American jazz orchestra and big band. From the 1940's, the expression 'The Herd' was used in variable context, which was always a synonym for Woody Herman's orchestra.
Woody Herman inherited the artist in New York City in 1936. The history of the following band evolution can be structured in the following way:
1936 - 1944: artist
In 1944, the term 'The Herd' was first established. Woody Herman took this term for his purposes and started first to number the herds, later the herds got more special names. The following time table gives an overview over the living periods of the herds. The respective herd was always used as an ANV to the 'Woody Herman Orchestra' in the specified time range. All members of the herds were also member of the Woody Herman orchestra.
1944 - 1946: artist
1947 - Nov 1949: artist
Apr 1950 - June 1955: artist
Nov 1955 - Dec 1955: artist/artist
Dec 1955 - March 1959: artist, until May 1956 aka artist
Dec 1958 - Feb 1959: artist
April 1959: artist
Oct 1959: artist
June 1959 - Aug 1967: artist
Further bands were defined by recording:
1967 - 1981: artist (coexistence)
1973 - 1979: artist (coexistence)
1977: artist (coexistence)
1978: artist (coexistence)
1977 - 1987 artist (coexistence)
Post mortem:
1987ff: artist
Besides this rough timeline, there were several spin-offs and reincarnations of other bands and herds, which do make the timeline in fact more complicated.
For example: artist (primarily circa 1959)