WOODY HERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1937-1938 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1090 (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This entry in the chronological rundown of Woody Herman recordings focuses on all of his 1937 and 1938 Decca recordings. The Band That Plays the Blues was still searching for a style that would click with a public hungry for all swing music, and the song selection is a combination of standards, blues, a couple of boogie-woogies, and a stray novelty or two like "Flat Foot Floogie." It also features the oddball "Laughing Boy Blues" (his only hit in 1938) and "River Bed Blues," the first recording by the small group within the band, the Woodchoppers. The best was still to come. Cub Koda
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WOODY HERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1128 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Woody Herman had a breakthrough during the period of time covered by Classics' third Herman CD. The Apr. 12, 1939, session yielded "Woodchopper's Ball," Herman's first hit, and it also featured "Dallas Blues," "Blues Downstairs," and "Blues Upstairs." From then on, Herman's first group would be known as "The Band That Plays the Blues." Other highlights of this enjoyable CD include four titles featuring singer Connie Boswell, the Andrews Sisters guesting on "Begin the Beguine," some vocals by Mary Ann McCall, and the tracks "The Sheik of Araby" and "Farewell Blues." Despite the lack of any major soloists (beyond the leader), things were definitely looking up by August 1939 for Herman. Scott Yanow       Tracklist :

WOODY HERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1939-1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1163 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This second installment in the Classics Charlie Parker chronology contains quite a number of Bird's best-loved and most respected recordings. The first 12 tracks, recorded in New York for the Dial label in October and November of 1947, are all masterpieces of modern music, with the ballads, especially "Embraceable You," constituting some of Parker's very best recorded work. This is the classic 1947 quintet with Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, and Max Roach. Even if his personal life was characteristically chaotic, 1947 was a good year for Charlie Parker's music. It was in November 1947 that this band hit the road to play the El Sino Club on St. Antoine Boulevard in Detroit. Unfortunately, Bird got really snockered and couldn't perform, so the El Sino management canceled the gig. Bird ultimately destroyed his saxophone by throwing it out of a hotel window onto the street below. (A tragic and disturbing image!) Back in New York, the band -- now a sextet with the addition of trombonist J.J. Johnson -- made six more sides for Dial on December 17, 1947. Once again the quintet visited Detroit to make good on its broken contract with the El Sino, and this time the band's return engagement was a success. Miles Davis later remembered: "Bird played his ass off." Vocalist Betty Carter even sat in. While they were still in Detroit, producer Teddy Reig had "the Charlie Parker Quintette" make more records for the Savoy label. The four master takes heard here contain music that is still studied and cherished by musicians, poets, lovers, cultural historians, and devout listeners everywhere. arwulf arwulf        Tracklist :

WOODY HERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1243 (2002) FLAC (tracks), lossless

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WOODY HERMAN AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1941 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1304 (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

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