“You ever drink any cool, clean spring water? You can add things to it, make lemonade, beer, coffee, or what have you, but when you’re thirsty it’s hard to beat it just as it is. And it’s probably better for you than the kind hyped up with chlorine. Well, to me, Johnny [Hodges] was like that spring water – the real thing, unadulterated. He didn’t change either. Maybe he added ideas as he went along, but he was always true to himself.”
–Earl “Fatha” Hines
Johnny Hodges
1963 Payroll ledger sheet for the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Johnny Hodges (line 12) was the highest paid member of the band.
Click here for a link to hear Johnny Hodges interview by Willis Conover
The recordings heard on this podcast episode:
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Jeep’s Blues (CD: “Ellington at Newport 1956 (Complete)” Columbia Legacy C2K 64932)
Recorded 07 July, 1956 Live at The Newport Jazz Festival Newport, RI
Cat Anderson, Clark Terry, Willie Cook, Ray Nance – trumpet; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombone; Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope, Paul Gonsalves, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.
Half the Fun / The Star-Crossed Lovers (LP/CD “Such Sweet Thunder” Columbia CL 1033/Columbia/Legacy 65568)
Recorded 24 April 1957, New York City
Willie Cook, Cat Anderson(t); Clark Terry(t,fl); Ray Nance – violin; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombones; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass; Sam Woodyard – drums.
Flirtibird (CD: “Anatomy of a Murder” Columbia/Legacy CK 65569)
Recorded early June 1959 in Los Angeles
Cat Anderson, Harold Baker, Gerald Wilson, Clark Terry, Ray Nance – trumpet; Britt Woodman, Quentin Jackson, John Sanders – trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn – piano; Jimmy Woode – bass; Jimmy Johnson – drums.
The Midnight Sun Will Never Set / Goodbye (CD: “Recollections Of The Big Band Era” Atlantic Jazz – 7 90043-2)
Rondolet (CD: “Duke Ellington – The Private Collection, Volume Eight Studio Sessions” Saja Records – 7 91232-2)
Hi, June (CD: “Cool Rock” LaserLight Digital – 15 782)
Blood Count (LP: “The Greatest Jazz Concert In The World” Pablo Records – 2625 704)
Snibor (CD: “…And his Mother called him Bill” RCA 6287)
Recorded 28 August 1967, New York City
Cootie Williams, Cat Anderson, Herbie Jones, Mercer Ellington – trumpets; Clark Terry – flugelhorn; Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper – trombones; Chuck Connors – bass trombone; Jimmy Hamilton, Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Duke Ellington – piano; Aaron Bell – bass; Steve Little – drums.
Blues for New Orleans (CD: “New Orleans Suite,” Warner Bros. 7411644)
Recorded 27 April, 1970 New York City
Cootie Williams, Al Rubin, Mercer Ellington, Fred Stone – trumpets; Booty Wood, Julian Priester, Malcolm Taylor – trombones; Russell Procope, Norris Turney, Johnny Hodges, Harold Ashby, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney – reeds; Wild Bill Davis – organ; Duke Ellington – piano; Joe Benjamin – bass; Rufus Jones – drums.
— Our closing music —-
It’s Something You Ought To Know (Paul Gonsalves – “Ellingtonia Moods and Blues,” RCA Victor / RCA63562)
Recorded 29 February 1960, New York City
Paul Gonsalves- tenor sax; Johnny Hodges – alto sax; Ray Nance – cornet; Mitchell “Booty” Wood – trombone; Jimmy Jones – piano; Al Hall – bass; Oliver Jackson – drums.