Woody Herman's Finest Hour

Woody Herman's Finest Hour Artist: Woody Herman
Label: Umvd Labels
Category: Music



Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 731454970723
EAN: 0731454970723
ASIN: B00005A7X9


Release Date: 2001-05-15

Related Categories:

General General
Related | Jazz | Styles | Music
Swing General Swing General
Related | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
General General
Related | Pop | Styles | Music
Classic Big Band Classic Big Band
Related | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music
Contemporary Big Band Contemporary Big Band
Related | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Tracks:

  1. Blue Flame
  2. Woodchopper's Ball
  3. Blues On Parade
  4. Blues In The Night
  5. Down Under
  6. Cherry
  7. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
  8. Blowin' Up A Storm
  9. Bijou
  10. The Good Earth
  11. Leo The Lion
  12. Early Autumn
  13. Four Others
  14. Buck Dance
  15. Caldonia
  16. Mo-Lasses
  17. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Exultant music, frustrating corporate decisions..........2001-05-25

FIRST things first. The digitally remastered stereo recording of "Mo-lasses" is worth the price of this CD all by itself. This is one of the great recordings in big band jazz, a felicitous mix of perfect groove with hipness, discipline with abandon, fire with control. A superb sound and a superb performance -- one of the exultant moments in recorded jazz.

But why, oh why, does Universal (ex- Polygram) only reissue this music in inscrutable dribs and drabs??? Context: the Philips recordings of the Woody Herman "Swingin' Herd" were a renaissance professionally and musically for the Chopper. Grammies and accolades followed the tremendous recordings of this band, which featured Sal Nistico, Nat Pierce, Bill Chase, Phil Wilson, and Jake Hanna. But not one of the albums he made for the label (1962-1964) has ever been reissued intact. Not one.

However, on the excellent "Jazz Masters," Verve released a great and welcome sampler. A teaser. Between that and the earlier "Compact Jazz," we now have three different issues of "Caldonia" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore." Both classics and great performances by this alchemically perfect combination of inspiration, charts, players, and recorded sound.

But there is so much more, including (presumably) plenty from the three nights spent taping at Basin Street East. Where is it?? Why are the same handful of tunes constantly recycled when dozens of tracks remain unreissued since the early 60s -- many unreleased altogether??

Mosaic Records, can you hear me????

Two other notes: the intro to "Leo the Lion" is lopped off through inattention and incompetence. If the engineers need a complete copy of this (already) digitally remastered tune, they should just go to their own "Compact Jazz" reissue. Or email me if you'd like to borrow my copy. Come on, folks. Get with the program and shame on you.

Also, despite the careful liner notes, I couldn't hear Woody singing on "Blues on Parade." Even when I listened twice.

Music CD:

  1. The Complete Octet Sessions ~ Dave Brubeck
  2. If ~ Myriam Alter
  3. Paris Concert ~ Keith Jarrett
  4. Swingin' with Pee Wee ~ Pee Wee Russell
  5. New Metropolitan Swing ~ Pearl Django
  6. The Best of Tex Beneke ~ Tex Beneke
  7. Lion Roars: His Greatest 1934-44 ~ Willie %22The Lion%22 Smith
  8. Modern Sounds from California 1954-1957 ~ Various Artists
  9. American Sampler Rag ~ Elite Syncopators
  10. This Against That ~ Ralph Alessi

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Shotgun ~ Byron Davis

Mingus ~ Joni Mitchell

Bowling for Soup Goes to the Movies ~ Bowling for Soup

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The Wrath of God ~ Sex Gang Children

Are You Wired ~ Razor Crusade

Tipsy ~ J-Kwon

Headz Aint Redee ~ Black Moon , and Smif-n-Wessun

15bluntz2lite ~ Sleepdank