Free For All Posted December 10, 2006 Report Share Posted December 10, 2006 (edited) I noticed that Woody hadn't been represented in the AOTW, so I thought I'd nominate one of my favorite recordings. This is a document of the band recorded in late June 1965 at San Francisco's Basin Street West. The original release contains eight tracks, but there are eight additional tracks scattered over a couple other releases. Jazz Hoot includes I Can't Get Started, Hallelujah Time, Satin Doll, Jazz Hoot and Watermelon Man, and Woody Live East And West includes I Remember Clifford, The Preacher and Waltz For A Hung-Up Ballet Mistress . All these tracks will be re-united on the upcoming Mosaic Single. I'm looking forward to that one! For the purpose of this AOTW discussion I thought we'd stick to the original release, although feel free to talk about whatever you want. Besides Woody on alto and clarinet, the personnel included Gary Klein, Sal Nistico and Andy McGhee on tenors and Tom Anastas on bari. The trumpet section was Bill Chase, Don Rader, Bobby Shew, Dusko Goykovich and Gerald Lamy. Trombones were Henry Southall, Frank Tesinsky and Donald Doane. Rhythm section was Nat Pierce on piano, Tony Leonardi on bass and Ronnie Zito on drums. So some familiar 60s Herd names combined with some lesser-known players. I got to know the late Tony Leonardi when I taught at Youngstown State for a couple years. He was the head of the jazz studies program, and a terrific guy who was very proud of his time with the Herd. Most people think of Jake Hanna when considering the 60s Herd, but Ronnie Zito takes a back seat to no one (to my ears there's a definite Sam Woodyard influence there). This band swung its MF ass off! Great charts too- one of my favorites is Chase's 23 Red. Other arrangers included Nat Pierce (who contributed the great chart on Opus De Funk), Dusko Goykovich and Don Rader, who wrote the classic Greasy Sack Blues. Woody used to introduce that tune as if the title was referring to the woes of eating fast-food on the road, but the title really referred to the woes of the long bus rides, if you catch my drift. The "Seven Come Eleven" sounding Northwest Passage features a typical great Sal Nistico solo. It was mostly because of Sal's ability to burn at these fast tempos that tunes like this one (as well as Caldonia and Apple Honey) gradually evolved to faster and faster tempos. The Goykovich composition "Woody's Whistle" is great swinging blues chart, gradually building chorus after chorus. The title referred to the whistle Woody used to call the guys back to the bandstand after breaks. A lot of the band's repertoire consisted of arrangements of the pop tunes of the era. Even if you are burned out on Funny Valentine, it's hard to not like Don Rader's great medium-swing version of the tune. Most of these charts were still in the book when I joined the band in 1984, which is a testament to their timeless quality. This band was an interesting amalgam of Basie, Ellington and general bebop/hard bop influences. And the instrumentation really created a different sound. Writing for this band was really different than writing for the usual 5-4-4 instrumentation. Anyway, I'll stop there for now. I hope many of you have this recording- if not I'd highly recommend getting the Mosaic Single when it becomes available. Also, you've got to love that cover! Total 1965! Edited December 11, 2006 by Free For All Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tapscott Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 Can't wait to get this one out and give it a listen! Great album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
makpjazz57 Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I still love this edition of the Herd. I have the LPs and also have "Woody's Winners" on Cd. Great news regarding the upcoming Mosaic release. On my way to Mosaic's website now to get more information! Thanks for the heads up on this! Marla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted December 11, 2006 Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I'm hoping the Collectables 2-on-1 "Jazz Hoot"/"Woody's Winners" has all the tracks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted December 11, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2006 I'm hoping the Collectables 2-on-1 "Jazz Hoot"/"Woody's Winners" has all the tracks. It's missing three tracks which are included on Woody Live East and West (see initial post). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tapscott Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 Just listening now. Man, this is one swingin', kick a** big band. No band could build up the way Woody's does. It's even different than Basie's in a way. One minute it's just kind of slinking through the blues and before you know it, the band is cookin' and wailin' at full throttle. Kind of sneaks up on you. Prime examples here are Greasy Sack and Woody's Whistle. It happens on standards too, like Red Roses. And Funny Valentine just smokes, as does 23 Red. A very exciting chart. Nat's chart on Opus de Funk is definitive, one of a handful of charts I would pick to show someone "This is what the Herman sound is all about." Love Nistico and and Goykovich and Rader and esp. Henry Southall on 'bone. What a wail he has on Opus de Funk. Great lead trumpet by Bill Chase.My favorite Herman drummer has to be Jake Hanna, but I'll tell you, Ronnie Zito brings his own thing which is just as vaild and swings the band just as hard. Hadn't thought of the Woodyard influence before- interesting to listen for. (For more great Zito listen to Herman's recently reissued and rather overlooked "My Kind of Broadway" - a great studio session by this same band.) Overall, this is powerfully swinging big band jazz at the zenith. I think it was Woody who really lit up the band. I don't know how he did it, but he had a competitive spirit that drove the band to the heights. The first time I saw the Herd live was at a Fest in Toronto in '74. Other big bands were there - Basie, Bellson, Ferguson. They all played fine, but Woody was taking a back seat to no one. Somehow he really got the Herd wound up for that gig. The Herd was the band that really brought the crowd