In the first drum solo in Liza, you can hear hear the roots of Philly Joe Jones. My father, a drummer in Detroit in the 1930's, admired Webb to the point of having the exact same drums and set up. In the 1950's he still had that drum set until he gave it away to the Salvation Army. I may never forgive him for that.
Chick Webb has a playground and recreation center named after him near Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. While it has been in a state of disrepair for a while, It was recently announced that it’s getting a large, modern renovation.
I love Chick Webb, I need to read this book. Now if only someone would write a book about Dave Tough. Not the same type of greatness, but man can that guy lift up a recording.
Thank you for this great article Mr. Gioia! I’m deeply honored that you read the article I wrote and appreciated it! Let’s make some noise for CHICK WEBB!
When I first arrived in Vermont almost 50 years ago, a town character, finding that I was a drummer, pressured me to play with him, swing music, including Chick Webb. He had the vinyl albums. The thing was, he played accordion and although I did play some in a band, and had a drum set, I was primarily a rudimental drummer mostly from a fife and drum corps background. He did come to my house for a rehearsal. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. I had to tell the man that I was sorry and couldn’t continue with the musical abomination - (I didn’t use that term. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings).
Anyway, it was my first acquaintance with Chick Webb. But I still knew little about him until I saw the Ken Burns documentary.
It is clear that he was the inspiration for the subsequent great drummers of the bebop era and beyond.
Thanks for this article. There's a beautiful film about Chick Webb called The Savoy King. I don't think it has been screened here in the UK but I sent off for the CD from the lovely people at Floating World Pictures. https://www.floatingworldpictures.com/our-films-the-savoy-king
Thanks for this article, Ted. Chick deserves more attention for sure. You do know that he got a cameo of sorts in the movie Taxi Driver, via Gene Palma, self-styled NYC drum historian.
Thank you for this excellent piece on Chick Webb. He truly was an amazing drummer and his story is nothing short of astounding. I look forward to reading the biography.
My favorite Chick Webb tidbit I heard is that he had such a heavy kick drum foot they had to nail his drum set to the stage or it would scoot forward all night.
Great article. Thanks, Ted! Chick Webb gets a shout out in Paolo Conte's "Gong-oh." So, even the Italians know who he is. His stuff comes up now and then on Sirius XM's '40's Junction, which my family loves to listen to in the car.
Great to read this. Chick Webb, what a great life and story. I was very fortunate to have Stephanie Crease as a guest for a panel and listening event I put together on Gil Evans at the NY Library for the Performing arts a few years back. I also got to see her speak on Chick before the book came out at the International Jazz Museum in Harlem and have been waiting for this book to come out, which I somehow missed! AND great too to read Vinnie Sperrazza’s piece. I met Vinnie after COVID when I produced and co-hosted open street music events in Brooklyn for my nonprofit MOMENT NYC with Ibeam Brooklyn and others. I only know Vinnie as a great drummer and fantastic to find his writing as well. So now, after discovering Mr Gioia through ‘Music: a subversive history’ and following The Honesty Broker, it’s nice to find these intertwined connections with people through our shared interests. Incidentally, I got a copy of The Savoy King a few years ago which I enjoyed, however, Stephanie informed my that through her research found it contained a few factual errors. I’m looking forward to getting my copy of the book!
And I won't forget my mother ,making my dad (a pretty good drummer) quit playing. I woke up one Sunday morning when I was approx 10 years old. There laying on the couch was my dad, face all cut up & obviously in a bad way. The night before he was driving home from his weekend gig as a drummer in a small Jazz/Pop band. It was quite a ways from home & I figure he had been drinking as well. We always joked as we drove by on the major highway that passed nearby & pointed out "There is Dad's Lightpole". He had taken out a Large signal pole at a main intersection. ,Kinda totaled the car as well. That seemed to end my Dad's gigging & drumming career. Never saw the drums again. (I got his nice Bongos & Drum brushes & sticks) Maybe 10 years later he did come to one of my R&R bands Practices & set in on the drums. He could still play & always did the Krupa (His Fav) thing from Sing Sing Sing
In the first drum solo in Liza, you can hear hear the roots of Philly Joe Jones. My father, a drummer in Detroit in the 1930's, admired Webb to the point of having the exact same drums and set up. In the 1950's he still had that drum set until he gave it away to the Salvation Army. I may never forgive him for that.
