egroj world: Woody Herman • My Kind Of Broadway

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Woody Herman • My Kind Of Broadway

Biography by Scott Yanow
A fine swing clarinetist, an altoist whose sound was influenced by Johnny Hodges, a solid soprano saxophonist, and a spirited blues vocalist, Woody Herman's greatest significance to jazz was as the leader of a long line of big bands. He always encouraged young talent and, more than practically any bandleader from the swing era, kept his repertoire quite modern. Although Herman was always stuck performing a few of his older hits (he played "Four Brothers" and "Early Autumn" nightly for nearly 40 years), he much preferred to play and create new music.

Woody Herman began performing as a child, singing in vaudeville. He started playing saxophone when he was 11, and four years later he was a professional musician. He picked up early experience playing with the big bands of Tom Gerun, Harry Sosnik, and Gus Arnheim, and then in 1934, he joined the Isham Jones orchestra. He recorded often with Jones, and when the veteran bandleader decided to break up his orchestra in 1936, Herman formed one of his own out of the remaining nucleus. The great majority of the early Herman recordings feature the bandleader as a ballad vocalist, but it was the instrumentals that caught on, leading to his group being known as "the Band That Plays the Blues." Woody Herman's theme "At the Woodchopper's Ball" became his first hit (1939). Herman's early group played with a Dixieland feel to many of the looser pieces, with vocals contributed by Mary Ann McCall, in addition to Herman. They recorded very frequently for Decca, and for a period had trumpeter/singer Billie Rogers as one of their main attractions.

By 1943, the Woody Herman Orchestra was beginning to take its first steps into becoming the Herd (later renamed the First Herd). Herman had recorded an advanced Dizzy Gillespie arrangement ("Down Under") the year before, and during 1943, Herman's band became influenced by Duke Ellington; in fact, Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster made guest appearances on some recordings. It was a gradual process, but by the end of 1944, Woody Herman had what was essentially a brand new orchestra. It was a wild, good-time band with screaming ensembles (propelled by first trumpeter Pete Candoli), major soloists in trombonist Bill Harris and tenorman Flip Phillips, and a rhythm section pushed by bassist/cheerleader Chubby Jackson and drummer Dave Tough. In 1945 (with new trumpeters in Sonny Berman and Conte Candoli), the First Herd was considered the most exciting new big band in jazz. Several of the arrangements of Ralph Burns and Neal Hefti are considered classics, and such Herman favorites entered the book as "Apple Honey," "Caldonia," "Northwest Passage," "Bijou" (Harris' memorable if eccentric feature), and "Your Father's Mustache." Even Igor Stravinsky was impressed, and he wrote "Ebony Concerto" for the orchestra to perform in 1946. Unfortunately, family troubles caused Woody Herman to break up the big band at the height of its success in late 1946.

Herman recorded a bit in the interim, and then, by mid-1947, had a new orchestra, the Second Herd, which was also soon known as the Four Brothers band. With the three cool-toned tenors of Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Herbie Steward (who a year later was replaced by Al Cohn) and baritonist Serge Chaloff forming the nucleus, this orchestra had a different sound than its more extroverted predecessor, but it could also generate excitement of its own. Trumpeter/arranger Shorty Rogers and eventually Bill Harris returned from the earlier outfit, and with Mary Ann McCall back as a vocalist, the group had a great deal of potential. But, despite such popular numbers as Jimmy Giuffre's "Four Brothers," "The Goof and I," and "Early Autumn" (the latter ballad made Getz into a star), the band struggled financially. Before its collapse in 1949, such other musicians as Gene Ammons, Lou Levy, Oscar Pettiford, Terry Gibbs, and Shelly Manne made important contributions.

Next up for Woody Herman was the Third Herd, which was similar to the Second except that it generally played at danceable tempos and was a bit more conservative. Herman kept that band together during much of 1950 to 1956, even having his own Mars label for a period; Conte Candoli, Al Cohn, Dave McKenna, Phil Urso, Don Fagerquist, Carl Fontana, Dick Hafer, Bill Perkins, Nat Pierce, Dick Collins, and Richie Kamuca were among the many sidemen. After some short-lived small groups (including a sextet with Nat Adderley and Charlie Byrd), Herman's New Thundering Herd was a hit at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival. He was able to lead a big band successfully throughout the 1960s, featuring such soloists as high-note trumpeter Bill Chase, trombonist Phil Wilson, the reliable Nat Pierce, and the exciting tenor of Sal Nistico. Always open to newer styles, Woody Herman's bop-ish unit gradually became more rock-oriented as he utilized his young sidemen's arrangements, often of current pop tunes (starting in 1968 with an album titled Light My Fire). Not all of his albums from this era worked, but one always admired Herman's open-minded attitude. As one of only four surviving jazz-oriented bandleaders from the swing era (along with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Stan Kenton) who was still touring the world with a big band, Herman welcomed such new talent in the 1970s as Greg Herbert, Andy Laverne, Joe Beck, Alan Broadbent, and Frank Tiberi. He also recorded with Chick Corea, had a reunion with Flip Phillips, and celebrated his 40th anniversary as a leader with a notable 1976 Carnegie Hall concert.

