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Mitchell "Tiny" Webb (aka "Big Tiny" Webb; Mitchell Harrison Webb; 24 January 1921 Yoakum, Texas – 26 December 1954 Los Angeles) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues guitarist.

Career

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Webb has worked in Los Angeles since the mid-1940s with Happy Johnson, Jesse Perry, Duke Henderson,

  • Dorothy Donegan (1924–1998) (pianist, vocalist),
  • Jay McShann (1916–2006) (pianist, vocalist),
  • Hadda Brooks,
  • Sylvester Mike,
  • Lowell Fulson (1921–1999) (blues guitarist),
  • Johnny Crawford,
  • Jimmy Witherspoon (1920–1997) (Jump blues vocalist) ("Miss Clawdy B"),
  • Ray Charles (1930–2004) ("Blues Before Sunrise"),
  • Floyd Dixon ("That'll Get It"),
  • Betty Hall Jones, and
  • Eddie Williams.

In 1949 he recorded the R&B number "Billboard Special" and the blue track "Tiny’s Down Home" under his own name for Modern Records.

In the same year, Webb had a number one hit on the Billboard R&B charts with the Red Miller (1914–1987) Trio with "Bewildered"; with the Maxine Trio ("Confession Blues", with Ray Charles) he reached number 5. In the early 1950s, he was involved in recordings of Velma Middleton (1917–1961), Lloyd Glenn, Percy Mayfield (1920–1984), Helen Humes, and Earl Bostic. In the field of jazz and rhythm & blues he was involved in 41 recording sessions between 1945 and 1954, most recently with Sonny Knight and the Maxwell Davis Orchestra.[1] Webb, who weighed around 300 lbs (150 kg), died at a young age of complications from obesity.[2]

Controversary

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In 1948, Supreme Records recorded in Los Angeles and released "A Little Bird Told Me," written by Harvey Oliver Brooks (1899–1968), sung by Paula Watson (1927–2003), who is African American, accompanied by guitarist Mitchell "Tiny" Webb, and others. Her version spent 14 weeks on Billboard's R&B charts in 1948 and 1949, reaching number 2 on the R&B charts and number 6 on the pop charts.[citation needed] In 1948, Decca released a cover version, sung by Evelyn Knight (1917–2007), who was white. Knight copied Watson's singing[citation needed] to the degree that it fooled musical experts brought into court as witnesses. Knight was accompanied by a band that included Walter Page on bass, the Stardusters (vocal group), and Johnny Parker (vocal and hand-clapping). Supreme claimed that Decca had stolen aspects of its original recording, including its arrangement, texture, and vocal style.[citation needed] Race was not an issue in the case, but the case served as an example of white performers covering the work of black artists in the 1950s.[citation needed]

Note: Jazz discography lists different musicians (or musicians from another session) (Webb is not listed): Paula Watson (vocalist, pianist) accompanied by Max Herman (trumpet); Jack Dumont, Henry Mandei (alto saxes); Babe Russin (1911–1984) (tenor sax); George Wyle (piano); Vincent Terri (guitar); Al Pollin (bass); Sam Weiss (de) (1910–1977) (drums); George Wyle (1916–2003) (arranger).

Paula Watson

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Paula Watson, on September 12, 1949, in Wood County, Ohio, married Jackie Wilson ( Robert John Wilson; 1916–1989), a teacher – her second marriage, his first.

  • Dorsey, Bobby (April 30, 1949). "Character–tures ... Paula Watson". New York Age. Vol. 63, no. 50 (Metropolitan ed.). Harlem. p. 6. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.


Bibliography

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Annotations

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Notes

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  1. ^ Lord.
  2. ^ Porter & Kelly, p. 140.

References

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Category:1921 births
Category:1954 deaths