Chick Webb has a playground and recreation center named after him near Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. While it has been in a state of disrepair for a while, It was recently announced that it’s getting a large, modern renovation.
https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2023-05-24-mayor-scott-rec-parks-announce-renovations-chick-webb-memorial-rec
I love Chick Webb, I need to read this book. Now if only someone would write a book about Dave Tough. Not the same type of greatness, but man can that guy lift up a recording.
Thank you for this great article Mr. Gioia! I’m deeply honored that you read the article I wrote and appreciated it! Let’s make some noise for CHICK WEBB!
Thanks to Ken Burns and his Jazz documentary, he was known to me, your write up adds a lot more detail, thank you.
When I first arrived in Vermont almost 50 years ago, a town character, finding that I was a drummer, pressured me to play with him, swing music, including Chick Webb. He had the vinyl albums. The thing was, he played accordion and although I did play some in a band, and had a drum set, I was primarily a rudimental drummer mostly from a fife and drum corps background. He did come to my house for a rehearsal. Needless to say, it didn’t go well. I had to tell the man that I was sorry and couldn’t continue with the musical abomination - (I didn’t use that term. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings).
Anyway, it was my first acquaintance with Chick Webb. But I still knew little about him until I saw the Ken Burns documentary.
It is clear that he was the inspiration for the subsequent great drummers of the bebop era and beyond.
Thanks for this article. There's a beautiful film about Chick Webb called The Savoy King. I don't think it has been screened here in the UK but I sent off for the CD from the lovely people at Floating World Pictures. https://www.floatingworldpictures.com/our-films-the-savoy-king
Thanks for this article, Ted. Chick deserves more attention for sure. You do know that he got a cameo of sorts in the movie Taxi Driver, via Gene Palma, self-styled NYC drum historian.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSfSACaxBbY&t=6s
Chick is the bee’s knees! 🥁😎🍻
I spent many hours with J.C. Heard and he would always say Webb was the best and recalled fondly seeing him play.
Thank you for this excellent piece on Chick Webb. He truly was an amazing drummer and his story is nothing short of astounding. I look forward to reading the biography.
My favorite Chick Webb tidbit I heard is that he had such a heavy kick drum foot they had to nail his drum set to the stage or it would scoot forward all night.
Great article. Thanks, Ted! Chick Webb gets a shout out in Paolo Conte's "Gong-oh." So, even the Italians know who he is. His stuff comes up now and then on Sirius XM's '40's Junction, which my family loves to listen to in the car.
Great to read this. Chick Webb, what a great life and story. I was very fortunate to have Stephanie Crease as a guest for a panel and listening event I put together on Gil Evans at the NY Library for the Performing arts a few years back. I also got to see her speak on Chick before the book came out at the International Jazz Museum in Harlem and have been waiting for this book to come out, which I somehow missed! AND great too to read Vinnie Sperrazza’s piece. I met Vinnie after COVID when I produced and co-hosted open street music events in Brooklyn for my nonprofit MOMENT NYC with Ibeam Brooklyn and others. I only know Vinnie as a great drummer and fantastic to find his writing as well. So now, after discovering Mr Gioia through ‘Music: a subversive history’ and following The Honesty Broker, it’s nice to find these intertwined connections with people through our shared interests. Incidentally, I got a copy of The Savoy King a few years ago which I enjoyed, however, Stephanie informed my that through her research found it contained a few factual errors. I’m looking forward to getting my copy of the book!
"I may never forgive him for that. "
And I won't forget my mother ,making my dad (a pretty good drummer) quit playing. I woke up one Sunday morning when I was approx 10 years old. There laying on the couch was my dad, face all cut up & obviously in a bad way. The night before he was driving home from his weekend gig as a drummer in a small Jazz/Pop band. It was quite a ways from home & I figure he had been drinking as well. We always joked as we drove by on the major highway that passed nearby & pointed out "There is Dad's Lightpole". He had taken out a Large signal pole at a main intersection. ,Kinda totaled the car as well. That seemed to end my Dad's gigging & drumming career. Never saw the drums again. (I got his nice Bongos & Drum brushes & sticks) Maybe 10 years later he did come to one of my R&R bands Practices & set in on the drums. He could still play & always did the Krupa (His Fav) thing from Sing Sing Sing
Thank you so much for this, Ted--I can't wait to read this book!