Woody Herman returned to emphasizing straight-ahead jazz by the late '70s. By then, he was being hounded by the IRS due to a manager from the 1960s not paying thousands of dollars of taxes out of the sidemen's salaries. Herman was forced to keep touring and working constantly into his old age. He managed to put on a cheerful face to the public, celebrating his 50th anniversary as a bandleader in 1986. However, his health was starting to fail, and he gradually delegated most of his duties to Frank Tiberi before his death in 1987. Tiberi continued to lead a Woody Herman Orchestra on a part-time basis but it never had the opportunity to record. Fortunately, Herman was well documented throughout all phases of his career.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woody-herman-mn0000958076#biography

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Biografía de Scott Yanow
Un excelente clarinetista de swing, un altoista cuyo sonido estaba influenciado por Johnny Hodges, un sólido saxofonista soprano y un enérgico vocalista de blues, la mayor importancia de Woody Herman para el jazz fue como líder de una larga lista de grandes bandas. Siempre alentó a los jóvenes talentos y, más que prácticamente cualquier director de orquesta de la era del swing, mantuvo su repertorio bastante moderno. Aunque Herman siempre estuvo atascado interpretando algunos de sus éxitos más antiguos (tocó "Four Brothers" y "Early Autumn" todas las noches durante casi 40 años), prefirió tocar y crear nueva música.

Woody Herman comenzó a actuar cuando era niño, cantando en vodevil. Comenzó a tocar el saxofón cuando tenía 11 años, y cuatro años después era músico profesional. Adquirió experiencia temprana tocando con las grandes bandas de Tom Gerun, Harry Sosnik y Gus Arnheim, y luego, en 1934, se unió a la orquesta Isham Jones. Grabó a menudo con Jones, y cuando el veterano director de orquesta decidió disolver su orquesta en 1936, Herman formó una propia con el núcleo restante. La gran mayoría de las primeras grabaciones de Herman presentan al líder de la banda como vocalista de baladas, pero fueron los temas instrumentales los que se popularizaron, lo que llevó a que su grupo fuera conocido como "la Banda Que toca el Blues. El tema de Woody Herman "At the Woodchopper's Ball" se convirtió en su primer éxito (1939). El primer grupo de Herman tocó con un toque de Dixieland en muchas de las piezas más sueltas, con voces aportadas por Mary Ann McCall, además de Herman. Grabaron con mucha frecuencia para Decca, y durante un período tuvieron a la trompetista/cantante Billie Rogers como una de sus principales atracciones.

Para 1943, la Orquesta Woody Herman comenzaba a dar sus primeros pasos para convertirse en The Herd(más tarde rebautizada como First Herd). Herman había grabado un arreglo avanzado de Dizzy Gillespie ("Down Under") el año anterior, y durante 1943, la banda de Herman se vio influenciada por Duke Ellington; de hecho, Johnny Hodges y Ben Webster hicieron apariciones especiales en algunas grabaciones. Fue un proceso gradual, pero a fines de 1944, Woody Herman tenía lo que esencialmente era una orquesta completamente nueva. Era una banda salvaje y de buenos tiempos con conjuntos de gritos (impulsados por el primer trompetista Pete Candoli), solistas importantes en el trombonista Bill Harris y el tenorista Flip Phillips, y una sección rítmica impulsada por el bajista/animador Chubby Jackson y el baterista Dave Tough. En 1945 (con nuevos trompetistas en Sonny Berman y Conte Candoli), la Primera Manada fue considerada la nueva big band más emocionante del jazz. Varios de los arreglos de Ralph Burns y Neal Hefti se consideran clásicos, y los favoritos de Herman entraron en el libro como "Apple Honey", "Caldonia", "Northwest Passage", "Bijou" (la memorable característica excéntrica de Harris) y " Your Father's Mustache."Incluso Igor Stravinsky quedó impresionado y escribió el" Concierto de Ébano " para que la orquesta lo interpretara en 1946. Desafortunadamente, problemas familiares hicieron que Woody Herman rompiera la big band en el apogeo de su éxito a fines de 1946.

