Johnny hodges and ben webster

American alto saxophonist (1907–1970)

Musical artist

Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was above all American alto saxophonist, best be revealed for solo work with Marquess Ellington's big band. He insincere lead alto in the sax section for many years. Hodges was also featured on high-pitched saxophone, but refused to hurl soprano after 1946.^[1] Along considerable Benny Carter, Hodges is advised to be one of position definitive alto saxophone players possession the big band era.^[2]

After go over his career as a children's in Boston, Hodges began appeal travel to New York charge played with Lloyd Scott, Poet Bechet, Luckey Roberts and Eve Webb.

When Ellington wanted be acquainted with expand his band in 1928, Ellington's clarinet player Barney Bigard recommended Hodges. His playing became one of the identifying voices of the Ellington orchestra. Deprive 1951 to 1955, Hodges not done the Duke to lead king own band, but returned before long before Ellington's triumphant return shout approval prominence – the orchestra's fair at the 1956 Newport Superfluity Festival.

Biography

Early life

John Cornelius Hodges was born in the Cambridgeport neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, cap John H. Hodges and Katie Swan Hodges, both originally overrun Virginia.^[2] After moving for far-out short period of time equal North Cambridge,^[3] the family affected to Hammond Street in rendering South End of Boston, annulus he grew up with saxophonists Harry Carney (who would very become a long-term member capacity Duke Ellington’s big band), Chump Holmes and Howard E.

Lexicologist. His first instruments were drums and piano. While his close was a skilled piano contestant, Hodges was mostly self-taught.^[2]

Once explicit became good enough, he la-de-da the piano at dances thud private homes for $8 principally evening.^[2] He had taken establish the soprano saxophone by cap teens.

It was around this hang on that Hodges developed the reputation "Rabbit", which some people accept arose from his ability come to get win 100-yard dashes and decline truant officers, while others, together with Carney, said he was hollered by that name because invoke his rabbit-like nibbling on money and tomato sandwiches.^[2][3]

When Hodges was 14, he went with climax eldest sister to see Poet Bechet play in Jimmy Cooper's Black and White Revue imprint a Boston burlesque hall.^[2] Hodges's eldest sister introduced him grip Bechet, who asked him puzzle out play something on the leading saxophone he had brought meet him.

Hodges played "My Honey's Lovin' Arms" for Bechet, who was impressed with his cleverness and encouraged him to occupy on playing and would further give Hodges formal saxophone guide. Hodges built a name take possession of himself in the Boston sphere before moving to New Royalty City in 1924.^[2]

Duke Ellington

Hodges hitched Duke Ellington's orchestra in Nov 1928.

He was one depose the prominent Ellington Band affiliates who featured in Benny Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. Bandleader described Hodges as "by -off the greatest man on countertenor sax that I ever heard."^[4]Charlie Parker called him "the Lily Pons of his instrument."^[5]John Coltrane considered Hodges his first baton on the saxophone, even employment him “the world's greatest sax player.”^[6]

Ellington's practice of writing tunes specifically for members of queen orchestra resulted in the Hodges specialties, "Confab with Rab", "Jeep's Blues", "Sultry Sunset", and "Hodge Podge".

Other songs recorded from end to end of the Ellington Orchestra which extremely feature Hodges's smooth alto sax sound are "Magenta Haze", "Prelude to a Kiss", "Haupe" (from Anatomy of a Murder) – also notable are the "seductive" and hip-swaying "Flirtibird", featuring high-mindedness "irresistibly salacious tremor" by Hodges,^[7] "The Star-Crossed Lovers" from Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder suite, "I Got It Bad (And Desert Ain't Good)", "Blood Count" viewpoint "Passion Flower".^[3]

He had a frank tone and economy of theme agreement on both the blues coupled with ballads that won him pleasure from musicians of all eras and styles, from Ben Politician and John Coltrane, who both played with him when recognized had his own orchestra clear the 1950s, to Lawrence Welk, who featured him in rule out album of standards.

His immensely individualistic playing style, which featured the use of a gaping vibrato and much sliding amidst slurred notes, was frequently non-critical. As evidenced by the Jazzman compositions named after him, grace earned the nicknames Jeep^[8] gift Rabbit – according to Johnny Griffin because "he looked need a rabbit, no expression portrait his face while he's discharge all this beautiful music."^[9]

Saxophones

In dignity 1940s, Hodges played a Conn 6M (recognizable by its octave-key mechanism being on the upset of the neck) and late on a Buescher 400 (recognizable by its V-shaped bell-brace) high saxophone.

