Artist: Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges

Of all the huge number of Ellington recordings, very few feature his unique piano work at any length, and those that do are usually unpopulated with front-line horns. By contrast, the three tracks here that involve him (and those on the Back To Back album from the same session) show him interacting with Johnny Hodges and trumpeter Harry Edison in a unique sextet. Edison, Les Spann (guitar/flute), Al Hall (bass) and ex-Basie drummer Jo Jones were musicians he was unaccustomed to working with, and the inspirational sparks flew. A storming version of "Stompy Jones" (especially during the piano solo and closing ensemble), the lesser-known "Goin' Up" from the movie Cabin In The Sky, plus Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me" are performances to treasure. More conventional but not inferior are the remaining septet tracks led by Hodges with Billy Strayhorn on piano, Ben Webster, Lawrence Brown and Roy Eldridge. All the tunes are played at various medium tempos, and everything is imbued with relaxed swing. Once more, the combination of a Ducal atmosphere with the non-Ellingtonians Eldridge and Jo Jones (again) makes for a highly successful performance. --Brian Priestley

Artist: Johnny Hodges

THE LANDMARK JOHNNY HODGES ALBUM, 2010-02-15
In hundreds of Duke Ellington compositions it was always Johnny Hodges's short solo one waited for. Plus the famous "Ellington Effect" was essentially Hodges's alto combined with Harry Carney's bass saxophone. Any doubts about Hodges value to Ellington was proven when Norman Granz persuaded Hodges he deserved more recognition - and he left for 5 years to lead his own combo. Hence Duke's Capitol label period produced only one great recording - "Satin Doll". When he returned and Ellington triumphed at Newport in 1956 they both went on to far greater things - together and apart.

At the risk of annoying other mainstream jazz enthusiasts Johnny Hodges remains the most perfect instrumentalist to come out of the 1930-70 big-band era. The unanswerable question is how any self-taught 22-year-old could instantly find a unique vibrato sound on a standard alto-saxophone? Forty years after his death he is still immediately recognisable (and inimitable) not only for his seductive sound but also an uncanny ability to create self-contained solo statements which often appear to be new "compositions" in their own right.

With such a large number of Hodges albums on CD the only problem is sorting out which are run-of-the-mill Hodges blowing sessions and which do him full justice - on both fast and slow numbers. Although he recorded under his own name in 1937 it was only when Norman Granz gave him full freedom in 1951 on his Verve label the modern hi-fi Hodges discography begins. By my count he inially made 18 American albums for Verve which by and large are all compromises. Either he's operating alongside his own small combo, an Ellingtonian-style big band or an irritating trumpeter like Harry Edison on "Back to Back" and "Side by Side".

The one enjoable exception (hinting at things to come) was a 1958 album playing 12 Gershwin tunes accompanied by a German string orchestra. Only released on CD by Japanese Verve. Thus extremely rare - fetching well over a $100 on Ebay - if you can find it.

Then in 1961 someone at Verve had the brilliant idea of combining Hodges's alto sax with a Hammond organ. A perfect marraige of 2 great soloists was born. After their first one - "Blue Hodge" - in the course of the next 5 years Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis made 7 more LP's. Hodges also started making much more ambitious solo albums. The generous Lonehill team who put these 5 nicely transferred Hodges/Davis CD's together adding many tracks from these LP's to bring each CD up to a full 79 minutes.

Although there's little doubt their Victor "Con-Soul & Sax" was their most satisfying LP one has to buy 2 CD's to hear it - and it's coupled with too many inferior bonus tracks and an uneven live recording. That's why to hear how Hodges and Wild Bill hit their stride right from the word go "Blue Hodge" is the essential CD to buy first. On this they mostly play their own compositions - not relying so much on "standards". An additional blessing is you get much more solo Hodges. On several later albums Hodges felt obliged to share the limelight with his buddy Lawrence Brown.

One minor irritant is the sleeve note compiler cannot accept the beautifully languid third track "Azure Te" was composed by Davis - and is not Ellington's "Azure". Another error can be blamed on Stanley Dance's original liner notes to ""Blue Notes" - repeated on the disc's label. He describes one tune as being "The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" by Quincy Jones. It is in fact the much more memorable "Midnight Sun" by Lionel Hampton with the most tenuous lyrics ever set to music by Johnny Mercer.

I'm not sure why Amazon do not list all the great bonus tracks Lonehill used to fill this CD. Some of them are even more illuminating as to Hodges's unlimited talent. To hear Hodges trading hot-blooded solos with a raunchy harmonica player making it clear (at the age of 60) there was no blues domain he could not master. One has to wonder if the reviewer who described this CD (and another one) with the all-embracing epithet "lovely music" is not being rather demeaning to the timeless originality and variety of expression the great Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis could conjure out of a mere 2 instruments? No other jazz partnership has ever come close. Just as exciting today as when I first heard this LP in the early 70's when working for the DOE in Croydon's Whitgift Centre.

