Woody Herman by Cabu

The essentials of Woody Herman on 2 CDs.

An anthology 1949-1959

Against all odds, Woody Herman never stopped throughout his life bringing his own big band to life, a magical music box which served as a springboard for a host of young soloists called to a bright future, the list of which is too long to be drawn up here: tirelessly, for fifty years, from 1936 until his death in 1987, the clarinetist-violist will overcome obstacles and ignore the vicissitudes inherent in the life of this type of training, even going so far as to mortgage several times his personal possessions to continue to lead what he called his “ herd ” around the world. A flock which will lead a few sheep astray over the years, a flock which, like that of Panurge, will sink more than once into inevitable traps, but which will always raise its head under the leadership of its shepherd.

The period illustrated by these two CDs is undoubtedly the most unknown of Woody 's career, and yet it is a veritable carousel of masterpieces that passes before our ears: the incredible quality of the arrangements (by Ralph Burns , Al Cohn , Manny Albam , Gene Roland , Jimmy Giuffre , Nat Pierce ), the inimitable sound of the three-tenor saxophone section, the overall excellence of the soloists and the communicative fervor of the conductor are obviously not foreign to the brilliance of these nuggets…