Sophie Bennett
William Henry Chick Webb, born in Baltimore, Maryland, was a celebrated drummer, composer, and bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance. Webb's band was one of the dominant big bands of the swing era, and he was hailed as the King of Swing, the Drum King, and King of the Savoy. Webb is known for his powerful drumming and showmanship, and his influence extended to other famous drummers such as Art Blakey, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich. Webb is also credited with discovering and mentoring a famous singer who went on to become a legend in her own right.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Ella Fitzgerald |
| Association with Chick Webb's Band | Lead vocalist |
| Famous recordings with Chick Webb's Band | "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (1935), "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (1938) with Louis Jordan |
| Other notable achievements | Known as the First Lady of Swing, led the Chick Webb Band after Webb's death until 1942 |
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What You'll Learn
Ella Fitzgerald's career launch
Ella Fitzgerald, born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia, had a tumultuous adolescence. She dreamed of becoming a dancer, but fate had other plans. In 1934, at the age of 17, she participated in an amateur contest at New York City's Apollo Theatre. Overcome with panic, she instead chose to sing, inspired by the jazz vocalist Connee Boswell. Her performance won her first prize and marked the beginning of her journey into the world of music.
In 1935, Fitzgerald's talent caught the attention of saxophonist and arranger Benny Carter, who introduced her to influential people in the industry, including drummer and bandleader Chick Webb. Webb, born William Henry Webb, was a celebrated drummer, composer, and bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance. Despite already having a male singer in his band, Webb offered Fitzgerald a chance to perform with them at Yale University, and the audience loved her. Thus, in 1935, Fitzgerald joined the Chick Webb Orchestra, and her career took off.
Fitzgerald's rendition of the nursery rhyme "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" in 1938 became her first major hit, elevating her and Webb to national fame. This success was a turning point, and she went on to perform across the country, particularly at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem, which was closely associated with Webb and his orchestra. Webb, hailed as the "King of Swing," played a pivotal role in mentoring Fitzgerald, and their collaboration left an indelible mark on the jazz world.
After Webb's death in 1939, Fitzgerald took over as the band's leader for two years until it disbanded in 1942, marking the beginning of her solo career. She continued to work with renowned jazz musicians and created music with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. Her career spanned six decades, during which she won 13 or 14 Grammy Awards and sold over 40 million albums, solidifying her place as an international legend and the "First Lady of Song."
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'A Tisket, A Tasket'
"A Tisket, A Tasket" is a song that was popularised by Chick Webb's band in 1938 with Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan. The song is an adaptation of a nursery rhyme with "jazzy nonsense lyrics":
> A-tisket, a-tasket, a green-and-yellow basket,/ I wrote a letter to my mommy,/ on the way I dropped it.
The song was recorded by Webb's band in 1935, with teenage Ella Fitzgerald as the vocalist. It was her biggest-selling record to date. The song elevated both Webb and Fitzgerald's reputations. Webb was a celebrated drummer, composer, and bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance, hailed as the "'King of Swing', while Fitzgerald went on to become known as the "'First Lady of Swing'.
The song has been referenced and covered numerous times since its original release. For example, it was used in the 1938 film The Cowboy and the Lady, and was included on Hayley Mills' 1961 album Let's Get Together with Hayley Mills. It was also referenced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince, Eminem, Madonna, and in a 1970s Nabisco advertising campaign, which featured the lyrics "A Triscuit, A Triscuit, baked only by Nabisco". More recently, it was used in the 2018 horror game Baldi's Basics.
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Ella's band leadership
Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella", was an American singer, songwriter, and composer. She was known for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, absolute pitch, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
Fitzgerald's career with Chick Webb's band began in 1935 when she was hired as the lead vocalist. Her rendition of the nursery rhyme "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" helped boost both her and Webb to national fame. In addition to her work with Webb, Fitzgerald performed and recorded with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. She also had her own side project, Ella Fitzgerald and Her Savoy Eight.
After Webb’s death from tuberculosis in 1939, Fitzgerald took over as bandleader and the group was renamed Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra. She recorded nearly 150 songs with Webb's orchestra between 1935 and 1942. During this time, she also had several collaborations outside of the band, including with the vocal quartet Bill Kenny & the Ink Spots, trumpeter Louis Armstrong, the guitarist Joe Pass, and the bandleaders Count Basie and Duke Ellington.
In 1942, Fitzgerald left Webb's band to start her solo career. She went on to record several albums with piano accompaniment, but she also experimented with guitar, which proved to be the perfect melodic foil for her voice.
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Webb's influence on Ella
The famous singer Ella Fitzgerald is associated with Chick Webb's band. Webb and Fitzgerald formed an odd couple, with Webb being hunchbacked, abnormally short, and having a large head and shoulders due to congenital tuberculosis of the spine, while Fitzgerald towered over him. Despite their physical differences, they formed a powerful musical duo.
Webb was a celebrated drummer, composer, and bandleader during the Harlem Renaissance. He was known as the King of Swing, the Drum King, and the King of the Savoy. He was also hailed as one of the Immortals of Jazz. Webb's health had always been precarious due to his illness, and he died in 1939 at just 30 years old.
Fitzgerald joined Webb's orchestra in 1935, and within three years, the pair had achieved national stardom. Webb is credited with discovering and mentoring Fitzgerald, who became known as the First Lady of Swing. He gave her the freedom to develop her style and skills, and their collaboration elevated both of their reputations. Together, they recorded popular songs such as A-Tisket, A-Tasket in 1935, which became Fitzgerald's biggest-selling record at that time.
After Webb's death in 1939, Fitzgerald led the band for two years until it broke up in 1942. She went on to have a successful recording career, with some of her best work being produced later in her life.
Chick Webb's influence on Ella Fitzgerald was significant. He gave her a platform to showcase her talent, helped her develop her skills, and introduced her to a national audience. Their collaboration broke down barriers and paved the way for future drummer-led bands and female vocalists in the predominantly male-dominated jazz world. Webb's mentorship and their mutual success had a lasting impact on Fitzgerald's career and life.
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Ella's solo career
Ella Fitzgerald, also known as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella", had a solo career spanning nearly sixty years. She was known for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, intonation, absolute pitch, and a "horn-like" improvisational ability, particularly in her scat singing.
In 1938, when she was a singer with the Chick Webb swing band, her career was launched with the song "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", a collaboration with the band's arranger, Van Alexander. The song went to Number 1 on the Hit Parade and stayed there for 19 weeks. After Webb's death in 1939, Fitzgerald assumed leadership of the band for the next two years before leaving to start her solo career in 1942.
In 1946, she began working with producer Norman Granz, joining his Jazz at the Philharmonic concert tours. Granz became her manager and began recording her for his Verve label. This led to her recording with numerous greats, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Oscar Peterson.
Fitzgerald also appeared in films and on popular television shows in the second half of the twentieth century. She recorded several albums with piano accompaniment, but she also recorded four albums with guitar accompaniment by Joe Pass. Her partnerships with Duke Ellington produced two live albums and two studio albums, including the extremely well-received 'Ella at Duke's Place' in 1965.
Fitzgerald's accolades included 14 Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts, the NAACP's inaugural President's Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Frequently asked questions
The famous singer Ella Fitzgerald is associated with Chick Webb's band. She was hired as his lead vocalist and was soon known as the First Lady of Swing.
Ella Fitzgerald recorded the song "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" with Chick Webb's band in 1935. She also sang on "Stompin' at the Savoy" in 1934.
Ella Fitzgerald led the Chick Webb band after his death in 1939 until 1942 when she left to focus on her solo career.
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