WOODY HERMAN & HIS ORCHESTRA - The Wildroot Shows 1946
Sounds Of Yester Year DSOY2083
Tracks 1 to 14
Woody Herman ( clt / vocal )
Sonny Berman ( tpt ) Chuck Lewis ( tpt ) Conrad Gozzo ( tpt ) Pete Candoli ( tpt ) Shorty Rogers ( tpt ) Ralph Pfeiffer ( tmb ) Bill Harris ( tmb ) Ed Keifer ( tmb ) Sam Marowitz, John LaPorta, Flip Phillips, Saul Rabinowitz & Skippy DeSair ( saxes ) Red Norvo ( vibes ) Chuck Wayne ( gtr ) Jimmy Rowles
( pno ) Joe Môn dragon ( bass ) Don Lamond ( drs ) Lynn Stevens ( vocal 0
Recorded Eastwood Gardens, Detroit, August 1946
Tracks 15 to 22
Same personnel as above
Recorded The Armoury, Troy, New York, August 1946
At the time of these recordings radio was king and many of the most popular big bands had sponsorship by big name companies such as the Benny Goodman Camel Caravan programme, this was good publicity for the bands in question and kept them in the public eye.
The fruits of two recordings of the Wildroot show are on this album and I am afraid you hve to suffer the over zealous announcer and adverts from the sponsor but the music is fine.
In many ways the first Heard was the most exciting if a bit rough and ready at times but full of enthusiasm and full of soloists to match.
There are the usual crop of Woody’s vocals which are always acceptable as well as two from Lynn Stevens which are pretty reasonable for a band singer.
There is plenty of solo space for Flip Phillips, Bill Harris, Red Norvo and Jimmy Rowles has a particularly good solo on “Blowing Up A Storm”.
There is a full version of “Wildroot” which is more exciting than the studio version, and “Steps” is a run out for the Woodchoppers.
Although there maybe better studio versions of most of these tracks they do not have the immediacy of these versions and in many ways they are a flavour of the times.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
Sounds Of Yester Year DSOY2083
Tracks 1 to 14
Woody Herman ( clt / vocal )
Sonny Berman ( tpt ) Chuck Lewis ( tpt ) Conrad Gozzo ( tpt ) Pete Candoli ( tpt ) Shorty Rogers ( tpt ) Ralph Pfeiffer ( tmb ) Bill Harris ( tmb ) Ed Keifer ( tmb ) Sam Marowitz, John LaPorta, Flip Phillips, Saul Rabinowitz & Skippy DeSair ( saxes ) Red Norvo ( vibes ) Chuck Wayne ( gtr ) Jimmy Rowles
( pno ) Joe Môn dragon ( bass ) Don Lamond ( drs ) Lynn Stevens ( vocal 0
Recorded Eastwood Gardens, Detroit, August 1946
Tracks 15 to 22
Same personnel as above
Recorded The Armoury, Troy, New York, August 1946
At the time of these recordings radio was king and many of the most popular big bands had sponsorship by big name companies such as the Benny Goodman Camel Caravan programme, this was good publicity for the bands in question and kept them in the public eye.
The fruits of two recordings of the Wildroot show are on this album and I am afraid you hve to suffer the over zealous announcer and adverts from the sponsor but the music is fine.
In many ways the first Heard was the most exciting if a bit rough and ready at times but full of enthusiasm and full of soloists to match.
There are the usual crop of Woody’s vocals which are always acceptable as well as two from Lynn Stevens which are pretty reasonable for a band singer.
There is plenty of solo space for Flip Phillips, Bill Harris, Red Norvo and Jimmy Rowles has a particularly good solo on “Blowing Up A Storm”.
There is a full version of “Wildroot” which is more exciting than the studio version, and “Steps” is a run out for the Woodchoppers.
Although there maybe better studio versions of most of these tracks they do not have the immediacy of these versions and in many ways they are a flavour of the times.
Reviewed by Roy Booth
