The Swinging Herd - Woody Herman

 

It Must Be Jelly 'Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That

The Swinging Herman Herd

Woody Herman and His Orchestra

Instruments in Cover Photo by Wurlitzer

Burnswick BL 54024

1957

From the back cover: "Collector's item" is a term that has been bandied about somewhat loosely during the past few years of the national upsurge in jazz interest and discological research. Too often it has been applied to works that are collected, before very much time has elapsed, by a poor relative, a barrage man or a junk dealer. But in the case of the gems of jazz by one of the great orchestras of the past generation, it can honestly be said that the appellation fits.

Eleven of the twelve selections heard in this set were recorded in 1944, a crucial years in the Herman career; the twelfth preceded them by only a few weeks. Woody, born in Milwaukee in 1913, had sung and danced in local theaters from early childhood and had been playing saxophone since the age of one and clarinet from the time he was eleven. But the theme these recordings are mad several important episodes in his career were behind him º his years as a sideman with Joey Richter; with Tom Gerun, in whose band he first left home; and with Harry Sonic, Gus Arnheim and Isham Jones; and then, after the Jones band's breakup in 1936, his reorganization of its remnants into the original Herman "Band The Plays The Blues," many of whom first hits are still abatable on LPs.

The band gradually evolved from this blues stage, and buy the early 1940s had begun to attract to its ranks a group of young, forward-looking musicians who were capable of allying the blues roots of the past with the Ellington songs of the present and the bop ideas of the future. (Don't forget that in 1944, though the Gillespie cult had just about begun among New York horsemen, the new jazz was still something in the stage of birth bangs and almost unknown to the public at large.)

Among the key figures around Woody at that period was Dave Matthews, a saxophonist and arranger who was responsible for several of the scores heard here. Dave was unmistakably and irrevocably committed to the Ellington school, and it was a common phenomenon to find traces of various Ducal scores echoed in the pieces Matthews was writing or rewriting for this intermediary Herman Herd.

Perdido, which kicks off the first side at a gently swinging pace, slower than the tempo recently associated with this tune, was a Matthews arrangement. Recorded in New York April 5, 1944, it was a part of a session for which Woody switched his personnel around a little to incorporate a couple of Ellington musicians – including the distinguished Perdido composer himself, Juan Tirol, on valve trombone, heard briefly in a solo during the first chorus; and Johnny Hodges, Woody's alto idol, also heard in the opening chorus. In addition there was a tenor saxophonist named Herbie Fields who as later to become popular as a bandleader in his own right. Woody's chalumeau register clarinet also can be heard to good advantage here, and there are a couple of moments of growl trumpet by Kappy Lewis.

I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues remains similarly close to the Ellington formula. A popular song written a few moths earlier by the Duke, it was orchestrated for Woody by Ralph Burns, who had joined the band not long before this session. It was recorded in Los Angeles December 12, 1944, with a band that contained many future popularity poll winners. Ray Wetzel, Pete Candoli, Charlie Frankhauser, Neal Hefti and "Mama" Warwick were the all-star trumpet section; Bill Harris, Ralph Pfiffner and Ed Keifer played trombones; the sax section had Sam Marowitz and Jon LaPorta on altos, Pete Mondello and Flip Phillips on tenors and Skippy DeSair on baritone, while the memorable rhythm section comprised Ralph Burns on piano, Billy Bauer on guitar, Chubby Jackson on bass and the unforgettable Dave Tough on drums.

Note particularly the trumpet effects behind the bridge of Woody' opening coal chorus, a remarkable portent of the state of bop things to come, and undoubtedly a refection of the influence of Neal Hefti, one of Dizzy's earliest disciples. There's also a short and impressive tenor solo by Flip, one of his first ever recorded.

