Outstanding Clarinetists in the History of Jazz – Part 9
Woody Herman – The Constant Innovator
A series by József Fritz
October 2, 2023
The current subject of our series entered the history books primarily as a bandleader of major historical significance, yet interestingly, he remains in our memory largely through his clarinet playing.
Woodrow Charles Herman was born on May 16, 1913, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
His parents were Otto and Myrtle (Bartoszewicz) Herrmann, his mother having been born in Poland.
During his childhood, Woody worked as a singer and tap dancer in vaudeville, and at the age of 12 he began playing the clarinet and saxophone.
In 1931, he met Charlotte Neste, an aspiring actress, and they married on September 27, 1936.
Woody Herman joined the Tom Gerun Orchestra, where his first recordings as a singer can be dated, including “Lonesome Me” and “My Heart’s at Ease.”
After the band disbanded, and following prolonged disputes, it ultimately came under Herman’s leadership.
He soon realized that alongside major contemporaries such as Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, he could only reach a different audience through a distinctive orchestral sound.
His first major success came with “Woodchopper’s Ball,” after which he began employing the most modern arrangers of the time.
Dizzy Gillespie and Neal Hefti both arranged for the orchestra.
He restructured the saxophone section, replacing the traditional lineup of two altos, two tenors, and one baritone with a section consisting of three tenors and one baritone saxophone.
They debuted this new sound with Jimmy Giuffre’s composition “Four Brothers.”
The band included, in their early careers, such outstanding musicians as Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Terry Gibbs, Flip Phillips, Conte Candoli, and others.
Ralph Burns became his regular arranger, and with his composition “Early Autumn,” they achieved another tremendous success.
Igor Stravinsky wrote the “Ebony Concerto” specifically for the orchestra, thereby acknowledging jazz as an important musical genre.
Woody Herman continued to lead his big band throughout the 1960s and 1970s, touring the world extensively.
In 1976, he gave a spectacular farewell concert at Carnegie Hall (and on October 30, 1978, the Woody Herman Big Band also performed at the Erkel Theatre in Budapest).
However, after it was revealed that his accountant had left him with millions of dollars in tax debt, he continued working. Many musicians even raised money to prevent his eviction.
He ultimately passed away on October 29, 1987, at the age of 76, still an active musician.
From a clarinet perspective, two of his recordings should be highlighted, both made with small ensembles.
One is “Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet,” featuring musicians such as Nat Pierce and Gus Johnson, and the other is a sextet recording with artists including Nat Adderley, Joe Puma, and other young talents of the time.
In the 1980s, he also worked with young musicians at Concord Records, producing several recordings with Japanese clarinetist Eiji Kitamura.
Woody Herman joined the LeBlanc instrument family in the 1950s and promoted it for the rest of his life.
His tone was deep and metallic, and he particularly favored sudden high-register notes.