Search - Woody Herman :: Verve Jazz Masters 54

Woody's Hardest-Swingin' Band Ever!!

C. Law | Las Vegas, NV USA | 01/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS BAND was SPECIAL!! The guys in the band knew it was. The audiences who heard them knew it...and back-to-back grammys on their first (2) albums indicated EVERYBODY ELSE knew it, TOO!! This is kind of a "Best Of..." album, with tracks from "Woody Herman 1963," "Encore: W/H 1963," "W/H 1964," "Woody's Big Band Goodies" and "The Swinging Herman Herd Recorded Live," all of which were released from 1962-65 on Philips Records and haven't been available for 30 years. THIS BAND WAS AWESOME!!! (Even trumpet player Paul Fontaine is quoted in the liner notes, descibing the first time Woody heard them--on their FIRST GIG, no less, "The band was FRIGHTENING!!..." BILL CHASE and GERRY LAMY led the TOTALLY SMOKIN' trumpet section (dubbed "Woody's Stand-up Firing Squad" by at least one pundit), along with PAUL FONTAINE, BILLY HUNT & DUSKO GOYKOVICH. The band was also anchored by PHIL WILSON on trombone, NAT PIERCE (who hired the guys & rehearsed them before Woody ever heard the band) on piano, SAL NISTICO on tenor, JAKE HANNA on drums and CHUCK ANDRUS (a.k.a. "Charlie The Arm") on bass. Most of the charts were from Nat Pierce, with Bill Holman, Bob Hammer, Bill Chase and John Coppola also contributing.I waited YEARS for this music to be reissued!! Now let's just do ALL of the Philips albums equally this well...PLEASE?? The digital remastering and selection were done by MUSICIANS and it SHOWS in the QUALITY!! Do yourself a BIG FAVOR: if you like big-band jazz, or are a Woody Herman fan.....BUY..THIS...ALBUM!!! I would give it a "DOUBLE" FIVE STARS, but they only let me go up to FIVE!!!!! ...And if you don't have this in YOUR COLLECTION, you really DON'T HAVE a collection!!!"

The Swingin'est Herman Herd

Donnie The B | USA | 02/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Philips label albums: "Woody Herman 1963"; "Woody Herman Live East and West"; and "Woody Herman-1964" supply the bulk of this Verve repackage of great sounds from what I believe to be among the very top big bands of all time. I played the original vinyl to near death - but still have them!

Listen to the under-rated Jake Hanna drive this big outfit on drums. Marvel along with all of us at the improbable sounds Phil Wilson elicits from a trombone. Thrill to the screamingly powerful lead trumpet of Bill Chase. Appreciate the arranging talents (and piano licks) of Nat Pierce. Dig the often frenetic tenor of Sal Nistico. And Woody could play a little alto and clarinet for sure too!

There's more to love here of course. Note the several musical climaxes and powerful trumpet section in the "Cousins" arrangement for instance. If you can appreciate a hard swinging big band, you have to give this one a try. Buy this slice of their output and you'll clamor for more! (There is thankfully more available. "Woody Herman - 1963" is available in an import re-issue currently. Columbia albums: "Woody's Winners" and "Jazz Hoot" are repackaged on one currently available CD. Let's hope '1964' makes the re-issue bandwagon)."