Woody Herman And His Orchestra

American jazz orchestra and big band led by Woody Herman, who inherited Isham Jones Orchestra in New York City in 1936. Beginning in 1944, Herman established "The Herd" as the name for his evolving ensemble, which became synonymous with his orchestra throughout the following decades.

The band's evolution spans several distinct periods: the early orchestra (1936-1944), followed by numbered and named iterations of The Herd from 1944 onward, including Woody Herman & The Herd (1944-1946), Woody Herman & The Second Herd (1947-1949), Woody Herman And His Third Herd (1950-1955), Woody Herman And The Fourth Herd (1955-1959), and Woody Herman And The Swingin' Herd (1959-1967).

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Herman maintained multiple concurrent ensembles, including Woody Herman And The Thundering Herd, Woody Herman & The Young Thundering Herd, Woody Herman & The New Thundering Herd, Woody Herman Band, and The Woody Herman Big Band, reflecting the prolific nature of his leadership and the band's continued evolution.

Following Herman's death in 1987, the legacy continued with The Woody Herman Orchestra, ensuring the enduring influence of one of jazz's most important big band traditions.