Baltimore-born Webb (1909-1939) suffered from congenital tuberculosis of the spine which left him hunch-backed and often ill, yet despite this infirmity, he established a formidable reputation as the greatest drummer-bandleader of the early swing era.

By 1925, he was in New York and formed a band whose performances steadily improved as he scouted better players, his breakthrough coming as the leader of the band to beat at the famed Savoy Ballroom in Harlem where they were resident from 1933 until Webb’s death in 1939. Two years in, Ella Fitzgerald joined him (she had won the talent show at the Apollo Theater) and in effect, her increasing success transformed his, even as his health became ever more fragile.

This generous 98-track 4CD collection covers most of Webb’s issued recordings as leader on the Brunswick, Vocalion, Columbia, OKeh and Decca labels, his celebrated swing sides alongside some of his commercial recordings as well as those which feature the young Ella, as in Acrobat’s premise of “All The Hits And More”.

While the 1929 Jungle Band tracks will seem somewhat rustic compared with what came later, the underlying peppy beat is secure, the occasional cymbal breaks an early sign of Webb’s dynamism. Trumpeter Ward Pinkett has some good moments, as does a young Louis Jordan.

By 1934, Webb had acquired the short-lived trombonist Jimmy Harrison as a key soloist and Carter as both player and arranger, his sax chorus on ‘Heebie Jeebies’ an indicator of later glories. The further inclusion of altoist Sampson as both player and arranger gave the band an extra fillip, with the 1934 recording of his immortal ‘Stomping At The Savoy’, (CD1) notable for Webb’s increasing prominence and rhythmic drive.

Add in two long-term soloists in trumpeter Taft Jordan, heard in an alluring high-note cadenza finish on ‘Sunny Side of the Street’ (CD1) and Sandy Williams, the ‘blisteringly hot trombonist’ in Gunther Schuller’s words, and you have ‘top-flight instrumental jazz’, according to George T. Simon. Even if Webb was never to attain the country-wide fame of Goodman or Basie, the presence of these players and Webb’s own creativity gives every track here an impetus that is still palpable today.

While Ella’s success came to largely define the band’s later identity (indeed she continued to run the orchestra after Webb’s death), it was what Schuller called “a dreadful piece of silliness”, her 1938 novelty recording of ‘A-Tisket, A-Tasket’ (CD3) that made her name and by inference, that of Webb too.

Thereafter the balance of their output on record moved in Ella’s direction as her mostly trite material took precedence over the band’s more solid instrumental numbers. Still, for the real Webb magic, consider something like ‘Blue Lou’, (CD2) as the epitome of swing, Webb masterly, trumpeter Stark superb, Sampson’s writing spot-on; or ‘Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie’ (CD3) with Webb’s exciting drum barrage. Just one correction: Harry White’s ‘Harlem Congo’, from 1937 is mis-printed as ‘Conga’ but of greater moment, why programme this hefty ration of Webb tracks out of date order? Too confusing. Otherwise, get this now.