Herman was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a child he worked as a singer in vaudeville, then became a professional saxophone player at age 15. When Isham Jones's band, of which Herman had been a member, broke up in 1936, he formed his own band, the Woody Herman Orchestra, with some of his band mates. This band became known for its orchestrations of the blues and was sometimes billed as "The Band That Plays The Blues".
On April 12, 1939 Woody Herman recorded his greatest commercial and mega popular hit record "Woodchoppers' Ball", featuring Woody on clarinet, Neal Ried on trombone, Saxie Mansfield on Sax, Steady Nelson on trumpet and Hy White on guitar. Other big early hits were "Blue Flame," "Dupree Blues", "Blues Upstairs and Downstairs" and "Blues in the Night" with Joe Bishop on flugelhorn, Tommy Linehans on piano, Cappy Lewis on trumpet, and the strong rhythm team of Walt Yoder and Frankie Carlson.
This popular swing band took off and was listed number three in the country in a popularity poll by Down Beat Magazine in 1940. This band recorded for the Decca label. The band was first pinned "Herman's Herd" in a Martin band instrument advertisement in the same magazine on April 1, 1941.
This band's music was heavily influenced by Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Its lively, swinging arrangements, combining bop themes with swing rhythm parts, were greatly admired; Igor Stravinsky wrote "Ebony Concerto" for this band. Other pieces for which the band was known include "Caldonia" and "Northwest Passage." During this time, Woody Herman recorded for the Columbia label. Featured musicians were trumpeter Sonny Berman,trumpeter/arranger Neil Hefti, trumpeter/vocalist Steady Nelson, tenor saxist Flip Phillips, trombonist Bill Harris, vibraphonist Red Norvo, pianist/arranger Ralph Burns, drummers Davey Tough and Don Lamond and bassist Chubby Jackson, who was the driving force/talent scout behind the bands progressive development.
Herman was forced to disband the orchestra in 1946 at the height of its success, his only financially successful band, to spend more time with his wife and family. During this time, he and his family had just moved into the former Hollywood home of Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Another reason Herman may have disbanded was his wife Charlotte's growing problems with alcoholism and pill addiction. In 1947 Herman organized the Second Herd and in 1948 moved to the Capitol label. This band featured a cooler sound, provided by such musicians as Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff, Al Cohn, Gene Ammons, Lou Levy, Oscar Pettiford, Terry Gibbs, Shelly Manne, and Herbie Steward. Among this band's hits were "Early Autumn," "The Goof and I," and "Four Brothers". This band was also known as the Four Brothers band.
Herman's many later bands included the Third Herd and the New Thundering Herd. He was known for hiring the best young musicians and using their arrangements. His band's book consequently came to be heavily influenced by rock and roll.
By the 1970s, Herman had returned to straight forward jazz, dropping some of the newer, even rock-oriented approaches. A highlight of the nineteen seventies was the appearance of the Woody Herman orchestra with Frank Sinatra at Madison Square Garden for his "Main Event" television special and "Main Event" recording for Reprise records.
He continued to perform into the 1980s, chiefly to pay back taxes caused by an incompetent manager in the 1960s. When his health began to fail, he delegated most of his duties to leader of the reed section, Frank Tiberi, before his death in 1987. Tiberi leads the band in performances to this day.
After the death of Herman, Charles Mingus, and other jazz greats, ASCAP created a retirement fund in 1991 to which artists were given the opportunity to fund their latter years when they no longer were recording artists.
