Woody Herman - Mosaic Select (3 CD)

The Philips recordings of Woody Herman, spanning the mid 1960s, are considered by many to be the greatest of all the Herman Herds with stellar soloists including Sal Nistico, Phil Wilson, Bill Chase and Jake Hanna. This set includes all five Philips albums from the Thundering Herd, as they were known.

DISC ONE
1. Mo-lasses (A) 6:40
2. Blues For J.P. (A) 3:29
3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (A) 4:17
4. Tunin' In (A) 4:15
5. Sister Sadie (A) 3:26
6. Sig Ep (A) 3:49
7. It's A Lonesome Old Town (When You're Not Around) (A) 3:02
8. Camel Walk (A) 8:14
9. Moon River (A) 2:52
10. Hallelujah Time (C) 3:23
11. Deep Purple (C) 3:45
12. Jazz Hoot (C) 4:37
13. A Taste Of Honey (C) 3:13
14. Satin Doll (C) 3:18
15. After You've Gone (C) 5:11
16. The Strut (C) 3:06
17. My Wish <C) 3:27
18. Cousins (C) 5:49

DISC TWO
1. That's Where It Is (B) 4:00
2. Watermelon Man (B) 5:41
3. Body And Soul (B) 4:56
4. Better Get It In Your Soul (B) 5:30
5. Jazz Me Blues (B) 2:57
6. El Toro Grande (B) 4:50
7. Days Of Wine And Roses (B) 3:23
8. Caldonia (B) 7:46
9. Wailin' In The Woodshed (B) 3:20
10. The Good Earth (B) 2:30
11. Sidewalks Of Cuba (B) 2:48
12. I Can't Get Started (B) 3:49
13. Bijou (B) 3:37
14. Apple Honey (B) 5:05

DISC THREE
1. The Good Life (D) 3:42
2. Bedroom Eyes (D) 4:57
3. The Things We Said Today (D) 3:31
4. Just Squeeze Me (D) 5:00
5. What Kind Of Fool Am I? (D) 1:31
6. Dr. Wong's Bag (D) 6:41
7. Everybody Loves Somebody (D) 3:10
8. Wa-Wa Blues (D) 3:35
9. Dear John C (D) 5:54
10. Blue Monk (D) 4:24
11. You Dirty Dog (D) 4:37
12. Pour House Blues (D) 5:45

(A) Bill Chase, Ziggy Harrell, Dave Gale, Gerry Lamy, Paul Fontaine (tp); Jack Gale, Phil Wilson, Eddie Morgan (tb); Woody Herman (cl, as, vcl); Sal Nistico, Larry Cavelli, Gordon Brisker (ts); Gene Allen (bari); Nat Pierce (p); Chuck Andrus (b); Jake Hanna (d).
All except Moon River originally issued on WOODY HERMAN -1963.

(B) Bill Chase, Billy Hunt, Dave Gale, Gerry Lamy, Paul Fontaine (tp); Bob Rudolph, Phil Wilson, Henry Southall (tb); Woody Herman (cl, as, vcl); Sal Nistico, Bobby Jones, Bill Perkins (ts); Frank Hittner (bari); Nat Pierce (p); Chuck Andrus (b); Jake Hanna (d).
Originally issued on ENCORE and WOODY'S BIG BAND GOODIES.

(C) Bill Chase, Billy Hunt, Danny Nolan, Gerry Lamy, Paul Fontaine (tp); Kenny Wenzel, Phil Wilson, Henry Southall (tb); Woody Herman (cl, as, vcl); Sal Nistico, Carmen Leggio, Jack Stevens (ts); Nick Brignola (bari); Nat Pierce (p); Chuck Andrus (b); Jake Hanna (d).
Originally issued on WOODY HERMAN: 1964.

(D) Bill Chase, Billy Hunt, Larry Ford, Gerry Lamy, Dusko Goykovich (tp); Phil Wilson, Bob Stroup, Henry Southall (tb); Woody Herman (cl, as, vcl); Andy McGhee, Gary Klein, Raoul Romero (ts); Tom Anastas (bari); Nat Pierce (p); Chuck Andrus (b); Jake Hanna (d), Joe Carroll (vcl).
Originally issued on THE SWINGING HERMAN HERD RECORDED LIVE and WOODY'S BIG BAND GOODIES.

Review by Ken Dryden
Woody Herman was dedicated to keeping his big band going and was focused more on music that satisfied him than focusing on making hits. Most of the selections in this three-CD set came from an overlooked period in the clarinetist's career, his early 1960s tenure on the Phillips label. At this point, Herman had recently welcomed new arrivals like trumpeter Bill Chase, tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico, and trombonist Phil Wilson, while still talented veterans like pianist Nat Pierce, tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, and drummer Jake Hanna. Culled from six separate albums plus a 45 pm single, the Herman band may not reach the heights of earlier groups for some fans, but they are clearly a force to be reckoned with. Among the highlights are Pierce's sauntering arrangement of Joe Newman's "Mo-Lasses," the playful "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" that also interpolates Duke Ellington's "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart," Chase's lush interpretation of the pop song "A Taste of Honey," a frisky take of Charles Mingus' "Better Get It in Your Soul," return visits to old favorites like "Bijou" and "Apple Honey," plus "You Dirty Dog," a recent composition by Ellington for his small group record date with Coleman Hawkins. This is an excellent survey of music that deserves to be remembered.