Cherry, a 30-year-old tuen by saxophonist-arranger Don Rodman (now Pearl Bailey's musical director) was arranged for Woody by Dave Matthews, again in a pointedly Ellington-oriented manner. This was cut in New York March 13, 1944 with Bobby Guyer, Ray Wetzel, Neal Hefti and Mario Serritello, trumpets; Al Esposito, Ed Bennet and Ed Keifer, trombones; Ernie Caceres and Chuck Di Maggio, altos; Budd Johnson, Pete Mondello, tenors; Skippy De Sair, baritone; Ralph Burns, piano; Hy White, guitar; Chubby Jackson, bass and Cliff Lehman, drums. Solos are by Woody, Budd and Esposito.

Noah, mainly a vocal novelty by Woody, dates from January 8, 1944 with an all-star sax sextet: Johnny Bothwell, Di Maggio, De Sair and tenor man Mondello, Allen Eager and Ben Webster (another Ellingtonian). Trumpets were Guyer, Wetzel, Nick Travis and Kappy Lewis; trombones Al Mastren, Eddie Bert and Ed Kiefer; rhythm as for Cheery. Ralph Burns wrote the arrangement; the soloists are Kappy, in Cootie Williams-inspired mood, which is all the praise he needs. The tune, by the way, was cleared by Joe Bishop, who served in an earlier Herman band playing fluegelhorn and arranging.

Basie's Basement, marking a switch from the Duke's to the Count's influence, was written by Gene Sargent, a musician who had played bass briefly with Woody. Basically a simple blues, it was recorded November 3, 1943 with Bothwell, Di Maggio, De Sair, Mondello and Webster on saxes; Kappy, Guyer, Wetzel, Travis and Benny Stabler on trumpets; Mastren, Bert, Chubby Jackson and Lehman. Woody's clarinet, Hy's guitar and Ben's tenor are solo highlights.

I've Got You Under My Skin, a Ralph Burns arrangement of the 1936 Cole Porter standard, has the same personnel and recording date as Noah, with Woody on clarinet and alto and some more plush Webster tenor.

Angie Speaks was named for Woody's beautiful red-headed daughter Ingrid by its composer, Dave Matthews. Recorded March 28, 1944, it has a personnel probably similar to that of Cherry, with Hy White prominently heard in solo, but the identify of the tenor sax soloist, who sounds like Ben Webster or a vary capable imitator, has been clouded in doubt by the passage of 13 years and the loss of documentary proof of the line-up.

Refuse It, a popular song of the day sung by Woody, was made at the same date, and here the evidence points toward Herbie Fields as the tenor soloist, though he certainly was doing an admirable job of emulating Ben.

It Must Be Jelly, cut at the Noah session, is based on the traditional twelve-bar blues played at a medium-bright bounce tempo, and was arranged by Ralph Burns. Woody does most of the singing util Frances Wayne makes a surprising entry; one wonders how her staid Boston family reacted to her first tangle with the blues, but clearly she was having a ball. Ben Webster is in there for a chorus, too, and Woody's clarinet wails gains shouting brass.

As Long As I Live has never previously been issued. It was recorded at the same Los Angeles session that produced I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues.

I'm Goin' Home was recorded the same day as Angie Speaks and Refuse It, with Woody in his pleasantest ballad-singing mood.

Finally there is the Ralph Burns arrangement of another Cole Porter standard, I Get A Kick Out Of You. This corresponds in personnel and date with Noah, with Ray Wetzel featured on trumpet, and another helping of Ben Webster, plus Woody's clarinet on what seems at times like an Artie Shaw kick.

All in all it's a collection that will bring back great memories for older Herman fans and uncover interesting date for the younger crowd, filling in a vital gap in the history of one of America's greatest jazz orchestra. – Leonard Feather

Perdido (Lost)

I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

Cheery 

Noah

Basie's Basement

I've Got You Under My Skin

Ingie Speaks

Refuse It

It Must Be Jelly 'Cause Jam Don't Shake Like That

As Long As I Live

Goin' Home

I Get A Kick Out Of You