Woody Herman Philips Select

[ghost of miles]

 

 

Quote

Mosaic Select: Woody Herman

 

The Phillips recordings of Woody Herman, spanning the mid 1960s, are considered by many to be the greatest of all the Herman Herds. It was a period that featured a number of stellar soloists including tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico, trombonist Phil Wilson, trumpeter Bill Chase, pianist Nat Pierce and drummer Jake Hanna. Each album from the Thundering Herd, as they were known, were anxiously awaited by the jazz public. This Mosaic Select includes 5 albums; Woody Herman-1963, Encore, Woody Herman: 1964, Swinging Herman Herd Recorded Live and Woody's Big Band Goodies.

 

BIG thumbs-up for this and the announced Quincy Jones set as well.

Edited September 26, 2017 by ghost of miles

[Late]

Should be a great Select, though I think I might be even more excited about the Quincy Jones (regular) Mosaic.

Mosaic loves Woody Herman. He must really sell. How many Herman sets have they put out?

I'm gonna have to wait a while before I pick these sets up — perhaps a year or so. Current buying freeze, and I haven't even opened up some of the discs from the latest Ellington Mosaic.

[J.A.W.]

(...) I haven't even opened up some of the discs from the latest Ellington Mosaic.

Which will hopefully be joined by an Ellington Mosaic box with pre-war Columbia-owned big-band recordings in 2008.

Edited June 19, 2007 by J.A.W.

[marcello]

Well Clem, this one is great. Give it a listen.

[Kalo]

(once quite enjoyed a three-way w/Jo Stafford &... Paul Weston but hey! (i can say no more.))

Who was the third, Darlene or Jonathan?

[Swinging Swede]

This means that the Herman Select will have all of his Phillips albums except the very first one, Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet which was a quartet album only. Would have been nice to have the complete Phillips recordings, but getting these five big bands albums is an excellent deal in any case. Only one of them has been on CD as far as I know.

The Phillips big band sessions contain several unissued tracks, a few non-album tracks plus several numbers from the Basin Street West engagement that were on the Jazz Hour CD 1963 Summer Tour. I wonder if all of it will fit on 3 CDs, or if something will be left out?

[John Tapscott]

This means that the Herman Select will have all of his Phillips albums except the very first one, Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet which was a quartet album only. Would have been nice to have the complete Phillips recordings, but getting these five big bands albums is an excellent deal in any case. Only one of them has been on CD as far as I know.

The Phillips big band sessions contain several unissued tracks, a few non-album tracks plus several numbers from the Basin Street West engagement that were on the Jazz Hour CD 1963 Summer Tour. I wonder if all of it will fit on 3 CDs, or if something will be left out?

I think the original albums averaged 35-40 minutes long. Five of them means 180-190 minutes - that should alllow for about another 40-50 minutes of music to fill 3 Cd's to 78/79 minutes each. I don't know how many unissued tracks there are, but it would seem that they should all fit. This will be a great set!!

[Claude]

Were these Woody Herman sessions recorded for the Philips label (the music division of the well known dutch light bulb factory ) or is there a different Phillips label (with two L)?

[king ubu]

all dutch...

I only have this one (which came out in the LPR series) and the Jazz Casual DVD (three shows). Definitely will pick up a Select of this music, but I also thought that it might be kind of 2.2 CD package if it's just 5 albums of that vintage.

Related: I don't understand the LP-lenght-policy stuff at all - maybe someone (Chuck?) can shed some light? For instance, the "Swiss Movement" album by McCann/Harris includes a bonus cut on its CD reissue, and the liners mention that back then, the track was omitted because it would have made the album longer than the market or whomever wanted it to be back then, in the 60s... why is that? I don't see how people would have been bothered by a 45 minute LP instead of a 36 minute or 40 minute LP, really!

[king ubu]

Details for the above 1963 album:

1.Mo-Lasses

2.Blues For J.P.

3.Don't Get Around Much Anymore

4.Tunin' In

5.Sister Sadie

6.Sig EP

7.It's A Lonesome Old Town ( when you're not around )

8.Camel Walk

Woody Herman,clarinet;

Bill Chase,trumpet; Paul Fontaine,trumpet; Dave Gale,trumpet;

Ziggy Harrell,trumpet; Gerry Lamy,trumpet;

Phill Wilson,trombone; Eddie Morgan,trombone; Jack Gale,trombone;

Sal Nistico,sax; Larry Cavelli,sax; Gordon Brisker,sax; Gene Allen,sax;

Nat Pierce,piano; Chuck Andrus,bass; Jake Hanna,drums;

Oct.1962, New York

1.The Good Life

2.Bedroom Eyes

3.The Things We Said Today

4.Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)

5.What Kind Of Fool Am I ?

