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Woody Herman

A great and prolific leader of big bands, Milwaukee-born Woodrow Charles Herman was a gifted clarinetist, saxophonist and singer. As a child, Herman worked in vaudeville as a singer, tap dancer and clarinet player. By 1934, he was a member of Isham Jones' big band. When Jones disbanded his orchestra, many of the players joined a new group led by Herman. He enjoyed a number of big band hits, most notably "At the Woodchopper's Ball," "Early Autumn," "Caldonia" and "Four Brothers." Herman's orchestra evolved into what he called the "Herd" in the late 1940s, and over the years, he employed such important players as the illustrious "Four Brothers" group of sax players: Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn and Serge Chaloff, as well as Conte Candoli, Jimmy Giuffre, Dave McKenna, among many more.