Woodchopper's Ball

This is the bittersweet life story of a beloved bandleader who rose to fame and fortune, then spent the last 20 years of his life working to pay $1.6 million in back taxes. Written with Troup, jazz critic for New York Newsday , the book is a straightforward account of a successful career gone awry because of bad business judgment and misplaced trust. Long passages in which friends and band members reminisce about Herman add another dimension, for he was a humorous and compassionate man who helped a great number of musicians in their careers. One can understand why, during the tragic final weeks of his life when he was ill and impoverished, many people banded together to save him from being evicted from his home. Herman died in 1987 at age 74. Photos not seen by PW. (Mar.)