Woody Herman's Second Herd came of age during a year (1948) when, due to a recording strike, very few records were made. This CD contains three radio broadcasts and gives listeners a good idea of what it was like to see the big band live. With such major players as trumpeter/arranger Shorty Rogers, trombonist Earl Swope, guitarist Jimmy Raney, baritonist Serge Chaloff, and the tenors of Al Cohn, Stan Getz, and Zoot Sims, this was a powerhouse unit that was pretty modern for the time. Mary Ann McCall and Woody Herman take occasional vocals, and there are some dance numbers, but it is the jazz tunes (such as "Half Past Jumping Time," "Non Alcoholic," "Tiny's Blues," "The Goof and I," and "Four Brothers") that make this a fairly significant release. (Scott Yanow) 23 Tracks. Recording Date: Mar. 12 – May 12, 1948.