John Cornelius “Johnny” Hodges

(July 25, 1906 – May 11, 1970)

American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington’s big band which he joined in November 1928.  Considered one of the definitive alto saxophones players of the Big Band Era (alongside Benny Carter), Hodges, featured in Benny Goodman’s legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, was described by Benny Goodman as “by far the greatest man on alto sax that I ever heard.”

Accolades also came from Charlie Parker who called Hodges “the Lily Pons of his instrument.”

Duke Ellington had a practice of writing tunes specifically for members of his orchestra resulted in the Hodges specialties, “Confab with Rab”, “Jeep’s Blues”, “Sultry Sunset”, and “Hodge Podge”. Other songs recorded by the Ellington Orchestra which prominently feature Hodges’ smooth alto saxophone sound include “Magenta Haze”, “Prelude to a Kiss”, “Haupe” (from Anatomy of a Murder) and “Passion Flower”.

Hodges 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 and John Coltrane, who both played with him when he had his own orchestra in the 1950s, to Lawrence Welk, who featured him in an album of standards. Hodges highly individualistic playing style, which featured the use of a wide vibrato and much sliding between slurred notes, was frequently imitated but rarely surpassed.

Johnny Hodges “In Studio With Duke”
Photographer: Skippy Adelman
Year Photo Taken: c. 1945

Photo appeared in Metronome Magazine in the March, 1947 issue on page 25, Record Reviews and in the 1953: The Metronome Year Book issue on page 56, in an article entitled, “Duke 25 Years Later.”

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