Herman grabó un poco en el ínterin y luego, a mediados de 1947, tenía una nueva orquesta, la Second Herd, que pronto también se conoció como The Four Brothers band. Con los tres tenores de tonos fríos de Stan Getz, Zoot Sims y Herbie Steward (quien un año después fue reemplazado por Al Cohn) y el barítono Serge Chaloff formando el núcleo, esta orquesta tenía un sonido diferente al de su predecesora más extrovertida, pero también podía generar emoción propia. El trompetista / arreglista Shorty Rogers y eventualmente Bill Harris regresaron del equipo anterior, y con Mary Ann McCall de regreso como vocalista, el grupo tenía un gran potencial. Pero, a pesar de números tan populares como "Four Brothers" de Jimmy Giuffre, "The Goof and I" y "Early Autumn "(la última balada convirtió a Getz en una estrella), la banda tuvo problemas financieros. Antes de su colapso en 1949, otros músicos como Gene Ammons, Lou Levy, Oscar Pettiford, Terry Gibbs y Shelly Manne hicieron importantes contribuciones.

El siguiente para Woody Herman fue the Third Herd, que era similar al Segundo, excepto que generalmente tocaba a ritmos bailables y era un poco más conservador. Herman mantuvo unida a esa banda durante gran parte de 1950 a 1956, incluso tuvo su propio sello Mars durante un período; Conte Candoli, Al Cohn, Dave McKenna, Phil Urso, Don Fagerquist, Carl Fontana, Dick Hafer, Bill Perkins, Nat Pierce, Dick Collins y Richie Kamuca estuvieron entre los muchos acompañantes. Después de algunos pequeños grupos de corta duración (incluido un sexteto con Nat Adderley y Charlie Byrd), el nuevo Thundering Herd de Herman fue un éxito en el Festival de Jazz de Monterrey de 1959. Fue capaz de liderar una big band con éxito a lo largo de la década de 1960, con solistas como el trompetista Bill Chase, el trombonista Phil Wilson, el confiable Nat Pierce y el emocionante tenor Sal Nistico. Siempre abierto a estilos más nuevos, la unidad bop-ish de Woody Herman gradualmente se volvió más orientada al rock a medida que utilizaba los arreglos de sus jóvenes acompañantes, a menudo de melodías pop actuales (comenzando en 1968 con un álbum titulado Light My Fire). No todos sus álbumes de esta época funcionaron, pero uno siempre admiró la actitud abierta de Herman. Como uno de los cuatro únicos líderes de bandas orientados al jazz sobrevivientes de la era del swing (junto con Duke Ellington, Count Basie y Stan Kenton) que todavía estaba de gira por el mundo con una big band, Herman dio la bienvenida a nuevos talentos en la década de 1970 como Greg Herbert, Andy Laverne, Joe Beck, Alan Broadbent y Frank Tiberi. También grabó con Chick Corea, se reunió con Flip Phillips y celebró su 40 aniversario como líder con un notable concierto en el Carnegie Hall de 1976.

Woody Herman volvió a enfatizar el jazz directo a fines de los 70 y, para entonces, estaba siendo perseguido por el IRS debido a que un gerente de la década de 1960 no pagaba miles de dólares en impuestos con los salarios de los acompañantes. Herman se vio obligado a seguir de gira y trabajando constantemente hasta su vejez. Logró poner una cara alegre al público, celebrando su 50 aniversario como líder de banda en 1986. Sin embargo, su salud comenzaba a fallar y gradualmente delegó la mayoría de sus deberes en Frank Tiberi antes de su muerte en 1987. Tiberi continuó dirigiendo una orquesta de Woody Herman a tiempo parcial, pero nunca tuvo la oportunidad de grabar. Afortunadamente, Herman estuvo bien documentado en todas las fases de su carrera.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/woody-herman-mn0000958076#biography

Tracklist:
1 - I Feel Pretty 3:09
2 - A Lot Of Livin' To Do 3:35
3 - Get Me To The Church On Time 3:18
4 - Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me) 4:26
5 - My Favorite Things 3:25
6 - I Do Like You 2:32
7 - Never Will I Marry 2:34
8 - Warm All Over 3:58
9 - This Can't Be Love 3:26
10 - Somewhere 3:30
11 - Hello, Young Lovers 3:03
12 - The Sound Of Music 2:12

Credits
    Baritone Saxophone – Tom Anastas
    Bass – Chuck Andrus
    Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Woody Herman
    Drums – Ronnie Zito
    Liner Notes – Ralph J. Gleason
    Piano – Nat Pierce
    Producer – Teo Macero
    Tenor Saxophone – Andy McGhee, Gary Klein, Raoul Romero
    Trombone – Bob Stroup, Henry Southall, Phil Wilson
    Trumpet – Bill Chase, Billy Hunt, Bob Shew, Don Rader, Dusko Goykovich, Gerald Lamy, Larry Ford, Ziggy Harrell

Originally released in 1965 as Columbia CS 9157.

Label:    Wounded Bird Records – WOU 9157

Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Big Band
https://www.discogs.com/release/6944343-Woody-Herman-And-His-Swinging-Herd-My-Kind-Of-Broadway