Claude says:Chick Webb's mid-30s Decca singles capture the bandleader at her swinging peak—tight arrangements, sharp horns, and that propulsive drumming that made her the queen of the Savoy Ballroom before Ella Fitzgerald's voice became her greatest instrument. You spun through this collection in one evening in 2018, hitting each track once like you were checking off a setlist, which says something about how complete and satisfying these sides are on their own.