Woody Herman Story

The Woody Herman Story showcases the multi-talented bandleader fronting his First and Second Herds on recordings made for Decca, Coral, Brunswick, Columbia and Capitol. Like the majority of Proper box sets, these four CDs are broken up into themes: "Woodchoppers Ball" covers 1939-1944, "The Good Earth," 1944-1945, "Blowin' Up a Storm," 1945-1947 and "Four Brothers," 1947-1949. Not only does this set thoroughly examine Herman's modern big-band charts, but the 92 tracks are chock-full of guest appearances by such jazz stalwarts as Stan Getz, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Giuffre, Red Norvo, Shorty Rogers, Zoot Sims and Ben Webster. The sound quality is top-notch as is the packaging, which includes a 52-page booklet, extensive liner notes, discography and photos. ~ Al Campbell, All Music Guide