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Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America presents the first full-length biography of the Swing Era icon, restoring this pioneering virtuoso drummer and bandleader's primacy alongside other 20th century jazz giants.
List of contents
- Table of Contents
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1: Baltimore Beginnings
- 2: Baltimoreans in the Music World
- 3: Scuffling in Heaven
- 4: A Bandleader's Beginnings
- 5. Savoy: "The World's Finest Ballroom"
- 6: Harlem Stompers
- 7: Former Baltimore Newspaper Boy
- 8: Ol' Man Depression
- 9: On the Road with Louis
- 10: A Bandleader's Rise
- 11. Showtime in the Theater Wars
- 12: Spinnin' the Webb
- 13: Sing Me a Swing Song
- 14: Chasin' the Blues Away
- 15: Jumping the Fence
- 16: Vote for Mr. Rhythm
- 17: Battling It Out in Swingtime
- 18: The Last Grooves
- 19: Have Mercy
- Epilogue
- Notes
- Sources
- Bibliography
- Selected Discography
- Index
About the author
Stephanie Stein Crease is a jazz historian, author, editor, and former Senior Jazz Coordinator for the Jazz Arts Program, Manhattan School of Music. Her books include Gil Evans: Out of the Cool (2002 ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award), and Duke Ellington: His Life in Jazz (2009). She was literary editor for the Grammy-awarded Duke Ellington Centennial Edition. She was a 2020 Scholar-in Residence at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, NYPL, and 2018 Berger-Benny Carter-Berger Research Fellow at the Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University.
Summary
The first comprehensive biography of the Swing Era's pioneering virtuoso drummer and bandleader
William Henry "Chick" Webb (1905-39) was one of the first virtuoso drummers in jazz and an innovative bandleader dubbed the "Savoy King," who reigned at Harlem's world-famous Savoy Ballroom. Along with the likes of Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, and Cab Calloway, Webb helped create the popular dance and music culture, known as Swing, that swept the United States during and after the Great Depression and left an indelible impact on American culture. Having moved to Harlem from Baltimore during the Harlem Renaissance, Webb's creativity, charisma and persistence enabled him to navigate the harsh realities of racism and show business, lifting not only himself to stardom but also bringing other future legends-namely vocalist extraordinaire Ella Fitzgerald and R&B trailblazer Louis Jordan-along with him. But at the peak of his fame, at just 34 years of age, his life was cut short by the chronic spinal tuberculosis that had left him four feet tall with a hump on his back.
In this first comprehensive biography of Webb, author Stephanie Stein Crease traces his story in full, showing how his skills and innovations as a bandleader helped catalyze the music of the Swing Era and the growing big band industry, allowing Webb to become one of the most influential musicians in jazz history. Crease explores Webb's personal and professional struggles as he rose to the top of the increasingly competitive world of big band jazz.
Complete with rare photographs, posters, news clippings, and a discography, this biography will be a gift to jazz aficionados and scholars.
Additional text
Crease provides a rich, dynamic look at Webb's lived experiences and the channels through which his musical and cultural influence have permeated numerous dimensions of American culture. Rhythm Man offers an accessible, page-turning story of Webb's life and numerous listening suggestions, so it will also interest fans of more conventional jazz biographies. This broad appeal makes Rhythm Man a particularly welcome addition to the mosaic of discourses that make up jazz history.
