Jazz Vocals

Woody Herman gained fame as a clarinetist and alto-saxophonist who led a series of important big bands for a half-century, most notably his First Herd and Second Herd. Erroll Garner was popular for decades as a very distinctive pianist who led his own trios. Herman and Garner crossed paths on an occasional basis through the years. Music for Tired Lovers, from 1954, is their only joint recording.

Often forgotten is that Herman used to sing on many of his orchestra's recordings, including more than half of his output during 1937-42. He sounded equally at home on ballads, blues and jazz standards, had a cheerful tone and probably could have made it strictly as a singer if he had chosen that path.

Music for Tired Lovers is an unusual set, for it showcases Herman exclusively as a singer while being joined by Garner's trio. The eight performances on this reissue (which is a replica of the original LP) include "My Melancholy Baby," "If I Could Be With You," "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and a four-song medley among the highlights. Garner's solos and accompaniment work particularly well with Herman's vocalizing.

Music for Tired Lovers stands out as a unique album in the large discography of Woody Herman and is quite easy to enjoy.

—Scott Yanow