Biography

One of the giants of the alto saxophone, Johnny Hodges was perhaps the most important soloist and sideman in Duke Ellington's orchestra from 1928 up to Hodges's death in 1970. The self-taught player made many solo forays during his long career--one of his '50s outfits included a young John Coltrane--but history remembers Hodges for his virtuosic sidemanship, particularly his sensitive rendering of ballads.

Top Tracks

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• 18 Carrots (for Rabbit)

• A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing

• A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (passion)

• A Little Taste

• Azure

• Ballad Medley: Autumn In New York/sweet Lorraine/time On My Hands/smo

• Black Beat

• But Not For Me

• C Jam Blues

• Castle Rock

• Come Sunday

• Day Dream

• Don't Get Around Much Anymore

• For Jammers Only

• Globe Trotter

• Good Queen Bess

• Hodge Podge

• Honeysuckle Rose

• Hop, Skip And Jump

• I Got It Bad (and That Ain't Good)

• In A Mellow Tone

• Jeep's Blues

• Just Squeeze Me (but Don't Tease Me)

• Let The Zoomers Drool

• Mood Indigo

• Nice Work If You Can Get It

• Nix It, Mix It

• On The Sunny Side Of The Street

• Passion Flower

• Perdido

• Rabbit's Blues (you Blew Out The Flame In My Heart)

• Satin Doll

• Sideways

• Skip It

• Solitude

• Stompy Jones

• Summertime

• Sweet Georgia Brown

• Tailor Made

• Take The "a" Train

• The Jeep Is Jumpin'

• The Mooche

• The Nearness Of You

• They All Laughed

• Things Ain't What They Used To Be

• Things Ain't What They Used To Be (times A-wastin')

• Warm Valley

• We Fooled You

• What's The Rush

• Who's Excited?

• Your Love Has Faded

• You're Driving Me Crazy

Discography

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• The Jeep Is Jumpin' [Proper]

  Proper Records / Proper Box (UK)

  2003

• Three Shades of Blue

  BMG

  1970

• Rippin' and Runnin'

  1969

• Swing's Our Thing

  1968

• Blue Notes

  1967

• Blue Pyramid

  Verve

  1967

• Don't Sleep in the Subway

  Verve

  1967

• Alto Blue

  Verve

  1966

• Johnny Hodges with Lawrence Welk's Orchestra

  Ranwood Records

  1966

• Mess of Blues

  1966

• The Incomparable Pairing of Blues and Johnny Hodges

  Verve

  1966

• Johnny Hodges and All the Dukesmen

  Verve

  1966

• Wings and Things

  Verve

  1965

• Blue Rabbit

  Verve

  1965

• Joe's Blues

  Lone Hill Jazz

  1965

• The Eleventh Hour

  Verve

  1963

• Sandy's Gone

  Verve

  1963

• Johnny Hodges [1963]

  Verve

  1963

• Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra

  Verve / Polygram

  1962

• Blue Hodge

  Lone Hill Jazz

  1962

• A Man and His Music

  Storyville

  1962

• At Sportpalast, Berlin

  Pablo

  1961

• Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges

  Verve

  1960

• A Smooth One

  Verve

  1960

• Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues

  1960

• Johnny Hodges [1960]

  Verve

  1960

• Ellingtonia (1956)

  Norgran

  1959

• The Big Sound

  1959

• Side by Side

  Verve

  1959

• Not So Dukish

  Verve

  1958

• Johnny Hodges and His Strings Play the Prettiest Gershwin

  Verve

  1958

• At a Dance, in a Studio, on Radio

  Enigma

  1957

• The Blues

  Norgran

  1956

• Creamy

  Norgran

  1955

• Dance Bash

  1955

• Memories of Ellington

  Norgran

  1954

• Swing with Johnny Hodges

  Clef Records

  1954

• More of Johnny Hodges

  Norgran

  1954

• Johnny Hodges Collates, Vol. 2

  1953

• Perdido

  Norgran

  1952

• Alto Sax

  RCA Victor

  1952

• Johnny Hodges Collates, Vol. 1

  1952