Search - Woody Herman :: The V-Disc Recordings

V DISCS -- Have you "Herd"?

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Woody Herman was famous for the several "Herds" that he fronted over the years. Whenever he felt stagnation setting in, Herman would dismiss band members in bunches and hire other musicians. Somehow, in spite of (or maybe because of) this designed chaos his bands always sounded great.



The 40 V DISC recordings presented on this Woody Herman album vary in sound quality from excellent to average, with only a few being badly marred by surface deterioration. This is to be expected-- age of the records aside, under wartime conditions its surprising any of the "military use only" transcriptions have survived at all.



Three tracks are from the Esquire Jazz Concert. These are: "Blowin' Up A Storm," "Jackson Fiddles While Ralph Burns" and "C Jam Blues." This last song features Duke Ellington. Liner notes are generic and limited. The V DISC story is recounted on two pages, with a third reserved for a brief bio of Herman.



Any fan of Woody Herman or big band jazz in general will find this set a real pleasure.



PLAYLIST--

DISC ONE:

(4:09) 125th Street Prophet

(3:21) A Kiss Goodnight

(6:11) Ah, Your Father's Mustache

(3:16) Apple Honey

(1:52) Bishops Blues

(2:37) Bloop Beep

( :49) Intro By Leonard Feather

(4:12) Blowin' Up A Storm

(2:58) Jackson Fiddles While Ralph Burns

(2:01) C Jam Blues

(1:33) Blue Flame

(2:53) By The River Of The Roses

(2:57) Caldonia

(2:40) Come Back To Sorrento

(5:13) Dancing In The Dawn

(3:58) Don't Worry 'Bout That Mule

(3:04) Flying Home

(3:05) Fur Trapper's Ball

(3:03) Golden Wedding

{3:23) Goosey Gander

(4:35) Happiness Is Jes' A Thing Called Joe

(2:31) Helen Of Troy (The Good Earth)

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 70:21



DISC 2:

(3:18) I Wonder

(3:21) Laura

(3:44) I've Got The World On A String

(2:51) It Must Be Jelly

(2:53) Lazy River

(4:53) Lover Man

(3:12) Northwest Passage

(3:10) Out Of This World

(4:31) Red Top

(4:55) Somebody Loves Me

(2:43) There Are No Wings On A Foxhole

(2:01) There'll Be Some Changes Made

(3:05) Woodchopper's Ball

(2:18) Yeah Man (Amen)

(3:28) Jones Beachhead

(4:22) John Hardy's Wife

(3:21) Someday Sweetheart

(3:16) Nero's Conception

(2:42) Igor

TOTAL RUNNING TIME -- 64:04"