Lawrence Arthur "Speed" Webb (18 July 1906 – 4 November 1994) was an American

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 ...

drummer and

territory band Territory bands were dance bands that crisscrossed specific regions of the United States from the 1920s through the 1960s. Beginning in the 1920s, the bands typically had 8 to 12 musicians. These bands typically played one-nighters, six or seven n ...

leader especially active in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Biography

Webb first began playing on violin and mellophone before switching to drums. By 1923 he was performing locally around

Peru, Indiana Peru is a city in, and the county seat of, Miami County, Indiana, Miami County, Indiana, United States. It is north of Indianapolis. The population was 11,417 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in Miami County. Peru is located ...

, and in 1925 co-founded the Hoosier Melody Lads, a cooperative band. In 1926 the band, led by Webb, had a recording session with

Gennett Records Gennett (pronounced "jennett") was an American record company and label in Richmond, Indiana, United States, which flourished in the 1920s. Gennett produced some of the earliest recordings by Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Bix Beiderbecke, and H ...

(of

Richmond, Indiana Richmond is a city in eastern Wayne County, Indiana. Bordering the state of Ohio, it is the county seat of Wayne County and is part of the Dayton, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 36,812. Situa ...

), although no discs were issued. Later that year the band moved to California, where it had residencies at various clubs and from 1928-29 appeared in several films, including '' Sins of the Fathers'' (1928), ''

Riley the Cop ''Riley the Cop'' is a 1928 American comedy film directed by John Ford. It was a silent film with a synchronized music track and sound effects. Cast * J. Farrell MacDonald as James "Aloysius" Riley (as Farrell Macdonald) * Nancy Drexel as Mary ...

'' (1928) and ''His Captive Woman'' (1929). After 1929 Webb led a number of bands (see below), mostly as conductor but also at times as drummer and singer, up until 1938 when he retired from full-time performance. Different lineups of Speed Webb and His Melody Lads, Speed Webb and His Hollywood Blue Devils and, between 1925 and 1938, Schuller, Gunther (1989
''The Swing Era : The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945'', p. 781. Oxford University Press
at Google Books. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Speed Webb and His Hoosier Melody Lads, included

Art Tatum Arthur Tatum Jr. (, October 13, 1909 – November 5, 1956) was an American jazz pianist who is widely regarded as one of the greatest in his field. From early in his career, Tatum's technical ability was regarded by fellow musicians as extraord ...

Henderson Chambers Henderson Chambers (May 1, 1908 – October 19, 1967) was an American jazz trombonist. Early life and education Chambers was born in Alexandria, Louisiana. He studied at Leland College and Morehouse College, then joined Neil Montgomery's ban ...

Teddy Buckner Teddy Buckner (July 16, 1909 in Sherman, Texas – September 22, 1994 in Los Angeles, California) was an American jazz trumpeter associated with Dixieland music. Early in his career Buckner played with Sonny Clay. He worked with Buck Clayton ...

Vic Dickenson Victor Dickenson (August 6, 1906 – November 16, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through musical partnerships with Count Basie (1940–41), Sidney Bechet (1941), and Earl Hines. Life and care ...

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of ma ...

and his brother Gus Wilson,

Roy Eldridge David Roy Eldridge (January 30, 1911 – February 26, 1989), nicknamed "Little Jazz", was an American jazz trumpeter. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, his virtuosic solos exhibiting a departure from t ...

and his brother Joe Eldridge, Eli Robinson,

Reunald Jones Reunald Jones Sr. (December 22, 1910 – February 26, 1989), was an American jazz trumpeter, who worked in big bands and as a studio musician. He played lead trumpet with the Count Basie Orchestra (1952–57). Career A native of Indianapolis, Ind ...

, Wilson, Teddy and Ligthart, Arie (2001
''Teddy Wilson Talks Jazz'', p. 10. Continuum International Publishing Group
at Google Books. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Melvin Bowles, William Warfield, Samuel Scott, Chick Wallace, Leonard Gray, Steve Dunn, Wilson, Teddy and Ligthart, Arie (2001
''Teddy Wilson Talks Jazz'', p. 84. Continuum International Publishing Group
at Google Books. Retrieved 2 May 2013. with

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 ...

doing arrangements.

Discography

There appear to be no extant recordings of Speedy Webb and his orchestras. No discs were issued from the Gennet recording session of 1926, and the soundtracks of the movies he and his band appeared in seem to have been recorded by the various studio orchestras.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Speed 1906 births 1994 deaths Musicians from Indiana American jazz drummers American jazz bandleaders 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians