Johnny Hodges

Johnny Hodges – The Big Sound (1958/2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · April 8, 2023 · Comments off

Johnny Hodges - The Big Sound (1958/2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz] Download

The Big Sound is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges featuring performances with members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra recorded in 1957 and released on the Verve label.

Born on July 25, 1907, Johnny Hodges was the saxophonist of choice for Duke Ellington. Hodges played with considerable authority when with a band. He also possessed a technical mastery of his instrument and an individualistic style. His use of vibrato was one-of-a-kind. At Hodges’s funeral, Ellington had this to say: “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.”
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Johnny Hodges – Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (1961/2011) DSF DSD64

SACD / DSD By admin · April 6, 2023 · Comments off

Johnny Hodges – Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (1961/2011)
DSF(tracks) DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 36:27 minutes | 1.46 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Master, Official Digital Download | Source: Acoustic Sounds | Artwork: Digital booklet
© Verve Records

Recorded during the last decade of his long tenure with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, this album finds the great alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges’ musical gifts not only intact but stronger than ever. Featuring the Ellington band – with Jimmy Jones on piano and Billy Strayhorn as bandleader and arranger – it is a fascinating program of Ellington remakes, including tome of the orchestra’s most familiar numbers, all of which have been given subtle new orchestrations by Strayhorn and melodious new interpretations by Hodges.
Alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges recorded frequently for Verve in the 1950s and 1960s, although nearly all of the musicians on this CD are from the Ellington orchestra and the arrangements are by Billy Strayhorn. Hodges is never less than superb throughout this reissue, while Lawrence Brown, Harry Carney and non-Ellingtonians Howard McGhee on trumpet and pianist Jimmy Jones also deserve praise. Strayhorn’s exotic chart of “Azure” and emotional scoring of “Your Love Has Faded” are especially striking. Recommended. –Ken Dryden, AllMusic

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Johnny Hodges – Johnny Hodges featuring Ben Webster (2018) DSF DSD128 + Hi-Res FLAC

SACD / DSD By admin · April 6, 2023 · Comments off

The superb November 1960 session recorded by the Ben Webster-Johnny Hodges sextet in studio conditions at the Jazz Cellar, in San Francisco (without an audience). It is presented here in its complete form for the first time ever. These recordings are exceptional in that no other date exists in their collaborative discography featuring them as the only horns. The two great saxophonists were the only horn players heard at the session. They were backed by a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass and drums. As bonus, to this new DSD release has added a complete (and very rare) octet session featuring Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra from August 27, 1964.

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Johnny Hodges – Blues A Plenty (1958/2011) DSF DSD64

SACD / DSD By admin · April 6, 2023 · Comments off

Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original master tapes to vinyl and PCM. The DSD was sourced from the PCM. George listened to all of the different A/D converters he had before he chose which to use, and he felt the George Massenburg GML 20 bit A/D produced the best and most synergistic sound for the project.

“I really think that the people who are willing to lay down their money for these reissues are going to get something really outstanding.” — George Marino, Sterling Sound engineer, commenting on Analogue Productions’ Verve 25-title reissue series.

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Johnny Hodges – Blue Hodge (Mono Version) (1962/2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · March 28, 2023 · Comments off

Johnny Hodges - Blue Hodge (Mono Version) (1962/2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download

Blue Hodge is the earliest of several matchups between altoist Johnny Hodges and organist Wild Bill Davis. With the assistance of Les Spann on guitar and flute, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Louis Hayes, Hodges and Davis mostly stick to fresh material, including three then-recent originals by Gary McFarland. Highlights include “Azure Te,” “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dream,” and “There Is No Greater Love,” in addition to some swinging blues. ~ Scott Yanow
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Johnny Hodges, Charlie Shavers – Half & Half (1981/2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · March 28, 2023 · Comments off

Johnny Hodges, Charlie Shavers - Half & Half (1981/2018) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz] Download

Shavers and Hodges were genii: unflawed musicians, total original minds, two of the great burnished talents that were ablaze in those fiery jazz years. Both seminal figures: Johnny Hodges, one of the three classic alto-saxophonists in jazz, Charlie Shavers, one of the two or three greatest trumpeters of his era. Both had the gift of making perfection sound easy, and both revelled – with an almost Casanova sensuality – in every tonal, and technical richness that their instrument was capable of. On this record, the two old masters perform in two settings each, both with the kind of ripe luscious talent that grows only in the summertime of an art.
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Johnny Hodges – Jazz pour tous: Johnny Hodges (Mono Version) (1957/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · March 28, 2023 · Comments off

Johnny Hodges - Jazz pour tous: Johnny Hodges (Mono Version) (1957/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download

“Jazz pour tous: Johnny Hodges” is a collection recordings of Johnny Hodges compiles from the archives of Bibliothèque nationale de France… The BnF’s audio collection, with over a million audio documents, is one of the oldest and most important ones in the world. Born in 1911 as the Archives de la parole (Archives of the spoken word), it was fortunate enough to be the recipient of donations from contemporary phonographic companies. In 1938, with the institution of legal deposit for phonograms, these contributions became systematic; to this very day, they constitute the collection’s main growth vector, forming a one-of-a-kind national heritage. This legal deposit is further complemented by donations and acquisitions.
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Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges – Side By Side (1959/2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · December 22, 2022 · Comments off

A follow-up album to Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues. Ellington takes the back seat to saxophonist Hodges in this jam session album, only playing in three of the nine tracks. The album features Hodges, a prominent member of Ellington’s legendary band, backed by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on piano among other notable musicians. The ablum includes works, “Let’s Fall in Love,” “Just Squeeze Me (But Don’t Tease Me),” and “Going Up”.

