Woody Herman

小簡介
伍迪·赫爾曼原名Woodrow Charles Herman。1913年5月16日生于威斯康星州的Milwaukee。他在兒童時(shí)代就表顯了充分的音樂才能。在12歲之前，他就在當(dāng)?shù)鼐銟凡坷锍?，跳踢踏舞，后來又到輕歌舞劇團(tuán)中充當(dāng)歌手。12歲時(shí)，為了充實(shí)他的演藝，他先后學(xué)習(xí)了薩克管和黑管，沒過幾年就完全是一位合格的樂隊(duì)成員了。在20年代到30年代初，他曾在不少的跳舞樂隊(duì)中工作過。最后他為之工作的是Isham Jones樂隊(duì)。他隨這支樂隊(duì)早在1936年就已錄制唱片了。到了1936年底，Jones放棄了這支樂隊(duì)，但隊(duì)員中一些核心成員仍愿維持樂隊(duì)繼續(xù)下去，便選上了赫爾曼來領(lǐng)導(dǎo)。這是一支‘演奏藍(lán)調(diào)的跳舞樂隊(duì)’，在大樂隊(duì)時(shí)代稱雄一時(shí)。最先令他們成功的兩支舞曲是Jiggs Noble改編‘金婚式－La Cinquantaine’的舞曲《Golden Wedding》及樂隊(duì)成員Joe Bishop寫的《Woodchopper’s Ball》。
40年代初，樂隊(duì)成員開始輪流大變動，直到1944年才固定下來。這些新成員被稱為‘第一群’。他們演奏的音樂不僅效果好，其中一些樂曲如《Apple Honey》、《Caldonia》、《Northwest Passage》、《Goosey Gander》等都獲得很好的銷售成績 。1946年該樂隊(duì)雖保留了部成員，但引進(jìn)了大量新鮮血液。這個(gè)‘第一群’雖然在卡內(nèi)基音樂廳（紐約著名音樂廳，以接納高質(zhì)量演奏藝人稱著）舉辦了一個(gè)場極受歡的音樂會，加深了知名度，但在年底由于財(cái)政困難，這個(gè)樂隊(duì)臨時(shí)解散了。1947年赫爾曼又組成了他的‘第二群’傳稱為‘四兄弟’樂隊(duì)。這支樂隊(duì)的風(fēng)格接近現(xiàn)代大樂隊(duì)。所以被稱為‘四兄弟’是指樂隊(duì)中薩克管部分。他們的音效不同于同時(shí)代的任何其它其樂隊(duì)，但還是搖擺型的。成功的唱片有《Keen And Peachy》、《The Goof And I》、《Early Autumn》等。在《Early Autumn》中Stan Getz的獨(dú)奏部分，是爵士樂界薩克管吹出抒情樂句的第一范例。也許是這支樂隊(duì)在那時(shí)太前衛(wèi)了一些，被大眾接受的程度有限，赫爾曼又將之解散，但立即又重組了一支。
要數(shù)清赫爾曼的‘群’太不容易了，不過赫爾曼將這支50年代初形成的樂隊(duì)稱為‘第三群’。雖然樂隊(duì)中缺少了‘四兄弟’及‘第一群’所表現(xiàn)的激情，但卻表現(xiàn)了很好的搖擺狀態(tài)。樂隊(duì)和以前一樣，擁有一流的樂手。特別是Nat Pierce，他不僅彈鋼琴，編了不少很好的曲子，還充當(dāng)了副領(lǐng)隊(duì)的角色。但50年代中期終究不是大樂隊(duì)稱雄的時(shí)代，此時(shí)赫爾曼也有點(diǎn)不知所措，樂隊(duì)成員笑稱自己為‘非群’。1955年的成員相對穩(wěn)定，只有少許變動，繼而了推出如：《Bijou》、《Your Father’s Mustache》、《Wild Root》、《Blowin’ Up A Storm》等好唱片。到了60－70年代，赫爾曼的樂隊(duì)有著各種非正式的稱呼，如‘搖擺群’、‘雷嗚群’等，到也名副其實(shí)。在60年代后期，他也曾表現(xiàn)出爵士搖滾的風(fēng)格，但并非他心甘情愿。
1976年，他在卡內(nèi)基音樂廳作了他在那里初露頭腳40周年紀(jì)念的音樂會。進(jìn)入80年代，赫曼的健康狀況不佳，想到了退休。可是在他60年的演出生涯中，他的經(jīng)紀(jì)人一直有著偷漏稅的行為，此舉這時(shí)令他幾乎一貧如洗，還欠了稅務(wù)局好幾百萬美金，還差點(diǎn)讓人把他從在好萊塢山的居所內(nèi)逐出出去。為了付清債務(wù)，他不得已托著有病的身體帶領(lǐng)樂隊(duì)到全世界巡回演出，雖取得了巨大的成功，但卻損傷了他的健康。
1986年他做了慶祝作為樂隊(duì)領(lǐng)隊(duì)50年的巡回演出。1987年他的名字被刻印在好萊塢大道的名人大道上。同年3月，赫爾曼的‘群’（弄不清是第幾群了）還在開音樂會，并且有些音樂會還錄了音。赫爾曼于1987年10月29日逝世。
by Scott Yanow
A fine swing clarinetist, an altoist whose sound was influenced by Johnny Hodges, a good soprano saxophonist, and a spirited blues vocalist, Woody Hermans greatest significance to jazz was as the leader of a long line of big bands. He always encouraged young talent and, more than practically any bandleader from the swing era, kept his repertoire quite modern. Although Herman was always stuck performing a few of his older hits (he played Four Brothers and Early Autumn nightly for nearly 40 years), he much preferred to play and create new music.
