Woody Herman and His Orchestra -- Blowin' Up a Storm: The Columbia Years 1945-1947 (2008)

The exhilarating sides that made the clarinetist-bandleader's reputation are all here -- along with alternate takes. Herman's was the pace-setting big band of the period: crisp, forward-thinking, and fearless. He and first-rate sidemen like Dave Tough, Pete Candoli, and Bill Harris tackled band originals and Igor Stravinsky pieces with equal aplomb. And you can witness the emergence of Stan Getz as a star on ''Summer Sequence (Part 4).'' Add the vivid liner notes by Herman's ace arranger Ralph Burns and you've got a dream reissue.

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