Band leader WOODY HERMAN

2: Band leader WOODY HERMAN. This interview was orginally recorded in May, 1986. Herman was the leader of numerous big bands, all variously called The Thundering Herd. His bands were noted for their dazzling improvisation combined with their incisive ensemble playing. (HERMAN died in 1987)Band leader and clarinetist ARTIE SHAW. In the 1930s and 40s his band ranked with the Goodman, Dorsie, and Miller bands in popularity. But he rejected many of the pop tunes and stuck with music by composers like Porter, Gershwin, and Berlin. SHAW is also known for working with many fine Black musicians and singers, including Billie Holiday. SHAW is now retired from performing. (From an interview recorded in 1985).