Blues in the Night
Woody Herman Lyrics
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Woody Herman
- words by Johnny Mercer, music by Harold Arlen
- written for a film called "Hot Nocturne", this song became
so popular that the movie was re-titled "Blues in the Night"
My mama done tol' me
When I was in kneepants
A woman'll sweet talk
And give ya the big eye
But when the sweet talkin's done
A woman's a two-face
A worrisome thing who'll leave ya t' sing the blues in the night
Now the rain's a-fallin'
Hear the train a-callin'
Whoo-ee (My mama done tol' me)
Hear that lonesome whistle
Blowin' 'cross the trestle
Whoo-ee (My mama done tol' me)
A whoo-ee-duh whoo-ee
Ol' clickety clack's a-echoin' back the blues in the night (Hum)
My mama was right, there's blues in the night
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The lyrics of Woody Herman's song Blues in the Night are about the hardships and deceit one can experience in a romantic relationship. The song begins with the singer reflecting on advice given to him by his mother when he was a child, warning him about the nature of women. She tells him that women often sweet talk and charm men, only to later show their true, two-faced nature. This warning echoes throughout the rest of the song as the singer recounts his own experience singing the blues in the night after being deceived by his lover.
The lyrics are accompanied by a melancholic melody and soulful instrumentation that perfectly capture the feeling of heartbreak and despair. The sound of a train whistle and the rhythm of the train's tracks echo throughout the song, further amplifying the sense of loneliness and isolation.
Overall, Blues in the Night is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the universal experience of heartbreak and the pain that comes with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
My mama done tol' me
My mother advised me
When I was in kneepants
When I was still young
My mama done tol' me, Son!
My mother specifically addressed me
A woman'll sweet talk
Women can be charming in their words
And give ya the big eye
And give you a certain look of interest
But when the sweet talkin's done
When the verbal flattery is over
A woman's a two-face
A woman can be deceptive
A worrisome thing who'll leave ya t' sing the blues in the night
A problematic person who will cause you to sing the blues during the night
Now the rain's a-fallin'
Currently, it is raining
Hear the train a-callin'
Hear the whistle of the approaching train
Whoo-ee (My mama done tol' me)
An exclamation showing acknowledgement of the mother's advice
Hear that lonesome whistle
Hear the desolate sound of the train whistle
Blowin' 'cross the trestle
Echoing across the wooden trestle bridge
Whoo-ee (My mama done tol' me)
Another exclamation acknowledging mother's advice
A whoo-ee-duh whoo-ee
Echo sounds of the train whistle
Ol' clickety clack's a-echoin' back the blues in the night (Hum)
The sounds of the train wheels on the rails are creating a melancholic feeling
My mama was right, there's blues in the night
The mother was correct in saying there's sadness during the night
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@LordFrancisco1000
My mama done tol' me
When I was a little
My mama done tol' me, son
A woman will sweet talk
And give you the big eye
But when that sweet talk is done
A woman's a two faced
A woman's something that would leave you
Singing the blues in the night
Now the rain is falling
Heaven can hear you calling
Doo wee
Heaven blows the lonesome whistle
Blowing across the threshold
Doo wee
Doo wee ta too tee
A crickety crack go wickety wack
The blues in the night
Evening breeze will start
Trees that crying in the
All in the world wood haunted slide
When you
Get the blues
In the night
So take my word
Or the mocking bird
Will sing a sadder kind of song
Maybe he knows things
He knows things
Can go wrong
A match is a maybe
Love is the same job
Whenever the four winds blow
I've been to some big town
Had me some big town
But there is one thing I know, one thing I know
A woman's a two faced
A woman's something that would leave you
Singing the blues in the night
Blues in the night
@WretchedByNature
This song was #1 on the billboard charts the day Mitch McConnel was born.
@link090909
That’s why I’m here too 😂
@johnwagner4776
Woody Herman's singing was fully on par with Bob Eberle, Ray Eberle, and Johnny Mercer...in other words...only a tier below Sinatra and Crosby
@NancyDrewe
Dang, this is HOT. Thanks, Prof. :)
@nitramyellek442011
This was the number 1 song when mitch McConnell was born
@frankmartinez3020
The year Paul McCartney was born !!!!🐎🎂🎈🎉 I bet his Mama done told him that he was going to be a very huge super star 🌟!!
@barrynugent6950
😎