6.Dr.Wong's Bag

7.Everybody Loves Somebody

8.Wa-Wa Blues

9.Dear Jhon C

Woody Herman,clarinet,sax;

Bill Chase,trumpet; Billy Hunt,trumpet;

Dusko Goykevich,trumpet; Gerald Lamy,trumpet;

Lawrence Ford,trumpet;

Phill Wilson,trombone; Henry Southall,trombone;

Bob Stroup,trombone;

Andy McGhee,sax; Raoul Romero,sax;

Gray Klein,sax; Tom Anastas,sax;

Nat Pierce,piano; Chuck Andrys,bass;

Jake Hanna,drums; Joe Carroll,vocal;

Sep.9.1964, Nevada

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

w/o jumping on anyone's ass , seriously, wtf do ya'll LIKE-- forget about love-- about those Quincy sides? i have come to consider him an interesting character & public drunk, not untalented as far as technique goes... but in almost every instance, there are almost no circumstances i'd want to hear THOSE players playing THOSE charts & since there are PUH-lenty of other opportunities to hear 'em... who gives half-a-shit? what is edc missing in terms of invention & grit(s) in big band charts of the period? the triumph of slick even early on. in a wide word of music best, it's forgotten sez edc (once quite enjoyed a three-way w/Jo Stafford &... Paul Weston but hey! (i can say no more.))

I tend to agree - though there was one of those - "Soul bossa nova" that had a few good singles on it. That was one I never saw going cheep cheep. I saw all the others real cheap at one time or another and passed on them.

MG

Oh, and Q's arrangements for "Chamblee music" weren't anything to write home about.

Edited June 21, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[Larry Kart]

As is well known in the business, after a certain point in his career (I believe it preceded the formation of this band) most of the charts that were recorded under Jones's name were not written by him. Instead they were farmed out to "ghosts" -- Billy Byers, for one. This is fairly easy to hear. Jones's writing for the various EmArcy albums dates he did charts for in the '50s (e.g. Jimmy Cleveland's debut comes to mind) and for his own excellent ABC-Paramount album "This Is How I Feel About Jazz" were quite distinctive -- he had a definite (if at times arguably too cute) "touch," and then it vanished. Of course, it might have been that Jones began to hear things differently and write in a different ways, but in fact he just decided to pay other guys to do the work and take the credit himself.

[marcello]

Andy McGhee,sax; Raoul Romero,sax;

I don't have that one, but does it really say Raoul?

That hasd to be the origional road rat: Joe Romano.

[BruceH]

Mosaic Select: Woody Herman

The Phillips recordings of Woody Herman, spanning the mid 1960s, are considered by many to be the greatest of all the Herman Herds. It was a period that featured a number of stellar soloists including tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico, trombonist Phil Wilson, trumpeter Bill Chase, pianist Nat Pierce and drummer Jake Hanna. Each album from the Thundering Herd, as they were known, were anxiously awaited by the jazz public. This Mosaic Select includes 5 albums; Woody Herman-1963, Encore, Woody Herman: 1964, Swinging Herman Herd Recorded Live and Woody's Big Band Goodies.

Just read this notice myself. Good news! Judging by Woody Herman-1963 and Woody's Winners this may be my favorite Herman era.

[JSngry]

Sal Nistico y'all. Sal MOTHERFUCKING Nistico!

Nothing more than a damn fine player, but a damn fine damn fine player he was.

Nothing but pure Tenor Love for him here.

[BruceH]

So that's what the "M" stood for in Sal M. Nistico.

[Adam]

I picked up this one recently on used LP. It's good fun. I think it's on my turntable right now; will go listen again.

Edited June 22, 2007 by Adam

[BruceH]

Funny how some albums just put themselves on the turntable...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Funny how some albums just put themselves on the turntable...

Very dry...

MG

[Larry Kart]

Sal Nistico y'all. Sal MOTHERFUCKING Nistico!

Nothing more than a damn fine player, but a damn fine damn fine player he was.

Nothing but pure Tenor Love for him here.

Mentioned this elsewhere a while ago, but Nistico admirers should try to track down his latish (1988) album "Empty Room" (Red), made in Rome with a fine Italian rhythm section -- pianist Rita Marcotulli, bassist Marco Fratini, and drummer Roberto Gatto. The title piece, Sal's own, is a lovely tune, and he's in soulful and at times very heated form throughout.

Edited June 21, 2007 by Larry Kart

[jazzbo]

I'm a big Nistico fan as well.

Have to agree Larry, "Empty Room" is a great cd.

[JSngry]

Might be hard to find, but boy....

