ENDEIT
Johnny Hodges
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1907–1970

Johnny Hodges

American alto saxophonist (1907–1970)

Born
25 July 1907
Cambridge
Died
11 May 1970
New York City
Country
United States
Record labels
Verve Records, Vocalion Records
Discography
43 albums

Biography

Johnny Hodges was a jazz musician who played saxophone and clarinet. Johnny Hodges was born on 25 July 1907 in Cambridge and died on 11 May 1970 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz. Record labels: Verve Records and Vocalion Records. The discography here lists 43 albums, from “Creamy” (1955) to “Live in Paris 13 Mars 1961” (2021).

John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano saxophone, but refused to play soprano after 1940. Along with Benny Carter, Hodges is considered to be one of the definitive alto saxophone players of the big band era. After beginning his career as a teenager in Boston, Hodges began to travel to New York and played with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Luckey Roberts, and Chick Webb. When Ellington wanted to 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.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Creamy 1955 · Clef Records Dance Bash 1955 · Norgran Records Duke's in Bed 1956 · Verve Ellingtonia '56 1956 · Norgran Records Johnny Hodges and the Ellington All Stars 1956 · Columbia Records Memories of Ellington 1956 · Columbia Records Play The Prettiest Gershwin 1959 · Verve The Big Sound 1961 · Verve The Eleventh Hour 1962 · Verve Sandy's Gone 1963 · Verve Blue Rabbit 1964 · Verve Everybody Knows 1964 · impulse! Mess Of Blues 1964 · Verve Joe's Blues 1965 · Verve Wings and Things 1965 · Verve Alto Blue 1966 · VSP
Blue Pyramid 1966
Stride Right 1966 · Verve Don't Sleep in the Subway 1967 · Verve
Swing's Our Thing 1968
Rippin' and Runnin' 1969 · Verve 3 Shades of Blue 1970 · Philips A Tribute to Johnny Hodges 1970 · MGM Records Triple Play 1987 · Bluebird Compact Jazz: Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis 1989 · Verve In A Mellotone 1990 · Bluebird
At Sportpalast, Berlin 1993 · Live
Jeep's Blues 1995 · ASV Johnny Hodges With Billy Strayhorn And The Orchestra 1995 · Verve The Complete 1941-1954 Small Group Sessions Vol. 2 1950 1995 · Blue Moon
Day Dream 1998
Johnny Hodges & Wild Bill Davis at Grace's Little Belmont, Atlantic City 2000 · Live
Collates No. 2 2002 · Clef Records Hop, Skip and Jump 2002 · Past Perfect Silver Line
Buenos Aires Blues / The Eleventh Hour 2009
Half & Half 2018 · 2xHD All That Jazz, Vol. 111: Sumpin' Jumpin' – Johnny Hodges & The Ellingtonians (Remastered 2019) 2019 · Jube Legends Live in Paris 13 Mars 1961 2021 · Frémeaux & Associés Blue Hodge · Verve Con-Soul & Sax Joe's Blues Johnny Hodges Featuring Ben Webster · 2xHD Johnny Hodges With the Lawrence Welk's Orchestra

Also plays on

Albums where Johnny Hodges is credited as a sideman

1956 Blue Rose — Rosemary Clooney and Duke Ellington and His Orchestra alto saxophone
1957 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book — Ella Fitzgerald alto saxophone
1957 Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Song Book, Volume 2 — Ella Fitzgerald alto saxophone
1959 Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues — Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges alto saxophone
1959 Side by Side — Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges alto saxophone
1960 Dance Air Force Date 1960 — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
1960 Blues in Orbit — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
1961 First Time! The Count Meets the Duke — Duke Ellington and Count Basie alto saxophone
1963 Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins — Duke Ellington & Coleman Hawkins alto saxophone
1966 Ella at Duke’s Place — Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington alto saxophone
1966 Concert of Sacred Music — Duke Ellington saxophone, alto saxophone
1966 Once Upon a Time — Earl Hines alto saxophone
1967 Francis A. & Edward K. — Frank Sinatra with Duke Ellington alto saxophone
1967 The Far East Suite — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
1971 New Orleans Suite — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
1982 Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges — Gerry Mulligan alto saxophone
1989 Braggin' in Brass: The Immortal 1938 Year — Duke Ellington saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, reeds
1990 Jam Session — Charlie Parker alto saxophone
1990 Small Combos 1937-1940 — Lionel Hampton saxophone, alto saxophone
1990 Duke With a Difference — Clark Terry alto saxophone
1992 Hot Mallets, Volume 1 — Lionel Hampton alto saxophone, saxophone
1992 Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! + Alive! At The Village Gate — Coleman Hawkins alto saxophone
2001 Caravan — Duke Ellington alto saxophone, clarinet
2002 Super Session — Charlie Parker, Ben Webster, Benny Carter, Johnny Hodges & Flip Philipp alto saxophone
2005 Rockin' in Rhythm — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
2011 The Complete 1960 Jazz Cellar Session — Ben Webster/Johnny Hodges tenor saxophone
2014 In Gröna Lund 1963 — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
2014 The Duke: Historically Speaking — Duke Ellington alto saxophone
2017 Blues In Orbit + The Cosmic Scene — Duke Ellington– alto saxophone
2020 Plays Cole Porter — Charlie Parker alto saxophone

Analysed solos by Johnny Hodges

  • Early Morning Rockalto saxophone · 176 BPM · Eb-maj · 1957-09-03
  • Bunnyalto saxophone · 114 BPM · C-maj · 1959-11-17

Historic 78 rpm records

  • I'M SATISFIED DUKE ELLINGTON'S ORCHESTRA · Cootie Williams · Freddy Jenkins ·… archive.org ↗
  • WHO SAID, "IT'S TIGHT LIKE THAT" DUKE ELLINGTON & HIS ORCHESTRA · Cootie Williams · Fred Jenkins ·… archive.org ↗
  • TOASTED PICKLE DUKE ELLINGTON'S SEPTET · Cootie Williams · Barney Bigard · Johnny… archive.org ↗
  • REXATIOUS REX STEWARTS ELLINGTONIANS · Rex Stewart · Lawrence Brown · Johnny… archive.org ↗
  • THEM THERE EYES DUKE ELLINGTON and His ORCH. · Arthur Whetsel, Cootie Williams… archive.org ↗
  • TOP AND BOTTOM DUKE ELLINGTON'S SEPTET · Cootie Williams · Barney Bigard · Johnny… archive.org ↗
  • REXATIOUS REX STEWARTS ELLINGTONIANS · Rex Stewart · Lawrence Brown · Johnny… archive.org ↗
  • Mellow mood Johnny Hodges and his All-Stars orchestra · Johnny Hodges · Jimmy… archive.org ↗

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Johnny Hodges play?

Johnny Hodges is known for playing saxophone and clarinet.

When and where was Johnny Hodges born?

Johnny Hodges was born 25 July 1907 in Cambridge.

What are Johnny Hodges's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Creamy (1955), Dance Bash (1955), Duke's in Bed (1956), Ellingtonia '56 (1956) and Johnny Hodges and the Ellington All Stars (1956).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.