Paul Francis Webster (August 24, 1909 - May 6, 1966) was a

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

trumpeter in the

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

era. He was a high-note specialist for

Jimmie Lunceford James Melvin Lunceford (June 6, 1902 – July 12, 1947) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and bandleader in the swing era. Early life Lunceford was born on a farm in the Evergreen community, west of the Tombigbee River, near Fulton, Mis ...

's band, and later played in several other big bands.

Early life

Webster was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 24, 1909. He attended

Fisk University Fisk University is a private historically black liberal arts college in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded in 1866 and its campus is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1930, Fisk was the first Africa ...

Later life and career

Webster became a professional musician around 1927. He played in bands led by

George E. Lee George Ewing Lee (April 28, 1896 – October 2, 1958) was an American jazz bandleader. Born in Boonville, Missouri, Lee was the older brother of pianist/singer Julia Lee. He played in a band while serving in the Army in 1917; following this he sa ...

(1927),

Bennie Moten Benjamin Moten (November 13, 1893 – April 2, 1935) was an American jazz pianist and band leader born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. He led his Kansas City Orchestra, the most important of the regional, blues-based orchest ...

(1927–28), Paul Banks (1930), and Jap Allen (around 1930). He joined

's band in 1931, then moved to Tommy Douglas (around the same year), and vocalist Eli Rice (1933–34). Webster returned to Lunceford in 1935, and became known as a high-note specialist. He appeared on film in ''Jimmie Lunceford and His Dance Orchestra'', which was made in 1936. After leaving Lunceford in 1944, he joined

Cab Calloway Cabell Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, conductor and dancer. He was associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he was a regular performer and became a popular vocalist ...

's band, and played with them on and off into the 1950s. He was part of other bands in the same period, including those led by

Charlie Barnet Charles Daly Barnet (October 26, 1913 – September 4, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. His major recordings were "Skyliner", "Cherokee", "The Wrong Idea", "Scotch and Soda", "In a Mizz", and "Southland Shuffle ...

(1946–47, and 1952–53),

Sy Oliver Melvin James "Sy" Oliver (December 17, 1910 – May 28, 1988) was an American jazz arranger, trumpeter, composer, singer and bandleader. Life Sy Oliver was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. His mother was a piano teacher, and his ...

(1947),

Eddie Wilcox Eddie Wilcox (December 27, 1907 – September 29, 1968) was an American jazz pianist and arranger. Biography Born in Method, North Carolina, Wilcox studied at Fisk University, where he met Jimmie Lunceford. He played with Lunceford in college ba ...

, and

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

(1950). He played part-time from 1953 into the 1960s. Webster died in New York on May 6, 1966.

Discography

With

* ''Lunceford Special'' (Columbia 1967) * ''Harlem Shout Vol. 2 (1935–1936)'' (Decca, 1967) * ''Rhythm Is Our Business Vol. 1 (1934–1935)'' (Decca, 1968) * ''For Dancers Only Vol. 3 (1936–1937)'' (MCA 1972) * ''1940'' (Circle 1981) With others *

, ''Sky Liner'' (MCA 1976) *

, ''Hi De Ho Man'' (Columbia 1974) *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

, ''The First Lady of Song'' (Decca, 1958) *

Rex Stewart Rex William Stewart Jr. (February 22, 1907 – September 7, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist who was a member of the Duke Ellington orchestra. Career As a boy he studied piano and violin; most of his career was spent on cornet. Stewart drop ...

, ''

Henderson Homecoming ''Henderson Homecoming'' is a live album performed by cornetist Rex Stewart with the Fletcher Henderson Alumni that was recorded at the Great South Bay Jazz Festival in 1958 and released on the United Artists label.Edwards, D., Eyries, P. & Calla ...

'' (United Artists, 1959)

References

External links

Paul Webster recordings
at the

Discography of American Historical Recordings The Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) is a database of master recordings made by American record companies during the 78rpm era. The DAHR provides some of these original recordings, free of charge, via audio streaming, along with ...

. ;Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Webster, Paul American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters Fisk University alumni 1909 births 1966 deaths 20th-century American musicians 20th-century trumpeters 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians