Personnel:
Dick Collins, Burt Collins (tp), Cy Touff (b-tp), Bill Harris, Wayne Andre (tb), Woody Herman (cl, vcl), Richie Kamuca, Arno Marsh (ts), Jay Cameron (bs), Vic Feldman (vib), Remo Biondi (g), Vince Guaraldi (p), Monty Budwig (b), Chuck Flores (d)
Reference: FSRCD 2238
Bar code: 8427328622387
In the summer of 1955 Woody Herman broke up his big band and put together a small, eight-piece group to hit Las Vegas. The unusual instrumentation of this octettwo trumpets, bass trumpet, tenor, clarinet and rhythmgave it a big, almost full orchestral sound. The group was terrifically exciting to play with. It had the old time spirit with modern thoughts, said Herman effusively. Aside from Woodys clarinet and vocals, Cy Touff, Richie Kamuca, and Dick Collins are the featured soloists.
All the vitality that Herman injected into anything he touched is unmistakably present here. Seven full-size Herd tracks from 1956 complete this set. The swinging and strongly Basie-felt arrangements are by Ralph Burns, Manny Albam, Nat Pierce and Johnny Coppola, and the solos are by Harris, Guaraldi, Feldman, Coppola, and Marsh. As a bonus, you can hear Woody sing the Blues with the late-night warmth and ease of phrasing that always made him so enjoyable.