to its feet and it's the one you went home talking about. That performance by the Herd over a two day festival is still the finest big band live performance I've ever heard. Paul- there's a story in Bill Clancy's Herman bio about the night Don Lamond sat in with the band for a gig in the '80's. The guys were grumbling because of this old drummer whom they feared wouldn't know the charts. But Lamond did know the new charts! He kicked the band mightly and lit up the bandstand and brought a smile to everyone's face. Just wondering if you were on the band at that time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Tapscott Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 It struck me this morning that perhaps the key to Herman's leadership was not only a keen insight into what the public wanted to hear, but an even keener sense of what charts musicians loved to play. And when musicians love to play a particular chart, there is a fire and intensity to their playing which goes beyond "professionalism." I think that's what you often hear in a Herman Herd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 (edited) Also, you've got to love that cover! Total 1965! Hadn't ever seen the cover - so I had to look it up... (Or maybe it's buried in the "sexy album covers" thread!! ) Edited December 12, 2006 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 12, 2006 Report Share Posted December 12, 2006 All I can add is that when/if the Herman Phillips (you have heard of Herman Phillips, haven't you?) Mosaic comes out, there's gonna be a lot of happy campers, yours truly included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted December 27, 2006 Report Share Posted December 27, 2006 (you have heard of Herman Phillips, haven't you?) It was a brand of cigarette, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted December 28, 2006 Report Share Posted December 28, 2006 No, that was William Morris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted February 10, 2007 Report Share Posted February 10, 2007 Finally got the Mosaic Single of this a week or so ago. God, I love this album!!! It's become my new favorite Woody Herman album. (Pretty generous playing time, too, at 79 minutes and change.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 It struck me this morning that perhaps the key to Herman's leadership was not only a keen insight into what the public wanted to hear, but an even keener sense of what charts musicians loved to play. And when musicians love to play a particular chart, there is a fire and intensity to their playing which goes beyond "professionalism." I think that's what you often hear in a Herman Herd. Nice insight — I'd agree. Man, who wouldn't want to be in a band that plays "23 Red." I never get bored of that track. Bill Chase (I assume that's Chase with the first solo) — all a guy can say is either or :bwallace2: . That is some bad ass Cheese-its. A couple of years ago, on this board, I think I said something like: You haven't lived if you haven't heard Bill Chase on "23 Red." It's true. You haven't lived if you haven't heard this track. Don't you want to live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 Yes, and Susan Hayward liked Bill Chase as well: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 HOLYMOTHERF UC KINGS HIT!!!! OHMYGODDODODODODODODODOODOD!!!!! IF YOU WANT TO KJNOW WAHT IT WAS LIKE TO BE A YOUNG WHITE JAZZ MUSICIAN IN THE 60S AND PLAY ONE NIGHTESR AFTER ONE NIGHTERS ON A BUS WITH A BUCH OF OTHER SWEATY WHITE JAZZ MUSICIANS AND YOU WONDER WHY THEE S GUYS ENDED UP GETTING HIGH ALL THE TIME JUST LOOK AT THIS SHIT!!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_5GvWEqbL8...ted&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEPrs5DkzsM...ted&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ODL_5YZFro...ted&search= AND HOLY SHIT OF ALL THE HOLIETS SHITS ANYBODY EVERS TAKEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6mzjiFugHo...ted&search= SAL NISTICO & BILL CHASRE MAY OR MAY NOT AHVE BEEN BIG COKEHEADS BUT CAN YOUBLAME THEM PLAYING THIS STUFF EVERY NIGHT? SAL NISTICO WAS A NOBLE WARRIOR IN THE GRAND TRADITION AND GOD WAS ON HIS SIDE EVEN IF THE FDEFIL TOOK HIM OUT!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Late Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 That 1964 clip is insane. Most impressive of the bunch might be the trombone solos. I couldn't catch their names as Woody said them. Who are they again? Then again, the bassist is playing his ass off. I thought for sure there'd be a drum break, but — nope! Romano, Nistico, and Bill Hunt ... nice. (Did Hunt ever play with George Russell, or am I thinking of someone else?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DukeCity Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 That 1964 clip is insane. Most impressive of the bunch might be the trombone solos. I couldn't catch their names as Woody said them. Who are they again? Then again, the bassist is playing his ass off. I thought for sure there'd be a drum break, but — nope! Romano, Nistico, and Bill Hunt ... nice. (Did Hunt ever play with George Russell, or am I thinking of someone else?) First bone soloist was Phil Wilson. Didn't catch the name of the second guy with the glasses and the funky stance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 and Bill Hunt ... nice. (Did Hunt ever play with George Russell, or am I thinking of someone else?) That would be Joe Hunt (who is on some of the Riversides and the 'Live at the Five Spot'). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 11, 2007 Report Share Posted February 11, 2007 That 1964 clip is insane. Most impressive of the bunch might be the trombone solos. I couldn't catch their names as Woody said them. Who are they again? Then again, the bassist is playing his ass off. I thought for sure there'd be a drum break, but — nope! Romano, Nistico, and Bill Hunt ... nice. (Did Hunt ever play with George Russell, or am I thinking of someone else?) First bone soloist was Phil Wilson. Didn't catch the name of the second guy with the glasses and the funky stance. Henry Southall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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