If you’ve ever had the privilege of traveling on the road in a band or with a theater group, a sports team, or otherwise, you know that a successful life on the road is made smoothest by the right kind of nurturing, understanding, encouraging, and gently demanding leadership.
Woody Herman was know for his nurturing leadership when on the road with his bands. He was a consummate road father. His legacy speaks of this. Loyalty was a trademark trait. He was a champion of his younger players and relished giving opportunities for them to prove themselves. He played on through the jazz fusion era, able to change and shift to meet the new sounds. Adaptability, no doubt honed by a life on the road, was as prominent in his ability to land feet first anytime.
That was a virtue of his artistry. In his own words and in the spirit of his Thundering Herd, Keep on Keepin’ on.