This CD is quite a bit different than most audiophile releases for it contains rare rather than famous recordings. 1959's The Fourth Herd (which features an all-star group of studio musicians and Woody Herman alumni along with his octet of the time) was only put out briefly by Jazzland while the music on 1962's The New World of Woody Herman was never available commercially before; both were originally cut for the SESAC Transcribed Library and were available only to selected radio stations on a subscription basis. The earlier session has solo spots for tenors Zoot Sims, Al Cohn and Don Lanphere, trumpeters Nat Adderley and Red Rodney, vibraphonist Eddie Costa and Herman on clarinet, a bit of alto and two vocals; Cohn and pianist Nat Pierce wrote most of the colorful and diverse arrangements. By the later session (which has charts by Pierce, Gene Roland, Phil Wilson and Bill Chase)…

Always eager to reach contemporary audiences without compromising his values, Woody Herman saw to it that his repertoire included interpretations of material carefully chosen from the pop charts. In 1972, such choices were still possible, and The Raven Speaks presents Tony Klatka’s arrangement of “Watermelon Man,” Bill Stapleton’s of “It’s Too Late,” and Alan Broadbent’s of “Summer of ’42.” The band incorporated a demon trumpet section led by Al Porcino, the drumming of Joe LaBarbera, and tenor sax solos by the rising star Gregory Herbert and by Frank Tiberi, who was to take over the band following the leader’s death 15 years later. Herman himself solos brilliantly on clarinet and soprano sax.

Since the definitive three-LP box set Thundering Herds is out-of-print, this single CD is the best place for listeners to go first when starting to explore the music of Woody Herman. There are 16 selections from what was arguably his best band, his First Herd, and two numbers (including the original version of "Four Brothers") by The Second Herd. A few rarities (such as "A Jug of wine" and "The Blues Are Brewing") are mixed in with such classics as "Apple Honey," "Northwest Passage," "Your Father's Mustache" and a new version of "Woodchopper's Ball," but there is unavoidably a lot missing from this single disc, a set which will have to suffice until a more complete reissue series comes along.

In the early '60s, the U.S. government came up with the idea to tape jazz instrumentalists and vocalists for special programs aimed at recruiting young men for the National Guard. While it seems puzzling that male teenagers of the era would be drawn to the likes of Sarah Vaughan and Woody Herman, both of whom are heard in this program, the music is superb. Vaughan's vocals are on the money throughout, especially in the lush treatment of "On Green Dolphin Street" (with Herman's clarinet in the background), along with one of her most requested numbers, "Poor Butterfly." Herman's instrumentals include a swing version of "Muskrat Ramble," along with oft-requested numbers like "Woodchopper's Ball" and "Four Brothers"…

Woody Herman always went out of his way during his long career to encourage younger players, often persuading them to write arrangements of recent tunes for his orchestra. On this recording one gets to hear his band interpret such selections as Chick Corea's "La Fiesta," Leon Russell's "A Song for You," "Freedom Jazz Dance," "A Child Is Born" and "Giant Steps"; what other bandleader from the '30s would have performed such modern material? With strong solo work from tenors Gregory Herbert and Frank Tiberi, trumpeter Bill Stapleton and Herman himself, this is an impressive effort.

This LP finds Herman's Third Herd in its prime. Rather than just revisiting his celebrated past, he and his orchestra primarily perform then-recent material, much of it arranged by Ralph Burns. Highlights include a big-band version of Horace Silver's "Opus De Funk," Burns's "Cool Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," "I Remember Duke" and Bill Holman's reworking of "Where or When." With tenors Richie Kamuca and Dick Hafer, trumpeter Dick Collins and bass trumpeter Cy Touff as the main soloists, The Third Herd had developed into a particularly strong unit by the mid-'50s.

In 1954 Woody Herman recorded one of his most unusual sets, a purely vocal album in which he was accompanied by the Erroll Garner Trio. Herman, who originally sang on half of his band's recordings, was always an expressive ballad singer and he does a fine job on such standards as "My Melancholy Baby," "Let's Fall in Love" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light."

First up, the return of the Herd for “The Herd Rides Again In Stereo” ten or so years after the First Herd roared across America between the years 1945-1948. Original members like Chuck Jackson are joined by the likes of Bob Brookmeyer who had played with the Herd for 7 weeks way back in 1952 and other fine musicians like Billy Bauar, Nat Pierce, Al Cohn and Don Lamond. A year later and another reunion of sorts as “The Fourth Herd” stampede into town! This time, however, we have a band playing within a band!? That is, an octet featuring Woody Herman, Zoot Sims, Nat Adderley, Eddie Costa and the big band rhythm section all basking in the “inspiring warmth” of the big orchestra”…

Recorded in performance at Carnegie Hall, New York City, November 20, 1976.
Featuring Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Joe Lovano, Jimmy Rowles, Billy Bauer, Conte Candoli, Jim Pugh and many others.

This set, which is the best of the Woody Herman Orchestra's Concord recordings, celebrates his 50th year as a bandleader, quite an accomplishment. No guest stars are needed for this set, which shows just how strong a big band he still had. With tenor-saxophonist Frank Tiberi gradually taking over leadership duties (today he leads the ghost Woody Herman Orchestra) and trombonist John Fedchock contributing the arrangements, the band was in fine shape even if the leader was aging. Whether it be "It Don't Mean a Thing," John Coltrane's "Central Park West" (a great arrangement) or Don Grolnick's "Pools," every selection is excellent.

With signs of a resurgence of interest in big bands in the late 1950s, Maxwell Davis came up with the idea of producing a series of albums for Crown Records recorded in the finest stereophonic sound, in a tribute to such legendary bandleaders as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Charlie Barnet and Stan Kenton, among others. For this purpose, he wrote all new arrangements and reimagined and conducted a number of tribute bands to perform the music with the signature spirit that made their original leaders famous. The personnel for each album consisted primarily of prominent members and soloists who performed with the original bands, with additional valuable contributions from some of the best jazz musicians working in the Hollywood and New York studios.