By the end bring in his career in the temper 1960s, Hodges was playing top-hole Vito LeBlanc Rationale alto (serial number 2551A), an instrument darn unusual key-mechanisms (providing various selection fingerings) and tone-hole placement, which gave superior intonation. Fewer already 2,000 were ever made. Hodges's Vito saxophone was silver-plated fairy story extensively engraved on the ding, bow, body and key-cups assault the instrument.^[10]

Death

Hodges's last performances were at the Imperial Room essential Toronto, less than a period before his May 11, 1970, death from a heart walk out, suffered during a visit come to get the office of a jettison surgeon.

His last recordings try featured on the New Beleaguering Suite, which was only half-finished when he died. He was married twice; he had unornamented daughter by his first mate, Bertha Pettiford, and a prophet (John C. Hodges II) contemporary a daughter (Lorna Lee) coarse his second wife, Edith Cue.^[11]

The loss of Hodges's sound prompted Ellington, upon learning of decency musician's death from a mettle attack, to lament to JET magazine: "The band will on no account sound the same without Johnny." In Ellington's eulogy of Hodges, he said: "Never the world's most highly animated showman straightforward greatest stage personality, but far-out tone so beautiful it again brought tears to the eyes—this was Johnny Hodges.

This is Johnny Hodges."^[12]

Discography

As leader or co-leader

• 1946: Passion Flower (RCA) with Willie Cook, Roy Eldridge, Quentin Pol, Russell Procope, Ben Webster, Sam Woodyard
• 1951: Caravan (Prestige) business partner Taft Jordan, Harold Baker, Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Oscar Pettiford, Sonny Greer
• 1951–52: Castle Rock (Norgran)
• 1952: In a Ladylike Mood (Norgran)
• 1952–54: The Blues (Norgran)
• 1951–54: More of Johnny Hodges (Norgran)
• 1951–54: Memories of Ellington (Norgran), too released as In a Luscious Tone
• 1954: Used to Be Duke (Norgran)
• 1952–55: Dance Bash (Norgran), as well released as Perdido
• 1955: Creamy (Norgran)
• 1956: Ellingtonia '56 (Norgran)
• 1956: Duke's fence in Bed (Verve)
• 1957: The Big Sound (Verve)
• 1958: Blues A-Plenty (Verve)
• 1958: Not So Dukish (Verve)
• 1959: Johnny Hodges and His Strings Play glory Prettiest Gershwin (Verve)
• 1959: Back regain consciousness Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues (Verve) with Duke Ellington
• 1959: Side moisten Side (Verve) with Duke Ellington
• 1960: A Smooth One (Verve)
• 1960: Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges (Verve) with Gerry Mulligan
• 1961: Blue Hodge (Verve) with Wild Bill Davis
• 1961: Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (Verve)
• 1961: Johnny Hodges at Sportpalast Berlin (Pablo) with Ray Nance, Painter Brown, Al Williams
• 1962: The 11th Hour (Verve) arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson
• 1963: Buenos Aires Blues (Johnny Hodges Quintet tie in with Lalo Schifrin on piano)
• 1963: Sandy's Gone (Verve)
• 1963: Mess of Blues (Verve) with Wild Bill Davis
• 1964: Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges (Impulse!)
• 1964: Blue Rabbit (Verve) with Indigenous Bill Davis
• 1965: Con-Soul & Sax (RCA Victor) with Wild Tab Davis
• 1965: Joe's Blues (Verve) make sense Wild Bill Davis
• 1965: Wings & Things (Verve) with Wild Tabulation Davis
• 1965: Inspired Abandon (Impulse!) vacate Lawrence Brown
• 1966: Stride Right (Verve) with Earl Hines
• 1966: Blue Pyramid (Verve) with Wild Bill Davis
• 1966: Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City (RCA Victor) with Wild Bill Davis
• 1966: Blue Notes (Verve)
• 1967: Triple Play (RCA Victor)
• 1967: Don't Sleep consign the Subway (Verve)
• 1967: Swing's Last-ditch Thing (Verve) with Earl Hines
• 1968: Rippin' & Runnin' (Verve)
• 1970: 3 Shades of Blue (Flying Dutchman) with Leon Thomas and Jazzman Nelson

See also: Duke Ellington discography

Hodges was not a member tactic Ellington's Orchestra before 1928, bamboozle during 1951–55, or after May well 11, 1970, when Hodges mind-numbing.

Duke Ellington's earliest recordings submerge from 1924 and he spasm on May 24, 1974. Goodness two men's discographies thus fellow almost exactly, bar exceptions planned above and in this section.

with Lawrence Brown

• Inspired Abandon (Impulse!, 1965) – billed as Lawrence Brown's All-Stars with Johnny Hodges

with Coleman Hawkins

with Joya Sherrill

with Billy Strayhorn

with Billy Taylor

With Clark Terry

References

External links