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Biographies

Reading and Viewing

Woody Herman, Stuart Troup

The Woodchopper's Ball: The Autobiography of Woody Herman

E P Dutton


William D. Clancy, Audree Coke Kenton

Woody Herman: Chronicles of the Herds

Schirmer Books


Gene Lees

Leader of the Band: The Life of Woody Herman

Oxford University Press


Arturo de Cordova, Marjorie Lord, Irene Rich, Louis Armstrong and His Band, Billie Holiday, Woody Herman, Woody Herman and His Orchestra

New Orleans

Kino Video

DVD - (Includes Woody Herman as himself)


Woody Herman & His Swinging Herd

Woody Herman and His Swingin' Herd 1964

Video Arts Int'l

DVD


Ralph J. Gleason

Jazz Casual - Thad Jones & Mel Lewis and Woody Herman

Idem

DVD


Woody Herman & His Swingin Herd

20th Century Jazz Masters

Msi Music Corporation

DVD


Woody Herman, Dukes of Dixieland, Joe Williams

Woody Herman - Woodchopper's Ball

Image Entertainment

DVD


Woody Herman & His Orchestra

Swing Era 1962-1963

Idem

DVD


Woody Herman

Fanfare for the Common Man Live 1985

DVD


Woody Herman

His Swingin' Herd 1964

DVD


Woody Herman

Rarest

DVD


Louis Prima, Jimmy Vincent, Woody Herman, Gia Maione, Sam Butera, Keely Smith

Louis Prima - The Wildest

Image Entertainment

DVD


Sonja Henie, Jack Oakie, Cesar Romero, Carole Landis

Wintertime (1943)

VHS - (Includes Woody Herman and His Orchestra)

Listening

Woody Herman & His Orchestra

Thundering Herds 1945-1947


Woody Herman & His Orchestra

Thundering Herd


Woody Herman

Giant Steps. Original Jazz Classics 344


Woody Herman

Woody Herman-1963 Swingin'est Big Band Ever (25th Year-His Greatest)

Umvd Labels


Woody Herman

Standard Times: Third Herd (1951-1952)

Ocium


Woody Herman & His Orchestra

1940-1941

Melodie Jazz Classic


Woody Herman

Complete Columbia Recordings of Woody Herman & His Orchestra & Woodchoppers (1945 - 1947)

Mosaic


Woody Herman

Woody Herman-1963 Swingin'est Big Band Ever (25th Year-His Greatest)

Umvd Labels


Woody Herman & His Orchestra, Woody Herman

Woody's Winners/ Original Cd Released By Columbia-SONY

Columbia


Woody Herman

The Best of Woody Herman

Curb Records

Biography

Woody Herman

Woodrow Charles Herman

Clarinetist, Saxophonist, Vocalist, Bandleader, Composer

(1913 - 1987)

Woody Herman was a child performer and singer who took up alto saxophone and became a professional musician in his teens, adding clarinet and soprano sax to his arsenal. By 1936 he took over the core of Isham Jones’ orchestra when the leader decided to take time off to focus on composing. The band, which featured Herman’s vocals and popular instrumentals, gained recognition in 1937 through their radio broadcasts, and in 1939 they had a hit with Herman’s “Woodchopper’s Ball.” By the ‘40s the band’s bluesy character became more swing oriented, influenced by Ellington. Herman, the first to do so, hired female musicians for the band--a trumpeter and a vibraphonist.

While the nature of big bands necessarily changes with personnel, Herman, a forward-looking musical thinker, purposely gave different characters to his orchestras. The 1944 group, which he called the First Herd, was famous for its progressive jazz, which included the instrumentals “Bijou” and “Wildroot” and Herman’s wild version of “Caldonia.”

The Second Herd, formed in 1947, featured a “cool” reed section from the West Coast comprised of Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Herbie Steward on tenor saxes and Serge Chaloff on baritone. The band featured “Early Autumn,” with Getz soloing, and Jimmy Giuffre’s “Four Brothers” which gave this Herd its nickname.

The 1950 Third Herd played more danceable music and had a hit with their arrangement of “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” By 1959 the group had become the Thundering Herd with leanings toward bop and exciting soloists such as tenor Sal Nistico. In the ‘60s and ‘70s Herman hired several young musicians who gave a rockish flavor to the band.

He celebrated his 40th anniversary as a band leader at a 1976 Carnegie Hall concert. Financial woes forced Herman to continue touring until 1986 when he turned responsibility for the orchestra over to Frank Tiberi.

- Sandra Burlingame

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