Customer Reviews

Fatha Herman

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
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My high school invited Allen Vizzutti to perform with us in successive years; we opened his portion of our first jazz band concert with "Fire Dance". If memory serves, this was a Jeff Tyzik composition & arrangement, one of my first tastes of jazz heavily flavored with Latin percussion. Much of my later affinity for both chile verde and Stan Kenton's "Cuban Fire" can be traced to this song!

Fire Dance nearly killed our drummer (and the rest of the band). But Vizzutti's play was the single most impressive display of brass virtuosity I have witnessed to date. The cadenza at the end of the song still kills me to hear: it goes on through some 2 minutes of circular breathing, ridiculous range and - honest to God - double-tonguing through 2 octaves between the "tu" and the "ku".

Buy this if only for the one track, but keep it for Pavane and others. I have long since lost my vinyl copy of "Road Father" but remember it as something I played to death, like Toshiko Akiyoshi's "Tales of a Courtesan" and Thad Jones-Mel Lewis' "Greetings and Salutations". Buy it and a tank of oxygen for each listen!

Footnote: Vizzutti's cadenza was about twice as long when he played with us. We timed him at something like two minutes between breath pauses (circular breathing extraordinaire). Still looking for a master to digitize from that performance (Gerry Knipfel, where are you?)

If you like big bands, this is one of the hardest-swinging ones you'll EVER hear! Originally released as "Road Father" (a nickname given to Woody by the late Bill Chase's parents), this album was recorded direct-to-disc in the studio. There were no edits or "second takes"--once a note was played, it was ON the album. From Allen Vizzuti's pryrotechnics on "Firedance" to Bruce Johnstone's bass clarinet jazz choruses on "Pavanne," this is a tour de force for the Herman band. The personnel even includes a couple of the trumpet-players who were not on the plane when it crashed, tragically killing Bill Chase and most of the Chase group. Dig Woody and Bruce Johnstone's singing on the revised Ralph Burns classic, "I've Got News For You ! " and a GREAT chart on "Isn't She Lovely?" A must-have album for any Herman fan (or anybody who just digs great playing and arranging), just be sure you keep your lap empty while listening...you're sure to stand up and shout during some of the band's out-choruses ! The musicians and the music are 5-stars here for SURE! THANK YOU, THANK YOU for reissuing this beauty ! (The recording method and resulting limited issue on the original vinyl made this an almost unknown album, but it is surely one of Woody's BEST).

This album rates 5 stars for Fire Dance alone. If you play trumpet, listen to this and weep. Absolutely amazing!

This is one of the finest big band albums ever done! When this came out as an audiophile recording originally it blew me away! I long ago wore out the vinyl originally titled "ROAD FATHER". As CD reissues of all the great recordings eventually came out, I waited for this one...to no avail until now! It is lovingly remastered with extra tracks and sounds even better than the direct-to-disc vinyl did when brand new! Three words...BUY THIS DISC! You won't stop playing it!

I think this is a great rerelease of a 70's album he had. I recommend it to any big band jazz buff or woody herman fan. I have been waiting a long time for this cd. Well worth the search.

Oh Yea! buy this CD. I was blown away by THIS band when I was a high school punk & saw them play in the school gym. In college I played some of those same "Road Father" arrangments..... 20 some years later the shine has'nt worn off & the band - recording are still great... Oh yea....buy it