Stompin' at the Savoy

December 7, 2020
Colorfully accentuated onomatopoeia and musical notes punctuate this profile of brilliant self-taught drummer William “Chick” Webb. Born in early-20th-century East Baltimore with spinal tuberculosis, Webb’s lifelong back pain was exacerbated after a childhood fall down the stairs, which resulted in “a hunched back” and, due to his resultant walking style, the nickname “Chicken.” After a surgery, the doctor recommended drumming to strengthen Webb’s arms; after fashioning drumsticks out of spoons, Webb earned real ones by selling newspapers, eventually creating a swing band with Ella Fitzgerald at the helm. Freeman’s bright digital illustrations add energy to the narrative, which reaches its apogee as 4’1” Chick takes on the over-six-feet-tall Benny Goodman in a battle of the bands at the integrated Savoy Ballroom in 1937. Donohue largely elides any racial discrimination Webb may have faced, focusing instead on his musicality and physicality. Back matter features a section called “More about Chick,” which concludes with a brief author’s note. Ages 7–8.

February 1, 2021

K-Gr 3-William Henry "Chick" Webb, a Black drummer born in the early 1900s in East Baltimore, MD, had spinal tuberculosis, but his rhythmic skills carried him to the heights of jazz music. Called "chicken" for his posture, Webb embraced the epithet, turning it into his lifelong nickname, "Chick." When he was a child, Webb fell down the stairs and needed an operation. Following the surgery, a doctor instructed Webb to practice drumming to strengthen his arms. He practiced with wooden spoons because his mother couldn't afford to buy drumsticks. When Webb was nine or 10, he sold newspapers on the street and was eventually able to pay for his own sticks, and later a drumset. As a teenager, he was hired to play in bands, though he couldn't read music. On the advice of Duke Ellington, he formed his own band and hired Ella Fitzgerald as lead singer. Shortly, he was performing at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem where thousands danced to his swing beat. He competed in band competitions, losing to his old friend Ellington but besting Benny Goodman, the "King of Swing." Webb became the "King of Drums." Donohue tells this inspiring story smoothly and succinctly, with lively language. Freeman's animated digital illustrations are filled with musical symbols. Integrated crowds watch the young newsboy twirling his drumsticks; years later Black and white club patrons dance to his beat at the Savoy. An author's note explains more about swing jazz and Chick's physical issues and short life. VERDICT An upbeat addition to biographical picture book collections.-Kathleen Isaacs, Children's Literature Specialist, Pasadena, MD

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2021
Grades 1-3 After childhood illness, injury, and surgery left young William Henry Webb with a hunched back and stunted his growth, his doctor suggested that he take up drumming to strengthen his arms. His mother couldn't afford drums or drumsticks, so he used whatever came to hand, beating away on pots and pans, stairs, and garbage cans. Nicknamed Chick as a child, he remained short in stature as an adult, but he became a giant among jazz and swing drummers in the 1920s and 1930s, when he formed his own band with young Ella Fitzgerald as lead singer and himself on drums. This picture book concludes with his band's win over Benny Goodman's in a battle-of-the-bands competition in Harlem's Savoy Ballroom. The story flows well, following Webb's childhood affinity for drumming into his successful career. Freeman's dynamic illustrations feature well-defined forms; deep, rich colors; and an indefinable sense of music arising perhaps from the visual rhythm of repeated shapes, particularly dancers, as well as the colorful quarter notes floating through certain scenes. An enjoyable picture-book biography.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2021
Jazz drummer and swing-band leader Chick Webb had big challenges -- and big dreams. Spinal tuberculosis caused him constant pain and stunted his growth at four feet, one inch. Nevertheless, this gifted African American musician grew up to form his own band (with singer Ella Fitzgerald), winning a legendary "battle of the bands" against Benny Goodman in 1937. Donohue's upbeat text includes lots of onomatopoeia, emphasizing the rhythms that kept Webb's "heart beat�ing] in swing time." Freeman's energetic illustrations keep pace with the narrative and ably convey Webb's indomitable spirit. An endnote provides some historical context.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

December 1, 2020
Drummer Chick Webb may not have been big, but he was a force to be reckoned with. Born in East Baltimore somewhere around the turn of the 20th century, little William Webb suffered from spinal tuberculosis, a condition that was exacerbated when he experienced a fall. After an operation, his doctor recommended the family get him a drum set as a means of physical therapy. As that was financially out of reach, William used spoons and pots and pans, eventually buying himself a set of drumsticks and then a full drum kit from his newsboy income. He walked with a hunch and never grew taller than 4-foot-1, but that didn't stop him from drumming. Punctuating her account with ample onomatopoeia ("Dig-a-dig-a-dig-a-dig-a!"), Donohue describes how he recruited "only the best musicians for his band," including Ella Fitzgerald as lead singer. He presided over the Savoy Ballroom, which permitted both Black and White dancers and where he and his band played Benny Goodman's to its knees. Her focus is on the African American musician's extraordinary talent and his physical challenges, but she does touch on the discrimination of the times. His tragically early death just two years after the showdown with Goodman is revealed in an author's note. Freeman's illustrations are full of movement, musical staves and notes swirling across the spreads in visual accentuation of Webb's swing beat. (This book was reviewed digitally with 11-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 58% of actual size.) An effervescent celebration. (Picture book/biography. 5-8)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.