Woody Herman

Big Band Bop

By: Charles Giuliano - Apr 07, 2016

Woody Herman

Igor Stravinsky
Composed
Ebony Concerto
For Woody Herman
Commissioned Dizzy
Woody'n You
Top arrangers for
Best Swing Band
1945 Downbeat poll
End of an era
Disbanded
The next year
One of several
Regrouped in '47
Second Herd
Famous for
Horn section
Four Brothers
Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff
Herbie Steward and Stan Getz
Pushed the envelope
Still toured
Getting on in years
Owed millions to IRS
Caught the gig
Sandy's Jazz Revival
Suburban Beverly
More like a reunion
Drove him back
To Beantown
Quality time
Chauffeur was
All ears
That Sunday
Jazz picnic
Cats hanging out
Jimmy Giuffre
Reeds player
Moody music
Flip Phillips
Yakkety yak tenor
Nursing a beer
Host an
Ersatz Gatsby
Dressed like
Sergeant Pepper
With a wig
Wanted to sit in
Grand piano
Huge drum kit
But total jive
Rich kid and his toys
Guys didn't dig him
Sucked on his juice
That was it
Later busted
For fraud
House full of
Leroy Neiman prints
Propped up on
Lucite easels
Burned down
Struck by lightning
Crazy caper
But Woody
Was the real deal