[Dixielandjazz] Woody Herman 1970's Herd

[Rob McCallum]

Hi Steve and everyone,

I would like to point out a possible exception to this, and that's Woody's
band in the 1970s.  Check out his Giant Steps album, which I think is a
fantastic album that includes arrangements of things like Freedom Jazz Dance
and La Fiesta.  Woody plays soprano sax throughout and is featured on the
funk inspired version of Freedom Jazz Dance, playing an interesting counter
melody and a very percussive solo that sounds very hip (not to mention the
power players, most of them not well known on their own - unlike his sidemen
from mid-century).  Perhaps Woody was more comfortable improvising against
the funk rhythms than straight ahead jazz time.  Whatever the reason, this
album is definitely worth a listen for a more modern conception of a big
band sound, with excellent arrangements.

All the best,
Rob McCallum


----- Original Message -----
From: Stephen Barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 01, 2003 9:02 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Woody Herman - Redux


> Let me clarify the opinions about Woody Herman's playing. And how his
> sidemen viewed him.
>
> Woody throughout his life communicated through his horn in the musical
> language of the 1920s and early 1930s.
>
> But, by the 1940s he had formed bands that communicated musically
> through much more modern musical language. Perhaps the best example if
> the Herd with the "Four Brothers", circa 1947-48. That band had reedmen
> Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and the fifth guy, Herbie
> Steward.
>
> So in that band you had Herman soloing in 1920/30s language and the rest
> of the reeds soloing in the language of Lester Young, Charlie Parker et
> al. The band, a GREAT band, was one of the most modern big jazz bands of
> the era thanks to arranger Ralph Burns. Woody, as a player did not fit
> into that band.  A similar situation today would be if you made Woody
> ALLEN the leader of Maynard Ferguson's band, or leader of a Stan Kenton
> Ghost Band.
>
> Herman as a player remain firmly rooted in the past, but he led bands
> firmly rooted in the future. And he had GREAT MODERN players in the
> various Herds. So there was a bit of a dichotomy in the viewpoint of the
> sidemen to the leader.
>
> Thus the "Joke", someone pointing to Herman walking down the street
> circa 1947 and saying: "There, but for Ralph Burns, goes Ted Lewis."
>
> Did Herman do some wonderful things during his playing career?  Of
> course. But he did not at all fit into his "modern herds", especially
> the Four Brothers herd. He knew it, and they knew it.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
>
>
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