Artist: Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges

Back To Back is an oddity in the Duke Ellington canon, a small-band record that includes not a single Ellington composition and only one Ellington musician, co-leader and alto sax king Johnny Hodges. The repertoire consists of seven classic blues pieces, including three from the pen of W.C. Handy, and the results of this informal 1959 session are nothing short of remarkable. The other major solo voice is Harry "Sweets" Edison, a Count Basie-band veteran who seems particularly inspired on this day. His embrace of the melody on "Basin Street Blues" shows great tenderness laced with simply perfect blues-based accents. Hodges offers a virtual lesson in how to build solos from the ground up, nuzzling the nostalgic melodies at first before adding colourful embellishments. Meanwhile, Ellington's spare improvisations and clever comping offer bold chord choices and typically idiosyncratic timing without overwhelming the basic structure and feeling of the blues. No question, a record of old standards and easygoing statements can be just as powerful as any other. --Marc Greilsamer
A faultless CD, 2009-11-07
Coming to this CD as a committed Johnny Hodges fan I expected him to stand out as the star of the performance. He stood out all right - alongside the rest of the front line. There can't be anyone who isn't impressed and inspired by Hodges' beautiful alto but after hearing these tracks one is equally impressed by Sweets Edison's wonderful trumpet - never a note out of place and perfect delivery. Les Spann on guitar is there when he is wanted and gives us some really thrilling solos throught. Duke Ellington was rarely complimented on his piano playing per se, but here he does all that is required to stop one from wondering why one of the usual crop of pianists who appear on such discs wasn't used.
All in all, a CD that has a place on the 'easy to reach' rack of my collection. A tape of it is in my car and is played virtually wherever I go. I never tire of it - and I doubt if you will. Music that does exactly what music should do - entertain, satisfy, and relax. What a tragedy they cannot cut more such discs. But we must get what we can from those they left behind and never let such music die for to do so would be to let something vital disappear from this world to the severe detriment of future generations.

Artist: Johnny Hodges

SOPHISTICATED ALTO, 2010-03-07
Avid continues its policy of value for money with this reissue of four classic albums by Ellington's famous sideman, here fronting his own groups. Both Castle Rock and In A Mellow Tone were recorded in the early fifties. The latter album was also issued as Memories of Duke Ellington, and just to confuse matters there are other issues entitled In a Mellow Tone, one live, the other with Wild Bill Davison. Both Perdido (which was also issued as Johnny Hodges Dance Bash!) and Creamy date from 1955, but for the two Al Hibbler vocals on Perdido.

In general, my own preference is for the music of the twenties and thirties, so I approached this with some caution. In the event I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of the recordings, both for the excellence of the ensemble playing and the solos. Castle Rock, which gave the newly-independent Hodges an early hit, swings the most - and throws in an alternate take of The Jeep Is Jumping for good measure. In A Mellow Tune is the most Ellington oriented of the four, whilst Perdido allows the most time for the soloists to stretch out. Finally, Creamy (as the title suggests) is centred around the art of the ballad, at which Hodges excelled.

Artist: Johnny Hodges

MORE INCREDIBLY RARE RICHES FROM LONEHILL JAZZ, 2010-02-21
With no reviews of this reissue it's essential to let it be known this CD is a MUST for every Hodges fan. If "Buenos Aires Blues" was never made available during his lifetime it was due some oversight not because it's quality did not meet his highest standards. At the risk of sounding blase it has to admitted he did get into a slight rut during his 50's period on Verve (all available on Mosaic). There being only a limited variety of sound available from a small combo - with occasional guest performers. But after meeting-up with producer Creed Taylor he entered an experimental period which gave his recording career a new lease on life.

The 2 early-60's albums on this CD came out just after "Blue Hodge" with Wild Bill Davis and a big band LP with Billy Strayhorn which must be rated the perfect recording of Hodges playing his favorite Ellington masterpeices. That he should then make a quintet record with 4 non-Ellingtonians shows just how confident he had become. Although he gives plenty of space to his "backing group" thankfully these 9 tracks are dominated by Hodges's alto - whereby he creates a continuous stream of sensuous soothing mainstream jazz. One tune blending into another so one is hardly aware 5 are Hodges and Schifrin originals, 2 are by Ellington and 2 are popular standards. My only reservation is the opening track is not typical of what follows. One waits 50 seconds for Hodges's alto and when it does arrive it's been given an echo effect. But after this all sounds just as great as with all his later work.

Next he made "The Eleventh Hour". I don't remember this being released in England either. This time the unusual concept was having background arrangements provided by Oliver Nelson - who has no inhibitions about constrasting Hodges's alto with extremely lush strings. After the initial shock of hearing an Arabian chant opening to "Something to Live For" one soon adapts and it turns out this is yet another great "Hodges plays Ellington" album - plus 4 currently popular tunes. Again the big Lonehill blessing is to have a clear digital version of a stereo vinyl record where Hodges was sometimes swamped by the large string section.

The huge discovery here is "Guitar Amour". A true rarity as it was originally a very quiet tune composed by Duke for solo guitar for a scene in the movie "Paris Blues". Hodges and Nelson ignore the quiet part and create an entirely new almost hypnotic composition out of the second theme (when the guitarist gets a lot more animated). Out of nowhere Ray Nance's violin arrives to provide a welcome tzigane intermission. For this track alone this CD is worth twice its asking price.

Leonard Feather always writes great notes (to "Buenos Aires Blues"). Beside referring, as everyone else does, to Johnny Hodges's unique sensuous sound he then goes on to say Hodges's horn gets very close to being an "almost-human voice". One of the best explanations as to why he's still communicating so effectively (to the initiated) 40 years afer his demize. Off-stage we are told he was a extremely taciturn man. But this must have been because he felt he could say everything he wanted to much better on a saxophone. And like every good conversationist he never used 2 words when one would do. Whether it be at the Hammersmith Odeon, in a concert hall or in a recording studio every solo he blew was perfectly conceived, concisely expressed and invariably beautiful. As can be heard on these 2 rare early-60's LP's.

Artist: Johnny Hodges

Artist: Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges

Artist: Johnny Hodges

Artist: Johnny Hodges