Ritmo Kaliente

Webster used a number of the best big band market leaders from the ‘30s and ‘40s, including Bennie Moten, Jimmie Lunceford, Cab Calloway, Charlie Barnet, and Count number Basie. Webster was initially trained trumpet by an uncle. He went to Fisk University within the middle ‘20s, where he presumably fulfilled Lunceford, who went to Fisk around once. After university he came back to Kansas Town and became an embalmer for a while before time for music. From 1927-1934 he used George E. Lee, Bennie Moten, Jap Allen, Lunceford, Tommy Douglas, and Eli Grain. He rejoined Lunceford’s music group in 1935, remaining until 1944, of which period he became a member of Calloway’s orchestra. Webster caused Calloway periodically through the ‘40s and ‘50s, dealing with additional bandleaders aswell, including Barnet in 1946-7 and 1952-3. He also used Sy Oliver, Louis Armstrong, and Eddie Wilcox (who experienced bought out Lunceford’s band following the leader’s loss of life in 1947). Webster used Basie in the first ‘50s. He retired from playing music regular in 1953 and required a job using the U.S. Immigration Support; he also worked well for the brand new York Town subway program. Webster continued to try out and record intermittently in to the early ‘60s before dying of the respiratory disease in 1966.