Jack Siefert Woody Herman Collection
name: label: Performer
content: Herman, Woody, 1913-1987
label: Collector
content: Siefert, Jack William, 1918-
topic: label: Topic
content: Jazz -- 20th century -- United States
label: Topic
content: Musicians -- 20th century
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by J. William Siefert, August 13, 1998.
creator: label: Performer
content: Herman, Woody, 1913-1987
label: Collector
content: Siefert, Jack William, 1918-
setName: label: See more items in
content: Jack Siefert Woody Herman Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection documents the career of saxophone musician, Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman was born in Milwaukee Wisconsin on May 16, 1913. He became involved with music at an early age, working in vaudeville and becoming a professional saxophone player at 15. 

He joined Isham Jones in 1934 and then when Jones' group disbanded in 1936, Herman used several former Jones musicians to form the core for Herman's first band, the Woody Herman Orchestra. This group was known for….

Renamed Woody Herman and his Herd in 1943, the group was heavily influenced by Duke Ellington. The first Herd's music was admired for its swinging arrangements. Herman disbanded this group in 1946 for family reasons, but reformed the band in 1947 as the Second Herd. 

Although considered an excellent musician, Herman's talent as a organizer ensured his place in the history of American popular music. He had a rare ability to assemble musicians to create bands with distinctive and, ultimately, popular sounds.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 16 Cubic feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1913-1990
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0659
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Posters
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Photographs
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into six series. 		

Series 1: Correspondence 	

Series 2: Photographs 

Series 3: Business Records 

Series 4: Clippings	

Series 5: Ephemera

Series 6: Audio Visual
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Wendy Shay, 2003.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Posters -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs -- 20th century
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Sound recordings, business records, photographs, correspondence, and concert posters documenting the career of Woodrow Charles "Woody" Herman.
label: Scope and Contents
content: The Jack Siefert/Woody Herman Collection includes manuscript materials, photographs, open-reel audio tapes, cassettes, CDs, audio discs and videos documenting the career of Woody Herman. The collection is organized into six series as follows:  

Series 1: Correspondence, 1969-1988
Includes a few letters to Woody Herman, but the bulk of the correspondence is to or from Jack Siefert.

Series 2: Photographs, circa 1920 - 1987 

The photographs are divided into 5 subseries (family, in performance, friends and colleagues, publicity, and miscellaneous) and arranged chronologically within each subseries. This series includes original and copy prints.

Series 3: Business Records, circa 1946 – 1990

Consists of 3 subseries (Misc. Business Papers, Publicity and Programs, and Itineraries) with the bulk of the materials documenting performance schedules and itineraries. The post-1987 materials include programs and announcements for tributes to Woody Herman.

Series 4: Clippings, 1945 – 1990s

Magazine and newspaper articles about Woody Herman and his various bands.

Series 5: Ephemera

Includes several cartoons and Herman's entry in 'Who's Who in America." Also Jack Siefert's log to the audio materials titled Musical History of Woody Herman.

Series 6: Audio-Visual Materials

Commercial audio disc recordings, reference recordings and transcription discs, ¼" open-reel audio tapes, audio cassettes, CDs and videos.