The fifth in the Classics
Woody Herman series has overall the strongest jazz set for the band up to that point. Other than a previously unreleased version of "Blues On Parade" from 1939, the music is all from February -- September 1940. While
Herman has vocals on 13 of the 24 selections, quite a few of those tunes are jazz-oriented, including "Peach Tree Street," "Blue Prelude," "Bessie's Blues," and "Mister Meadowlark." In addition, this set has such hot instrumentals as "Blue Ink," "Whistle Stop," "Herman At The Sherman," "Jukin'," and the two-part "Get Your Boots Laced, Papa." The band lacked any major soloists (trumpeters
Steady Nelson and
Cappy Lewis, flugelhornist
Joe Bishop and tenor-saxophonist
Saxie Mansfield all avoided becoming household names) but had an appealing group sound and the soloists fare well.
Herman, on clarinet, alto, and vocals, had good reason to be proud of this band even though during the Swing era it never quite reached the top level.