Born Woodrow Charles Herman in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on May 16, 1913, clarinetist Woody Herman was one of the seminal figures of the Big Band Era. One of several great 20th Century composers to write music for the bandleader was Igor Stravinsky, who—according to a rumor, that then got embellished into a famous story, likely apocryphal—was already a fan of Herman and the band, expressed his admiration by surprising the band leader with a concerto for Herman to play with his "Thundering Heard." The commission did happen, though, and Friday afternoon, in honor of Woody Herman's birthday, Foley Schuler will feature that work, "The Ebony Concerto," with Herman on clarinet and Igor Stravinsky conducting the Thundering Herd.
You can hear Foley Schuler's musical selections—and the stories behind the music—every weekday afternoon from 1 until 5 on Blue Lake Public Radio
