Herman, Woody

Herman, (Woodrow Charles) Woody

(1913–1987) jazz musician; born in Milwaukee, Wis. He was a clarinetist and singer who began his career with the Isham Jones Band in 1934 and assumed its leadership two years later. Regrouping in the early 1940s, he led a succession of "Herds," the first of which premiered Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto" in 1946. The Second Herd, or "Four Brothers" band of 1947–48, included Stan Getz and other promising modernists. He continued to lead ensembles of various sizes until his death.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.