AccuRadio Song Of The Day-Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb

Artist:Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb

Song:A-Tisket A-Tasket

Album:Swingsation

Today jazz drummer Chick Webb is mostly forgotten. But in the 30s, he was a big factor in the development of jazz and drummers in particular. Plus he brought us the legendary singer Ella Fitzgerald and her signature song A-Tisket A-Tasket. Webb was born Feb. 10, 1905 in Baltimore. As an infant, Webb fell down stairs and crushed several vertebrae which required surgery. Webb never regained full mobility. This progressed to tuberculosis of the spine and left him looking like a very short hunchback. His doctor suggested playing a musical instrument and Webb started playing drums at age 11. He moved to New York and by 1931, he was the leader of the house band at New York's Savoy Ballroom. In those days, live shows were more important than recording. Webb used to host Battle of the Bands contests at the Savoy against guys like Benny Goodman, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Webb was the first drummer and bandleader. And his playing style was very influential on guys like Buddy Rich. Meanwhile, Ella Fitzgerald was performing at Amateur Nights at the Apollo. After Bardu Ali spotted her performing with Tiny Bradshaw, he introduced Ella to Webb and she started singing with his band at the Savoy. They recorded for Decca and had some success. But they really hit the jackpot with Ella's 1938 arrangement of the nursery rhyme A-Tisket A-Tasket which she wrote with Van Alexander. It was soon after that Webb's health declined due to tuberculosis and he died on June 16, 1939 at age 34. Ella continued to lead the band until she left to go solo in 1942. You can get all of Ella's hits with Webb on this budget comp. Though Webb is forgotten today, he was very influential on the sound of jazz and drummers like Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich and Louie Bellson in particular. And you can stream the 2012 documentary The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America on YouTube. Here's Ella Fitzgerald performing A-Tisket A-Tasket in the 1942 film Buck Privates.