Growing up on a diet of jazz, big bands are kind of like vegetables for most kids today. Maybe in the ‘40s and ‘50s things were different, when being a bandleader was roughly equivalent to a feature in Rolling Stone or an appearance on a late-night show today. Today, you’re more likely to hear a recommendation for small groups like one of the famous Miles Davis ensembles, or maybe Coltrane’s quarter. Heck, even modern examples like the Pat Metheny Group, Chick Corea’s Return to Forever band, or smooth-jazz greats like Spyro Gyra are great examples of how the Big Band model was adapted successfully after WWII. Watching Woody Herman: Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend is about more than just traveling back in time, and more than just the bio of a successful musician. It’s really a look at a form of music - and musical celebrity - that jazz won’t be likely to see ever again.

If you’re not a fan of Herman, but have an interest in classic jazz, it will be hard to watch Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend without becoming a convert. Each of the so-called Herman’s Herds (the source of this label is explained during the film) is analyzed during the documentary, and shown to be very different. There were only a few overlaps in personnel, but every man who served under Woody makes it clear on-camera that there was never a better mentor than Woody Herman. His nickname "Road Father" showed a different side than the hard-partying image we get of bandleaders in most popular modern music. Less champagne and girls in hotel rooms (although we’re pretty sure that played an occasional role) and more time running the band like a business.

Herman wasn’t always successful in the business sense, to the point that he admits during Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend to losing a significant amount of money on at least one tour. Looking at the cast of similar characters - Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw come to mind - Woody Herman’s band was notable for pushing original material and stretching convention. The famous "Four Brothers" period is explored at length during Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend. A funny behind-the-music tidbit is that the saxophone legends who made up "the brothers" lineup didn’t think much of Herman as a player, even if they appreciated his stewardship of the band. The film also conveys how the decision to feature the sax section so prominently was a brilliant marketing move by Herman. Considering where the band started - Herman up front crooning and showing off his mastery of the saxophone - the evolution to Four Brothers wasn’t at all obvious. Neither were later decisions to move the band toward funk, soul, and rock-influenced styles.

As a film, Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend does a good job chronicling the various stages of Herman’s life in music. Like most in this series of jazz documentaries, it is too long. Editing out some of the more repetitive interview comments, or cutting a few of the less insightful interviews would have helped. There are plenty of good live performances showcased, but we’d take more of those and less talking heads any day of the week! Especially nice is some "found footage" from musician Shelly Manne, plus some old film and photos from Woody’s earliest days that would otherwise be hard to find. Regardless of where you think Woody Herman fits into the jazz canon, Blue Flame: Portrait of a Jazz Legend will give you new appreciation for the man and his music.