Woody Herman began performing as a child, singing in vaudeville. He started playing saxophone when he was 11, and four years later he was a professional musician. He picked up early experience playing with the big bands of Tom Gerun, Harry Sosnik, and Gus Arnheim, and then in 1934, he joined the Isham Jones orchestra. He recorded often with Jones, and when the veteran bandleader decided to break up his orchestra in 1936, Herman formed one of his own out of the remaining nucleus. The great majority of the early Herman recordings feature the bandleader as a ballad vocalist, but it was the instrumentals that caught on, leading to his group being known as the Band That Plays the Blues. Woody Hermans theme At the Woodchoppers Ball became his first hit (1939). Hermans early group was actually a minor outfit with a Dixieland feel to many of the looser pieces and fine vocals contributed by Mary Ann McCall, in addition to Herman. They recorded very frequently for Decca, and for a period had the female trumpeter/singer Billie Rogers as one of its main attractions.
By 1943, the Woody Herman Orchestra was beginning to take its first steps into becoming the Herd (later renamed the First Herd). Herman had recorded an advanced Dizzy Gillespie arrangement (Down Under) the year before, and during 1943, Hermans band became influenced by Duke Ellington; in fact, Johnny Hodges and Ben Webster made guest appearances on some recordings. It was a gradual process, but by the end of 1944, Woody Herman had what was essentially a brand new orchestra. It was a wild, good-time band with screaming ensembles (propelled by first trumpeter Pete Candoli), major soloists in trombonist Bill Harris and tenorman Flip Phillips, and a rhythm section pushed by bassist/cheerleader Chubby Jackson and drummer Dave Tough. In 1945 (with new trumpeters in Sonny Berman and Conte Candoli), the First Herd was considered the most exciting new big band in jazz. Several of the arrangements of Ralph Burns and Neal Hefti are considered classics, and such Herman favorites entered the book as Apple Honey, Caldonia, Northwest Passage, Bijou (Harris memorable if eccentric feature), and the nutty Your Fathers Mustache. Even Igor Stravinsky was impressed, and he wrote Ebony Concerto for the orchestra to perform in 1946. Unfortunately, family troubles caused Woody Herman to break up the big band at the height of its success in late 1946; it was the only one of his orchestras to really make much money. Herman recorded a bit in the interim, and then, by mid-1947, had a new orchestra, the Second Herd, which was also soon known as the Four Brothers band. With the three cool-toned tenors of Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Herbie Steward (who a year later was replaced by Al Cohn) and baritonist Serge Chaloff forming the nucleus, this orchestra had a different sound than its more extroverted predecessor, but it could also generate excitement of its own. Trumpeter/arranger Shorty Rogers and eventually Bill Harris returned from the earlier outfit, and with Mary Ann McCall back as a vocalist, the group had a great deal of potential. But, despite such popular numbers as Jimmy Giuffres Four Brothers, The Goof and I, and Early Autumn (the latter ballad made Getz into a star), the band struggled financially. Before its collapse in 1949, such other musicians as Gene Ammons, Lou Levy, Oscar Pettiford, Terry Gibbs, and Shelly Manne made important contributions.
Next up for Woody Herman was the Third Herd, which was similar to the Second except that it generally played at danceable tempos and was a bit more conservative. Herman kept that band together during much of 1950-1956, even having his own Mars label for a period; Conte Candoli, Al Cohn, Dave McKenna, Phil Urso, Don Fagerquist, Carl Fontana, Dick Hafer, Bill Perkins, Nat Pierce, Dick Collins, and Richie Kamuca were among the many sidemen. After some short-lived small groups (including a sextet with Nat Adderley and Charlie Byrd), Hermans New Thundering Herd was a hit at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival. He was able to lead a big band successfully throughout the 1960s, featuring such soloists as high-note trumpeter Bill Chase, trombonist Phil Wilson, the reliable Nat Pierce, and the exciting tenor of Sal Nistico. Always open to newer styles, Woody Hermans bop-ish unit gradually became more rock-oriented as he utilized his young sidemens arrangements, often of current pop tunes (starting in 1968 with an album titled Light My Fire). Not all of his albums from this era worked, but one always admired Hermans open-minded attitude. As one of only four surviving jazz-oriented bandleaders from the swing era (along with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Stan Kenton) who was still touring the world with a big band, Herman welcomed such new talent in the 1970s as Greg Herbert, Andy Laverne, Joe Beck, Alan Broadbent, and Frank Tiberi. He also recorded with Chick Corea, had a reunion with Flip Phillips, and celebrated his 40th anniversary as a leader with a notable 1976 Carnegie Hall concert.
Woody Herman returned to emphasizing straight-ahead jazz by the late 70s. By then, he was being hounded by the IRS due to an incompetent manager from the 1960s not paying thousands of dollars of taxes out of the sidemens salaries. Herman, who might very well have taken it easy, was forced to keep on touring and working constantly into his old age. He managed to put on a cheerful face to the public, celebrating his 50th anniversary as a bandleader in 1986. However, his health was starting to fail, and he gradually delegated most of his duties to Frank Tiberi before his death in 1987. Tiberi continued to lead a Woody Herman Orchestra on a part-time basis but it never had the opportunity to record. Fortunately, Herman was well documented throughout all phases of his career, and his major contributions are still greatly appreciated.