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| 3.101 Ft
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| 1. | I'm Beginning to See the Light
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| 2. | In a Mellow Tone
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| 3. | Passion Flower
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| 4. | Big Boy Blues
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| 5. | Things Ain't What They Used to Be
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| 6. | Snibor
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| 7. | Sophisticated Lady
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| 8. | Good Queen Bess
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| 9. | That's the Blues, Old Man
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| 10. | Never No Lament (Don't Get Around Much Anymore)
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| 11. | Come Sunday
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| 12. | Isfahan
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| 13. | On the Sunny Side of the Street
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| 14. | It's Only a Paper Moon
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Jazz
Johnny Hodges
Aaron Bell - Sax (Baritone)
Al Sears - Sax (Tenor)
Alvin Raglin - Sax (Baritone)
Barney Bigard - Clarinet
Ben Webster - Sax (Tenor)
Benny Powell - Trombone
Bobby Durham - Drums
Brad McCuen - Producer
Buster Cooper - Trombone
Cat Anderson - Trumpet
Chuck Connors - Trombone
Claude Jones - Trombone
Cootie Williams - Trumpet
Dickie Thompson - Guitar
Duke Ellington - Arranger, Director, Piano
Fred Guy - Guitar
Harry Carney - Baritone, Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Herbie Jones - Trumpet
Jimmy Blanton - Sax (Baritone)
Jimmy Hamilton - Clarinet, Sax (Tenor)
Joe Benjamin - Sax (Baritone)
Joe Tricky Sam Nanton - Trombone
John Lamb - Sax (Baritone)
Juan Tizol - Trombone (Valve)
Lawrence Brown - Trombone
Mercer Ellington - Trumpet
Milt Hinton - Bass
Nat Pierce - Piano
Oliver Jackson - Drums
Osie Johnson - Drums
Paul Gonsalves - Sax (Tenor)
Ray Nance - Trumpet
Rex Stewart - Clarinet
Roy Eldridge - Trumpet
Russell Procope - Clarinet, Sax (Alto)
Shelton Hemphill - Trumpet
Sonny Greer - Drums
Steve Little - Drums
Taft Jordan - Trumpet
Wallace Jones - Trumpet
Wild Bill Davis - Organ
Planet Jazz is a name for a BMG/RCA budget line jazz series, inviting confusion with a minimum of two combos using the expansive phrase as a band name. "Planet jazz" may also be regarded as some sort of philosophy involving world control, meanwhile many listeners find the entire genre out of control, as if nobody had taken the time to "plan it" at all. In the case of Johnny Hodges, one of dozens of stars catalogued in this series, we have a star saxophone soloist whose romantic, clearly constructed improvisations certainly appeal to a wide audience. Cynics will of course want to point out that his only hit record as a bandleader featured a different saxophone soloist entirely. The closest he came to the kind of world music or cosmic jazz implied by the notion of Planet Jazz would be one of Billy Strayhorn's exotically tinged themes such as "Isfahan." Hodges was not a John Coltrane type, although he had the tenor saxophonist as a sideman in an early-'50s band, well before Coltrane turned into the mystical dude with the tenor tone quite capable of dominating the planet. Hodges' world is one of romance, lonely flowers, and bridges where kisses are exchanged. He also liked to play variations on the blues: the titles "Big Boy Blues" and "That's the Blues, Old Man" were recorded several times during Hodges' career and were generally delivered with the zest of an inventor who has figured out how to make an ice cube that bounces. The combined physical movements, gestures and sensations of a long smooch are a more comprehensible approximation of the man's sound on alto saxophone. At any rate, a myriad of verbal gambits have resulted during the history of classic jazz analysis whenever the challenge is describing Hodges. Each of the thankfully many times his playing was documented something of great value to mankind resulted.
As for the disposition of these musical treasures, this French collection spanning several decades brings to mind a comment made by one of the underwater salvage technicians involved in bringing up the remains of Captain Hook's infamous ship off the coast of North Carolina. The so-called "recovery zone" for precious gold doubloons was outlined according to factors such as ocean conditions and weather. Hodges' musical doubloons -- fourteen of which have been allowed to settle on Planet Jazz -- are spread over a much wider area indeed, the international music publishing empire associated with the firms of RCA and BMG. This could of course be subject to change. Whenever there is such a change, inevitably a new series of repackagings follows. As permanent as gold is the fact that the entire Hodges discography as a bandleader is connected with the various label enterprises of producer Norman Granz, a figure in jazz that some anti-promoter types might consider a Captain Hook of sorts. A listener is hardly walking the plank, however, when it comes to a selection of any of the music recorded by Hodges under the auspices of Granz. The saxophonist was simply never placed in a setting where he might falter, if such a thing actually existed. In contrast, Hodges seems to achieve a comfort level in every setting, especially no surprise in several pieces that are for all purposes tracks by the Duke Ellington band. Considering the fact that Hodges acted as a section leader in the latter orchestra, it is a grey area defining the exact status of other performances in which the piano chair is literally dukeless whilst a multitude of illustrious sidemen from the Ellington play their heart out. Supposedly the term "Ellingtonia" was concocted to describe such events: "just beautiful" works just as well. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, All Music Guide
Johnny Hodges
Active Decades: '20s, '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s
Born: Jul 25, 1907 in Cambridge, MA
Died: May 11, 1970 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: R&B, Ballads, Swing, Mainstream Jazz
Possessor of the most beautiful tone ever heard in jazz, altoist Johnny Hodges formed his style early on and had little reason to change it through the decades. Although he could stomp with the best swing players and was masterful on the blues, Hodges' luscious playing on ballads has never been topped. He played drums and piano early on before switching to soprano sax when he was 14. Hodges was taught and inspired by Sidney Bechet, although he soon used alto as his main ax; he would regretfully drop soprano altogether after 1940. His early experiences included playing with Lloyd Scott, Chick Webb, Luckey Roberts, and Willie "The Lion" Smith (1924), and he also had the opportunity to work with Bechet. However, Johnny Hodges' real career began in 1928 when he joined Duke Ellington's orchestra. He quickly became one of the most important solo stars in the band and a real pacesetter on alto; Benny Carter was his only close competition in the 1930s. Hodges was featured on a countless number of performances with Ellington and also had many chances to lead recording dates with Ellington's sidemen. Whether it was "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," "Come Sunday," or "Passion Flower," Hodges was an indispensable member of Ellington's orchestra in the 1930s and '40s. It was therefore a shock, in 1951, when he decided to leave Duke Ellington and lead a band of his own. Hodges had a quick hit in "Castle Rock" (which ironically showcased Al Sears' tenor and had no real contribution by the altoist), but his combo ended up struggling and breaking up in 1955. Hodges' return to Duke Ellington was a joyous occasion and he never really left again. In the 1960s, Hodges teamed up with organist Wild Bill Davis on some sessions, leading to Davis joining Ellington for a time in 1969. Johnny Hodges, whose unchanging style always managed to sound fresh, was still with Duke Ellington when he suddenly died in 1970.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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