Full performer name: Woody Herman & His New Thundering Herd/Buddy Rich & His Orchestra.

Includes liner notes by John Snyder and Bill Kirchner.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

This is part of RCA Victor's Battle Of The Bands series.

WOODY HERMAN:

Woody Herman & His New Thundering Herd includes: Woody Herman (alto saxophone, clarinet); Flip Phillips, Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Jimmy Giuffre, Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Pete Candoli, Conte Candoli (trumpet); Jim Pugh, Phil Wilson (trombone); Jimmy Rowles, Ralph Burns (piano); Don Lamond, Jake Hanna (drums).

Recorded live at Carnegie Hall, New York, New York on November 20, 1976. Originally released on RCA (6878).

BUDDY RICH:

Buddy Rich & His Orchestra includes: Buddy Rich (drums); Pat LaBarbera, Don Englert, Bob Mintzer, Steve Marcus (tenor saxophone); Jeff Stout, Ross Konikoff, Dean Pratt (trumpet); Bruce Paulson, Rick Stepton (trombone); Bob Dogan (piano); Paul Kondziela (electric bass).

Recorded live at Ronnie Scott's Club, London, England in December 1971; RCA Studio C, New York, New York on August 16, 1971; RCA Studios, New York, New York in February 1977. Originally released on RCA (4666, 1090, 2273).

Battle of the Bands is a rather odd compilation, matching bandleaders Woody Herman and Buddy Rich in an every-other-track notation, briefly skipping through '70s-era recordings by both jazzmen. The music is enjoyable throughout, but the collection makes little sense from an artistic standpoint.

-- John Bush, AllMusic.com