Johnny Hodges
Johnny Hodges in concert, Feb. 6, 1965
Background information
Birth name	John Cornelius Hodges
Born	July 25, 1907(1907-07-25)
Origin	Cambridge, Massachusetts
Died	May 11, 1970 (aged 62)
Genre(s)	Ballads Swing Mainstream jazz
Occupation(s)	Saxophonist Clarinetist
Instrument(s)	Alto saxophone Soprano saxophone Clarinet
Associated acts	Sidney Bechet Lucky Roberts Chick Webb
Notable instrument(s)
Selmer Mark 6

John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (25 July 1907 in Cambridge, Massachusetts – 11 May 1970) was an American alto saxophonist and lead player of Duke Ellington's saxophone section. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other A ballad is a Poem usually set to Music; thus it often is a story told in a Song. Swing music, also known as swing jazz, is a form of Jazz music that developed in the early 1930s and had solidified as a distinctive style by 1935 in the United Mainstream jazz is a genre of Jazz music that was first used in reference to the playing styles of musicians like Buck Clayton among others performers who once heralded The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind A clarinetist (also spelled clarinettist) is a Musician who plays the Clarinet. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. The soprano saxophone was invented in 1840 and is a variety of the Saxophone, a Woodwind instrument. The clarinet is a Musical instrument in the Woodwind family The name derives from adding the suffix -et meaning little to the Italian word Sidney Bechet ( May 14, 1897 &ndash May 14, 1959) was an American Jazz saxophonist, Clarinetist and Composer Charles Luckeyeth Roberts, better known as Luckey Roberts ( 7 August, 1887 – 5 February, 1968) was a Composer and William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb ( February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was a Jazz and Swing music Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Cambridge Massachusetts is a City in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Events 330 - Byzantium is renamed ''Nova Roma'' during a dedication ceremony but is more popularly referred to as Constantinople Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The alto saxophone is a member of the Saxophone a family of Woodwind instruments invented by Adolphe Sax. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. ^[1] He spent 38 years with Ellington, leaving to lead his own band from 1951 to 1955, returning to the fold shortly before Ellington's triumphant return to prominence via the orchestra's performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. Hodges started playing with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Lucky Roberts and Chick Webb. Lloyd Scott (b Springfield Ohio) was an American Jazz drummer and bandleader Sidney Bechet ( May 14, 1897 &ndash May 14, 1959) was an American Jazz saxophonist, Clarinetist and Composer Charles Luckeyeth Roberts, better known as Luckey Roberts ( 7 August, 1887 – 5 February, 1968) was a Composer and William Henry Webb, usually known as Chick Webb ( February 10, 1905 – June 16, 1939) was a Jazz and Swing music When Ellington wanted to expand his band in 1928, Ellington's clarinet player Barney Bigard recommended Hodges, who was featured on both alto and soprano sax. Albany Leon Bigard ( March 3, 1906 &ndash June 27, 1980) aka Barney Bigard, was an American Jazz Clarinetist His playing became the identifying voice of the Ellington orchestra.

Biography

Hodges was mostly self-taught, although he did take lessons on soprano sax with Bechet. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind Johnny Hodges was one of the prominent Ellington Band members who featured in Benny Goodman's legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. Carnegie Hall (generally ˌkɑrnɨgi ˈhɔːl is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east Benny Goodman claimed Hodges was "the greatest man on alto sax I ever heard. " Charlie Parker called him "the Lily Pons of his instrument. Lily Pons ( April 12, 1898 &ndash February 13, 1976) was a French - American Coloratura soprano. "

Ellington's practice of writing tunes specifically for members of his orchestra resulted in the Hodges specialties, "Confab with Rab", "Jeep's Blues", and "Hodge Podge". Other songs recorded by the Ellington Orchestra which prominently feature Hodges' smooth alto-saxophone are "Magenta Haze", "Prelude to a Kiss", "Haupe" (from Anatomy of a Murder), "The Star-Crossed Lovers" from Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder suite, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)", "Blood Count" and "Passion Flower". " Prelude to a Kiss " is a 1938 Song composed by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills, with lyrics by Mack Gordon. Anatomy of a Murder is an American Trial court Drama film directed by Otto Preminger and written by Wendell Mayes based " I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good " is a pop and Jazz standard by Duke Ellington and Paul Francis Webster.

Generations of saxophonists turn to 1963 recording The Great Paris Concert, in which Hodges' lyrical poise is captured well, particularly on "On the Sunny Side of the Street". " On the Sunny Side of the Street " is a 1930 song composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Dorothy Fields.

He had a pure tone and economy of melody on both the blues and ballads that won him admiration from musicians of all eras and styles, from Ben Webster to John Coltrane, both of whom played with him when he had his own orchestra in the 1950s, to Lawrence Welk, who featured him in an album of standards. In Music, timbre (ˈtæm-bər' like timber, or, from Fr timbre tɛ̃bʁ is the quality of a Musical note or sound that distinguishes different In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or The Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of Music based on the use of the Blue notes It emerged as an accessible form of self-expression In Jazz and Popular music, the term ballad denotes a short Song in a slow Tempo, usually with a romantic or sentimental text though the term Benjamin Francis Webster ( March 27 1909 &ndash September 20 1973) aka " The Brute " or " Frog," was an The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Lawrence Welk ( March 11, 1903 &ndash May 17, 1992) was a Musician, Accordionist Bandleader, and Television His highly individualistic playing style, which featured the use of a wide vibrato and much sliding between slurred notes, was frequently imitated. Vibrato is a musical effect produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to He earned the nicknames Rabbit (for his enjoyment of lettuce sandwiches) and Jeep (for his apparent speed as a runner). A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name.

Hodges led the Ellington saxophone section. A small highly precise man, his last performances were at the Imperial Room in Toronto, less than a week before his death from a sudden heart attack. The 500 seat Imperial Room is a major events venue at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto Canada His last recordings are featured on The New Orleans Suite, incomplete on his death.

In Ellington's eulogy of Hodges he said: "Never the world's most highly animated showman or greatest stage personality, but a tone so beautiful it sometimes brought tears to the eyes - this was Johnny Hodges. This is Johnny Hodges. "

Discography

• 1958: Blues-A-Plenty (Verve Music Group)
• 1959: Side by Side (with Duke Ellington)
• 1964: Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges (Impulse! Records)

References

1965 Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis recorded album CON -SOUL RCA Stereo #LSP-3393

1974 Johnny Hodges & Lalo Schifrin Verve Records 2304 186 Tracks: Side One of two 1, Mama Knows. Verve Records is an American Jazz Record label now owned by the Universal Music Group. Side by Side is a 1959 album featuring jazz legend Duke Ellington with Johnny Hodges, Ellington's lead saxophonist for many years Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges is an album by Jazz-saxaphonist Johnny Hodges, released on Impulse! Records in 1964 Impulse! Records was an American based Jazz Record label, originally launched in 1960 by Creed Taylor as a subsidiary of ABC-Paramount 2, I'm In Another World. 3, Dreary Days. 4, I Can't Beleieve That You're In Love With Me. 5, B. A. Blues. Side Two Of two. 1, Wanderlust. 2, All Too Soon. 3, Somebody Loves Me. 4, Away From You. Produced by that great producer Creed Taylor. Muso's on LP J. H Alto Sax. Lalo Schifrin Piano. Barry Galbraith Guitar. George Duvivier Bass. Dave Bailey Drums. And with a great article from Leaonard Feather. author of From Satchmo To Miles. (Stein & Day. ) Davidofoz1@msn. com

External links

• A Tribute To Johnny Hodges