Masters of Jazz

by Johnny Hodges

Overview

Johnny Hodges is forever associated with Duke Ellington as one of his principle soloists, though he recorded extensively as a bandleader himself beginning in the '50s. This compilation draws from earlier Storyville releases, including a number of features for the alto saxophonist with Ellington, highlighted by "All of Me" and "Jeep's Blues." But the bulk of this CD contains all ten tracks of Hodges' earlier disc, Masters of Jazz, Vol. 9, which features the saxophonist leading two separate groups of all-stars in club settings. Six tracks come from a 1960 set at The Cellar in San Francisco, with Ben Webster providing a perfect foil for Hodges, all originals by the leader. Four selections come from a Norman Granz-sponsored European tour in 1961, where Hodges led a group of fellow Ellington veterans (Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Lawrence Brown, Aaron Bell and Sam Woodyard, with pianist Al Williams). Hodges' swinging take of "On the Sunny Side of the Street" is brilliant, with the other horn providing lush background and soft rifts for the soloist. In addition to Hodges, Brown also solos in both "Good Queen Bess" and a rousing "Things Ain't What They Used to Be." Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden

Product Details

Release Date:	10/03/2006
Label:	Storyville
UPC:	0717101851027
Rank:	133476

Tracks

1. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
2. Passion Flower
3. Perdido
4. All of Me
5. C Jam Blues
6. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
7. In a Mellotone
8. Cambridge Blues
9. Brute's Roots
10. Bouncing with Ben
11. One for the Duke
12. Walkin' the Frog
13. Rabbit Pie
14. On the Sunny Side of the Street
15. Good Queen Bess
16. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
17. Things Ain't What They Used to Be
18. Jeep's Blues
19. Dooji Wooji

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Johnny Hodges   Primary Artist,Sax (Alto)
Joseph Nanton   Trombone
Fred Guy   Guitar
Shelton Hemphill   Trumpet
Duke Ellington   Piano
John Coltrane   Sax (Tenor)
Russell Procope   Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Francis Williams   Trumpet
Cat Anderson   Trumpet
Lou Levy   Piano
Wendell Marshall   Bass
Sam Woodyard   Drums
Juan Tizol   Trombone
Jimmy Hamilton   Sax (Tenor)
Wallace Jones   Trumpet
Billy Strayhorn   Piano
Quentin Jackson   Trombone
Ray Nance   Trumpet
Aaron Bell   Bass
Harold Baker   Trumpet
Herb Ellis   Guitar
Lawrence Brown   Trombone
Ben Webster   Sax (Tenor)
Tyree Glenn   Trombone
Rex Stewart   Trumpet
Al Killian   Trumpet
Gus Johnson   Drums
Harry Carney   Sax (Baritone),Clarinet (Bass)
Victor Feldman   Piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks   Bass
Oett "Sax" Mallard   Sax (Alto)
Paul Gonsalves   Sax (Tenor)
Sonny Greer   Drums

Technical Credits

Chris Albertson   Liner Notes,Biographical Information
Duke Ellington   Composer
Juan Tizol   Composer
Billy Strayhorn   Composer
Johnny Hodges   Composer
Hans Nielsen   Engineer
Gerald Marks   Composer
Jimmy McHugh   Composer
Pearce Marchbank   Design