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.
Isn't She Lovely
Woody Herman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Isn't she wonderful
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely made from love
Isn't she pretty
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I can't believe what God has done
Through us he's given life to one
But isn't she lovely made from love
Isn't she lovely
Life and love are the same
Life is Aisha
The meaning of her name
Londie, it could have not been done
Without you who conceived the one
That's so very lovely made from love
The Woody Herman & His Thundering Herd's song, "Isn't She Lovely" is a song that represents the beauty of life and the wonder of birth. The song's lyrics describe a newborn baby girl and express the singer's astonishment at the miracle of creation. The first verse paints a picture of supreme joy and delight. The singer marvels at how he never imagined love could create something so beyond belief. This line suggests that love transcends itself and creates something truly magnificent, like a newborn baby girl.
The second verse is simple and straightforward, presenting the newborn baby girl as the epitome of beauty. The singer calls her pretty and the angel's best, indicating that she is a gorgeous and perfect little creature. This verse is a declaration of love for this child, who has just entered the world, and it celebrates the joy that the singer feels in being a parent.
The final verse of the song reveals the baby girl's name, Aisha, and reminds us that life and love are intertwined. The meaning of her name, "life," symbolizes the miracle of birth, and the singer acknowledges that this new life could not have been possible without the help of his partner Loni. The song ends on a high note, praising the little girl's beauty and the joy of creation.
Line by Line Meaning
Isn't she lovely
Is she not a sight to behold?
Isn't she wonderful
Is she not a wonder to behold?
Isn't she precious
Is she not a treasure to behold?
Less than one minute old
She's only been a part of this world for less than sixty seconds.
I never thought through love we'd be
I never imagined that love would result in such beauty.
Making one as lovely as she
Bringing such beauty into existence through love.
But isn't she lovely made from love
Isn't this beauty a result of a loving union?
Isn't she pretty
Is she not pretty?
Truly the angel's best
She is the best of what angels have to offer.
Boy, I'm so happy
I am filled with joy.
We have been heaven blessed
We have been blessed by God.
I can't believe what God has done
I am in awe of God's creation.
Through us he's given life to one
Through our union, a new life has been created.
But isn't she lovely made from love
Once again, isn't she a product of love?
Isn't she lovely
Isn't she just a sight to behold?
Life and love are the same
Life and love are one and the same.
Life is Aisha
The baby's name is Aisha, which symbolizes life.
The meaning of her name
The meaning behind why she was named Aisha.
Londie, it could have not been done
This could not have been possible without Londie.
Without you who conceived the one
Without you, this life would not have come to existence.
That's so very lovely made from love
This life is a beautiful result of love.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Songtrust Ave
Written by: Stevie Wonder
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind