ella FitZgerald, voc (-1)

New York, October 27, 1937



62735-A JUST A SIMPLE MELODY (-1)

62726-A I GOT A GUY (-1)

62727-A STRICTLY JIVE

62728-A HOLIDAY IN HARLEM (-1)



Chick Webb and his Little Chicks : Same personnel as September 21, 1937

New York, November 1, 1937



62737-B SWEET SUE, JUST YOU



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as October 27, 1937

New York, November 1, 1937



62738-A ROCK IT FOR ME (-1)

62739-A SQUEEZE ME (arr. Charlie Dixon)

62740-A HARLEM CONGO (arr. Charlie Dixon)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above, but Garvin Bushell, cl, as replaces Chauncey

Haughton.

New York, December 17, 1937



62886-A I WANT TO BE HAPPY (-1; arr. Turk Van Lake)

62887-A THE DIPSY DOODLE (-1)

62888-A IF DREAMS COME TRUE (-1)

62889-A HALLELUJAH (-1)

62890-A MIDNITE IN A MADHOUSE



Same personnel as above, but add George Matthews, tb

New York, May 2, 1938



63693-A A-TISKET, A TASKET (1; arr. Van Alexander)

63694-A HEART OF MINE (-1)

63695-A I�??M JUST A JITTERBUG (-1)

63696-C AZURE





P1488 - DISC FOUR: SPINNIN�?? THE WEBB





Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as May 2, 1938

New York, May 3, 1938



63707-A SPINNIN�?? THE WEBB

63708-A LIZA (ALL THE CLOUDS�??LL ROLL AWAY) (arr. BENNY CARTER)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above, but Hilton Jefferson, as replaces Louis Jordan, add Taft Jordan, voc (-2)

New York, June 9, 1938



63934-A PACK UP YOUR SINS AND GO TO THE DEVIL (-1)

63935-A MAC PHERSON IS REHEARSIN�?? (TO SWING) (-1)

63936-A EVERYBODY STEP (-1)

63937-A ELLA (-1,-2)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above

New York, August 17, 1938



64459-A WACKY DUST (-1)

64460-A GOTTA PEBBLE IN MY SHOE (-1)

64461-A I CAN�??T STOP LOVING YOU (-1)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above

New York, August 18, 1938



64464-A WHO YA HUNCHIN�??

64465-A I LET A TEAR FALL IN THE RIVER (-1)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Dick Vance, Bobby Stark, Taft Jordan, tp; Sandy Williams, Nat Story, George Matthews, tb; Hilton Jefferson, Garvin Bushell, cl, as; Ted McRae, ts; Wayman Carver, ts, fl; Tommy Fulford, p; Bobby Johnson, g; Beverley Peer, b; Chick Webb, d; Ella Fitzgerald, voc (-1)

New York, October 6, 1938



64573-A F.D.R. JONES (-1)

64574-A I LOVE EVERY MOVE YOU MAKE (-1)

64575-A IT�??S FOXY (-1)

64576-A I FOUND MY YELLOW BASKET (-1 ensemble voc.)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above

�??Thesaurus Transcriptions�?�, New York, January 9, 1939



BY HECK



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above

New York, February 17, 1939



65039-A UNDECIDED (-1)

65040-A �??TAIN�??T WHAT YOU DO (IT�??S THE WAY THAT CHA DO IT) (-1)

65041-A IN THE GROOVE AT THE GROVE

65042-A ONE SIDE OF ME (-1)

65043-A MY HEART BELONGS TO DADDY (-1)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above, but John Trueheart, g; replaces Bobby Johnson

New York, March 2, 1939



65097-A CHEW-CHEW-CHEW (YOUR BUBBLE GUM) (-1)



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above

New York, April 21, 1939



65445-A LITTLE WHITE LIES



Chick Webb and his Orchestra : Same personnel as above

Southland Cafe, Boston, May 4, 1939



BREAKIN�?? EM DOWN