Leader of the Band: The Life of Woody Herman

Although this was written a little while ago, its nice to have Woody's story told in depth. And this is as deep into Woody Herman's life as it is going to get, probably. It is rich and told as only a good friend of the subject could tell it. We get most of the steadily ongoing personal changes, as expected, covering all the various Herds and bands. And, thanks to Gene Lees' not stepping aside issues, a gratifyingly real look into Woody's life and times. Although the friendship does slip in occasionally, for example, Woody's being one of the great male jazz vocalists? Please! His vocals are some boring jive and meant to entertain the social crowd. Not being a clarinet fan, I always thought he could have put a lampshade on that ax in about 1954 and stuck to alto and soprano, but that's just my short coming. The consistently high level of music and energy his bands produced (with few exceptions), the length of time he was able to keep a big band working, life on the road, the way the band always reflected new sounds and influences to keep modern, the great players that passed through, and the respect and admiration his musicians held for him (after a rather shaky start, surprisingly) all add to his brilliant career. And he loved his wife through the whole amazing trip. And then there's that ugly tax thing, a real tragedy in his old age. Maybe the reason Woody is overlooked a bit historically is because, although he was a gifted musician and leader, he wasn't an arranger and writer in the Fletcher Henderson, Gil Evans, Thad Jones, Duke and Billy Strayhorn tradition. While the book's focus is squarely on Woody and his closest associates, I felt it could have dealt more fully with his music. I found I had to drop a needle on some old sides to get that, but that's not all bad, either. And finally, I think its rather nice living on Humboldt Boulevard in Milwaukee about 5 or 6 blocks from where Woody lived as a kid, although his house is gone (condos, what else?).