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.
Laura
Woody Herman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
A laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura, but she's only a dream
Woody Herman’s song Laura tells the story of a love affair that remains unfinished. The lyrics speak to the idea of presence and absence, as the singer of the song yearns for a love that exists only in their memory. The song begins with the suggestion that Laura is a figure that exists in the imagination, as her face is described as being in “the misty light.” Even as she moves closer and becomes more tangible, the singer is still not able to fully grasp her, as her laugh is “a summer night that you can never quite recall” and her presence remains as elusive as the sound of footsteps echoing down an empty hallway.
As the song progresses, the singer sees Laura on a passing train and is struck by the familiarity of her eyes. The memory of their first kiss is recalled, but it is clear that Laura is nothing more than a dream. The ambiguity of whether Laura ever truly existed or if she is solely a figment of the singer’s imagination highlights the theme of nostalgia and the ability of the past to influence the present.
Overall, the song Laura is a melancholic reflection on the power of memory and the human desire for connection, even when that connection exists only in the realm of dreams and memories.
Line by Line Meaning
Laura, is the face in the misty light
Laura represents a mysterious, captivating aura that is barely visible in the obfuscated light.
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The sound of distant footsteps emits an eerie sense of longing and anticipation.
A laugh that floats on a summer night
The sound of a carefree laugh is enchanting and ethereal, lingering in the warm air of a summer night.
That you can never quite recall
Despite being memorable, there is a lingering sense of forgetfulness surrounding Laura's essence.
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Even while journeying through life, glimpses of Laura's essence can be seen.
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
The eyes, in particular, are strikingly recognizable and seem to hold a history of their own.
She gave your very first kiss to you
Laura represents a significant moment in the singer's past- his first kiss.
That was Laura, but she's only a dream
Laura may represent a specific person, but ultimately she is just a figment of the artist's imagination.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ratthew_balls
I'm so obsessed with this version of Laura. I really need to watch the movie 🙏
@ratthew_balls
Watched the movie, it was absolutely LIFE CHANGING. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone absolutely infatuated with this song like I am. It does the movie so much justice <3
@MarinaLaroche
@@ratthew_balls The Laura original soundtrack is great (17 tracks) plus check also the track Laura on The New York Pop Goes To The Movies which is very very nice and also Love At The Movies by the101 Strings Orchestra., also very good.I fell in love with this piece when I was 9 years old, took me decades to find it since I didn't know the name. May I recommend too the Body Heat movie with music by John Barry, both unforgettable ! The very first movie Kathleen Turner did and she was mesmerizing. Great script, atmospheric film noir. There are two soundtracks that came out for this.
@jeffdawson2786
Famous & lush.
@Nytblade
One of my favorite songs!
@dancelli714
Great orchestra and very beautiful vocal by WOODY HERMAN.
@vHumboldt77
I didn't know that Woody Herman sang so well!!! This is incredible. THANKS for posting!
@michaelhawk1873
Try it Johnny Mathis for a treat.
@thecerebellum5697
When the sunshine is no longer elusive
@jamesespey249
Believe it or not, Spike Jones led me here. A wonderfully funny rendition.