Customer Reviews

Keep on Keepin On: 1968-1970

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In the late 60s and early 70s, record labels produced some bizarre hybrids of big band jazz and rock music (usually just to get the younger "rock crowd" to buy their albums). The typical end result was an uncomfortable compromise album that caters to no one, turning off the jazz purists while being too clunky and "out of it" for the rock-n-rollers. This Woody Herman compendium is a good example of such a production.

That said, I'm obsessed with this music! I can't describe it. It's awful and great at the same time. This particular CD culls songs from three seperate out-of-print Cadet releases (Light My Fire, Heavy Exposure, & Woody), all of which I own on vinyl. The musicians are all great, but what a strange choice of tunes. Some is catchy, dancable fare ("I Can't Get Next To You," "Catch That Bird"), some will win over the jazz audiences ("Impression of Strayhorn," "Blues In The Night" ) and some of it is just plain embarrassing ("Light My Fire," and especially "Hush"). Whatever the case, I love all of it. I just wish that ALL of the music from the aforementioned albums was released.

Some good selling points: Bill Chase is heard playing lead trumpet on a few of the tunes; tenor Sal Nistico wails on the title track, which also features some phenominal lead trumpet split between Gary Grant and Nat Pavone; Tom Harrell's flugelhorn feature on "Time For Love"; and a previously unissued bonus track for those of us who already have the albums. Guaranteed to alienate some and delight others, this is a truly odd release.

For all you Bill Chase fans out there(including me)he isn't the most firey lead player on this great album. Don't get me wrong, I love Chase but I gave a huge WOW to Gary Grant on the songs he played on(1-6). He especially lit the bands' fire on title track where he plays several double high c's.

This CD is definately worth the the cost and more. In fact, getting this CD for just the first 2 songs is worth it. Get this CD!

This is great stuff from Woody Herman. If you love big band sound, you will love this. Mostly seventies tunes with a big band sound. Great arrangements and of course Bill Chase on trumpet. Love them horns.

This recording is another fine example of the Herman band playing outstanding arrangements. The hard driving 60's era band features many great musicians, including the fiery lead trumpet of Bill Chase.

For fans of jazz-rock, the music on this CD may have fallen through the cracks thirty years ago, but now is the perfect time to catch up on Herman's terrific take on some late 1960's music. This compilation is composed of tracks from three albums Herman's big band released between 1968-1970. Jazz snobs probably ignored the albums then, and maybe even now, but that's their loss. Somebody bought the records then, as they all sold respectably at a time when jazz, especially the type of big band jazz Herman played had long since fallen on hard times. A couple of tunes included here don't work "Smiling Phases" will have you running to put on Blood, Sweat & Tears superb cover of the Traffic song) and "Aquarius" is forgettable, but the rest is first-rate. The fourteen-minute "Blues In The Night" is delightful, with superb playing, and "Light My Fire" may not make you forget the Doors original but Woody's Thundering Herd blows up a storm. The liner notes are well-written and informative and overall, this is one of the most enjoyable collections I've heard in quite some time. Enjoy!

it's nice that the people who compiled this cd focused on a few of herman's records from one of his most overlooked periods, both in terms of quality releases and by their transfer from lp to cd. compiled off of the cadet lps, light my fire, heavy exposure, and the indigenous artifact from 1968-1970, many hip tracks have been included that were only available on import compilations before. the main focus seems to be on pop cover songs like "hush", "say a little prayer", "my cherie amour" and "aquarius". herman's band is swingin' on all of them. they're horn heavy tracks, without a hint of strings or any other sappiness. the more upbeat tracks are loud, yet warm, and a few have a touch of the electric in them - bass and piano. for fans who don't like the sound of the clarinet, i know there are a few, don't worry because you'll barely hear it on these tracks.

Woody Herman always kept his band relevant, and didn't keep playing standards from the 30's and 40's, like many of his contemporaries. His exploration of rock tunes in the late 60's, early 70's, is laudable, and arguably more listenable than the original artists, at least to jazz fans. These songs contain inspired solos by many of Herman's sidemen. However, the arrangements as a whole, don't hold up well 40 years later, and exaggerate the inherent weakness of these songs. Demonstrating what jazz purists have discovered in the succeeding decades. Rock songs don't adapt well to the jazz idiom.

At albums end, the listener may conclude that they have just heard a halftime performance of a college marching band from 1970. Fortunately, Herman returned to less experimental music during the short remainder of his career. I don't think this, or any succeeding "Herd", revisited any of these tunes in later years.