Film · 2012 · 1h 32m

The Savoy King: Chick Webb & the Music That Changed America

Name: The Savoy King: Chick Webb & the Music That Changed America
Genre: Documentary, Music
Released: 2012-10-02
Duration: 1 h 32 min
Cast: Rocky Carroll, Billy Crystal, Tyne Daly, Keith David, Duke Ellington

Documentary Music

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Synopsis

Born poor in Baltimore, Chick Webb broke his back as a boy and faced life as a hunchback dwarf afflicted with Spinal Tuberculosis. Someone suggested drumming as physical therapy, and Webb found his calling: at only 16 he built the hottest jazz orchestra in America at Harlem’s Savoy Ballroom, one of the rare places where Blacks and Whites could socialize together. The artists discovered and mentored by Webb are extraordinary, but perhaps no star shines brighter than that of Ella Fitzgerald. Features interviews with those who knew or played with Webb and period footage.