Woody Herman

The jazz musician has spent most of his life on the road. Long after the golden era of the big bands, Herman continues to lead a large ensemble, all the while keeping up with contemporary jazz and pop music.

In a career that ran from the 1930s into the 1980s, and included work in big bands and rock 'n' roll, the clarinetist, saxophonist and bandleader changed to reflect the times. Herman would have turned 100 on May 16.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the new anthology Woody Herman - Blowin' Up a Storm: The Columbia Years 1945-47.