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Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges – Side By Side (1959/2012) DSF DSD64

SACD / DSD By admin · December 21, 2022 · Comments off

Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges – Side By Side (1959/2012)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 00:46:14 minutes | 1,82 GB | Genre: Jazz
Source: ISO SACD | © Verve Records

When Norman Granz signed Johnny Hodges to a recording contract in 1951, it was a prelude to Hodges’ leaving the Duke Ellington orchestra to lead his own small band. Four years later Hodges was back in the Ellington fold, but he continued to record for Granz under his own name. Side By Side, recorded in 1958 and 1959, is a throwback to the small-group sessions Ellington recorded with Hodges and other members of his orchestra in the Thirties, but with a couple of important differences: the absence of Ellington himself on several cuts (with Billy Strayhorn taking over on piano), and the presence of such notable non-Ellingtonians as drummer Jo Jones and trumpeters Roy Eldridge and Harry “Sweets” Edison.

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Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues – Back To Back (1959/2012) DSF DSD64

SACD / DSD By admin · December 21, 2022 · Comments off

Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues – Back To Back (1959/2012)
DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz | Time – 00:47:15 minutes | 1.86 GB | Genre: Jazz
Source: ISO SACD | © Verve Records

Back to back, or side by side, Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges form a duo which, in terms of sustained jazz artistry, has never been rivaled. The Ellington fanciers will be well rewarded, for there are many passages of Duke’s unusual and charming solo improvisations. “Johnny Hodges,” Duke said, “has complete independence of expression. He says what he wants to say on the horn, and that is it. He says it in his language, from his perspective, which is specific, and you could say that his is pure artistry.” Hodges carries most of the melodic statements of well-known blues standards, but gets in his share of ad lib choruses along with the swinging trumpet of Harry “Sweets” Edison. This is one of the most thoroughly relaxed, conversational jazz sessions ever recorded.

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Oliver Nelson, Johnny Hodges, Leon Thomas – Three Shades of Blue (1970/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · July 22, 2022 · Comments off

Oliver Nelson, Johnny Hodges, Leon Thomas - Three Shades of Blue (1970/2016) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz] Download

They don’t make ’em like this anymore. Oliver Nelson, one of the great composer/arrangers of his generation, brings 20 or so guys with invincible swing in their DNA into a studio with some killer charts to play, and Johnny Hodges stands in front of them and does what Johnny Hodges does. The result was a classic album that’s given me great pleasure.
Recorded almost a year before his death this album would be Hodges last as a leader. It features an all star band that includes seven members from Ellington’s band plus Ron Carter, Randy Brecker and Hank Jones. This album both swings and has some blues. It’s an excellent recording and if you’re a Hodges fan it’s for you.
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Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges – Con-Soul And Sax (1965/2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · November 9, 2016 · Comments off

Exceptional jazz musicians capture our hearts with a warm tone, lyrical lines, a feel for the blues, respect for space, sheer speed or stamina—to name just a handful of winning traits. But not all exceptional jazz musicians work well together and only a bunch of couplings have produced dazzling results. Perfect partnerships that come to mind include Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Lester Young, Max Roach and Clifford Brown, John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, Blue Mitchell and Horace Silver, Sonny Stitt and Don Patterson, Jim Hall and Paul Desmond—to name a handful. Add alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges and organist Wild Bill Davis to the list.

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Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges – Con-Soul And Sax (1965/2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · April 7, 2016 · Comments off

One of the great tenor and organ dates cut for RCA in the 60’s by the team of Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis featuring performances recorded in 1965.

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Johnny Hodges – Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (1961/2011) [Official Digital Download DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz + FLAC 24bit/88,2kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · November 27, 2015 · Comments off

Recorded: Tracks 2 to 6, 8, 10 and 11 recorded in December 11, 1961; Tracks 1, 7 and 9 recorded in December 12, 1961 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Mastered at Sterling Sound by George Marino.

Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra – Blues-A-Plenty (1958/2011/2014) [Official Digital Download DSF Stereo DSD64/2.82MHz + FLAC 24bit/88.2kHz]

Studio Masters By admin · November 11, 2015 · Comments off

Johnny Hodges And His Orchestra – Blues-A-Plenty (1958/2011/2014)
DSD64 (.dsf) 1 bit/2,8 MHz | Time – 42:38 minutes | 1,68 GB
FLAC (tracks) 24-bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 42:38 minutes | 795 MB
Studio Master, Official Digital Download – Source: AcousticSounds | @ Analogue Productions (Verve)

Cover art and liner notes included

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’ 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.

Originally released in 1958. (more…)