This veteran jazz guitarist can play so smoothly that listeners often won't even know he's there, but also was put to great use by arrangers such as Quincy Jones, creating funky music in layers of complexity and simplicity. A certain standard of completely perfect, dead on-time unobtrusive rhythm-guitar playing was established by Freddie Green in the Count Basie band, so it is an impressive set of credentials being flashed when Herman's status as the priority substitute for Green is established. This he did on a variety of occasions, both live and in the studio.

Herman's first professional job of major status was with the big band of Tommy Dorsey, definitely a graduate school in rhythm section economics and succinct solo backing philosophy. By the '50s, the guitarist was digging in with Basie, as well as getting drawn into the busy recording activities of the Roulette label, which signed the Basie band during that decade. With the oncoming impact of rock roll not quite understood, many labels such as this were busy recording all types of combinations of jazz, blues, and rhythm blues, and Herman began taking part in recordings that often shattered genre barriers. It was training for one of the greatest records he ever played on, the brilliant Genius + Soul = Jazz by Ray Charles. Herman was one of the favorite guitarists of producer Quincy Jones, who used him repeatedly on albums and soundtracks in the '60s, enjoying the little sprinkles of swing soul that were a part of Herman's playing no matter how demanding or undemanding the charts where. It was the kind of musical attitude and presence that could not be faked.

Herman was a regular with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band through the late '60s and '70s, effortlessly fitting his time-honored orchestral guitar chops into this somewhat more aggressive, sometimes even blustery group sound. The name "Thornton" might be considered key in the Herman discography, not in terms of quantity but simply due to a coincidental display of range. There was Big Mama Thornton, the wildcat blues singer with whom Herman cut the superb Ball n' Chain album in the late '60s. Here is where a listener can hear more expansive versions of the blues licks this guitarist only hints at in his jazz accompanying. Then there is jazz vocalist Teri Thornton, whose CD entitled Devil May Care features a sublime rhythm section: Wynton Kelly (piano), Sam Jones (bass), and Jimmy Cobb (drums). On guitar, it is Herman on half the tracks, and who else but Freddie Green on the other half, meaning it is test time. Jazz guitar fanatics should prepare their blindfolds. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi