Freddie Webster with Sonny Boy Williams

Trumpeter Freddie Webster (1916-1947) was a "musician's musician" - mostly forgotten now, but revered by his fellow trumpet players at the time. Dizzy Gillespie said of him, "Freddie Webster probably had the best sound on a trumpet since it was invented." Miles Davis once stated, "Freddie Webster is the trumpeter I tried to imitate," and Webster's influence is apparent in Davis' early recordings - hear Miles' "Now's the Time" solo with Charlie Parker. Webster combined his full, beautiful sound with a searching modernism; his unusual note choices revealed an advanced harmonic sophistication.

Unfortunately, Webster had a short life and didn't leave behind that many recordings. Most of the recordings he did make were as a big-band section player; there are only a few on which he was featured as a soloist. Here is a complete session from July 26, 1942, with Webster as part of a small band backing up singer Sonny Boy Williams. Besides Webster and Williams, the personnel is not known.

And not much is known about Enoch Williams, whose stage name is (perhaps intentionally) confusingly similar to that of blues singer John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson. (The other Sonny Boy Williamson, Rice Miller, had not yet recorded at the time.) No one would mistake Sonny Boy Williams for Williamson, though - John Lee's music was downhome blues, and Enoch Williams was a light, smooth, swinging crooner. The songs on this session tend toward novelty, and except for Webster's composition "Reverse the Charges," don't have much musical or lyrical value. But the unknown tenor saxophone soloist is quite good, and the alto saxist and pianist are solid enough. Webster's playing is fascinating, although he doesn't get any more solo space than anyone else. He doesn't solo at all on "Savoy is Jumpin'," but I've included it for completeness' sake.

Here are the four tunes in recording order. "Savoy is Jumpin'" and "Honey It Must be Love" were originally issued on Decca 8643; "Rubber Bounce" and "Reverse the Charges" on Decca 8651.

Savoy is Jumpin'

Reverse the Charges

Rubber Bounce

Honey It Must be Love