The man is bloated as hell on the cover photo, and you can only imagine why, but damn, he sings on this one the way I've never heard him do anywhere else. Quite moving, it is,

Quite.

[Adam]

Funny how some albums just put themselves on the turntable...

yeah, I can't get that one to stay in bed.

[thomastreichler]

I just received my copy of the Woody Herman Mosaic Select. These performances put goose pimples on my skin every time I listen to them. The 1962-64 edition of the Woody Herman Herds was one of the most exciting big bands ever. Above all it had a very distinctive sound and is instantly recognizable (as is any Ellington and Basie outfit). What is it that made this orchestra so special? This is my attempt to give some answers:

1. Every performance is sparkling with enthusiasm and excitement. One seems to feel the dedication of all its members to the music and to their leader. There is no lacklustre or perfunctory rehashing of old hits, the majority of its repertoire consisted of freshly written and/or arranged tunes. When the band did revisit some of its hits of the forties (like for example "Caldonia" or "Apple Honey") it filled them with that much vitality and joyous abandon, so that they were far more than mere recreations.

2. The charts, mainly by Nat Pierce, have a beautiful feel of logic and transparence, they are bluesy with accent on rhythm and syncopation, and always swing relentlessly (and that goes for the ballads too).

3. The section and ensemble playing is nothing short of superb. The section playing is as much responsible for making this band swing so hard as the - justly so - highly praized rhythm section.

4. This Herman Herd had one of the swinginest rhythm sections ever. Nat Pierce, Chuck Andrus (a superb bass player with a strong beat and a full tone) and of course Jake Hanna were the driving force behind this band, they could swing in every tempo from slow ballads like "Body And Soul" to ultra fast barburners like "Sister Sadie" or "Caldonia". As a big band drummer Jake Hanna has few peers; his cymbal work is exemplary, pushing and urging the beat forward, and his fills are simply fantastic (I have four favorite big band drummers; Hanna is one of them, the others being Don Lamond, Louis Bellson and Jeff Hamilton).

5. Last but not least this band boasted a handful of exciting and highly individual soloists who contributed to the unique sound: Sal Nistico, Phil Wilson, Nat Pierce and - not to forget - the leader on alto-sax and clarinet.

The subtitle of the album "Woody Herman - 1963" reads "The Swinginest Big Band Ever", this statement hits the mark.

[John Tapscott]

I just received my copy of the Woody Herman Mosaic Select. These performances put goose pimples on my skin every time I listen to them. The 1962-64 edition of the Woody Herman Herds was one of the most exciting big bands ever. Above all it had a very distinctive sound and is instantly recognizable (as is any Ellington and Basie outfit). What is it that made this orchestra so special? This is my attempt to give some answers:

1. Every performance is sparkling with enthusiasm and excitement. One seems to feel the dedication of all its members to the music and to their leader. There is no lacklustre or perfunctory rehashing of old hits, the majority of its repertoire consisted of freshly written and/or arranged tunes. When the band did revisit some of its hits of the forties (like for example "Caldonia" or "Apple Honey") it filled them with that much vitality and joyous abandon, so that they were far more than mere recreations.

2. The charts, mainly by Nat Pierce, have a beautiful feel of logic and transparence, they are bluesy with accent on rhythm and syncopation, and always swing relentlessly (and that goes for the ballads too).

3. The section and ensemble playing is nothing short of superb. The section playing is as much responsible for making this band swing so hard as the - justly so - highly praized rhythm section.

4. This Herman Herd had one of the swinginest rhythm sections ever. Nat Pierce, Chuck Andrus (a superb bass player with a strong beat and a full tone) and of course Jake Hanna were the driving force behind this band, they could swing in every tempo from slow ballads like "Body And Soul" to ultra fast barburners like "Sister Sadie" or "Caldonia". As a big band drummer Jake Hanna has few peers; his cymbal work is exemplary, pushing and urging the beat forward, and his fills are simply fantastic (I have four favorite big band drummers; Hanna is one of them, the others being Don Lamond, Louis Bellson and Jeff Hamilton).

5. Last but not least this band boasted a handful of exciting and highly individual soloists who contributed to the unique sound: Sal Nistico, Phil Wilson, Nat Pierce and - not to forget - the leader on alto-sax and clarinet.

The subtitle of the album "Woody Herman - 1963" reads "The Swinginest Big Band Ever", this statement hits the mark.

Tommy T. You've nailed it all. Besides your comments about the rhythm section and Jake Hanna one point I would particulary underline is # 2 - the contribution of Nat Pierce as composer/arranger to this band. The original LP's were not always clear about who wrote and arranged the various charts, but the Mosaic set makes clear that in terms of composing and arranging this was Nat's band. What a great writer he was, absolutely perfect for the Herd.