Herman Woody, born Woodrow Charles Herman, *16 May 1913 Milwaukee, †29 October 1987 Los Angeles, American clarinettist, saxophonist (alto, soprano), and jazz vocalist. His mother, M. Bartoszewicz, was born in Poland. At the age of 12, Herman began playing the clarinet and saxophone. He initially performed in vaudeville theatres and then, until the end of the 1920s, in the big bands of T. Gerun, H. Sosnik and G. Arnheim. In 1934, he was hired by I. Jones’ orchestra. In 1936, together with five musicians from this formation, he founded a band called The Band that Plays the Blues, with which he performed and recorded as a saxophonist and vocalist, quickly gaining recognition (the recording Woodchopper’s Ball, 1939, sold about a million copies). When many new musicians joined the band in the early 1940s, it took on the name The First Herd. The musical profile of the orchestra also changed, eventually developing a style that was a synthesis of swing and bebop elements. The freshness of their sound and, above all, their spontaneous and lively playing style made The First Herd one of the most popular jazz orchestras in the mid-1940s. The First Herd became one of the most popular jazz orchestras – it collaborated with film studios, had its own radio series, and made many recordings, including Apple Honey, Caldonia, Wild Root, The God Earth, Bijou, Blue Flame, Northwest Passage, and Summer Sequence 1–3. Apart from the leader, the core of the band consisted of C. Jackson (double bass), S. Berman (trumpet), B. Harris (trombone), F. Phillips (tenor saxophone) and D. Tough (drums), later replaced by D. Lamond; arrangements and compositions were provided to the orchestra by N. Hefti and R. Burns. In 1946, Carnegie Hall hosted the premiere of Stravinsky’s Ebony Concerto No. 1, written especially for Herman’s band. The years 1947–49 saw the emergence of The Second Herd, an orchestra also known as the Four Brothers (after the title of a composition by J. Giuffre). This big band, one of the most highly regarded bebop formations of the time, became famous for its excellent soloists (S. Rogers and E. Royal – trumpets, T. Gibbs – vibraphone, L. Levy – piano, E. Swope – trombone) and the full, rich sound of the saxophone section, which included outstanding musicians (S. Getz, Z. Sims, H. Steward, S. Chaloff). The band’s repertoire was written by J. Giuffre (Four Brothers – 1947), S. Rogers (Keeper of the Flame – 1948, More Moon – 1949) and R. Burns (Early Autumn – 1948, a reworking of the second part of Summer Sequence). In 1952, Herman formed another orchestra, The Third Herd, with which he toured Europe and South America in 1954. Later, he led smaller and larger ensembles; one of them, formed in 1960 under the musical direction of pianist and arranger N. Pierce, enjoyed great success in the United States, and also achieved success during tours of Europe and North Africa. The 1960s and 1970s were a period of exploration and collaboration with new musicians for Herman, including arranger A. Broadbent and blues guitarist M. Bloomfield. In 1976, Herman’s orchestra performed in Poland during the Jazz Jamboree festival.
Herman, alongside D. Ellington, C. Basie and S. Kenton, is considered one of the leading figures of big band jazz. He led ensembles that collaborated with the most outstanding soloists and arrangers; his successive big bands also became breeding grounds for young talent. From the perspective of jazz history, the most significant are The First Herd, whose perfection and virtuosity so enchanted I. Stravinsky, and Four Brothers, where the replacement of the traditional saxophone section (2 alto, 2 tenor, 1 baritone) with a line-up of 3 tenors and a baritone proved to be an important step in the development of big band music arrangements. This allowed Herman’s orchestra to achieve greater plasticity and uniformity of sound – the “Four Brothers sound” – which became a distinguishing feature of this formation. Herman did not favour a particular style, he was open to everything new and innovative, from blues through swing and bebop with elements of cool jazz; in the 1960s and 1970s, he reached for pop, rock and the latest jazz hits (including La fiesta by C. Corea).
Literature: E.J. Edwards Woody Herman and the Swinging Herd 1956–66, Los Angeles 1966.
