Johnny Hodges (soloist) with Billy Strayhorn & The Orchestra (LP 1961)

AQUI:

Para quem gosta, como eu,  das grandes orquestras de Jazz ao seu melhor estilo, aqui está uma excelente oportunidade para recordar alguns temas que fizeram história, interpretados por um excelente saxofonista (Johnny Hodges) e uma orquestra primorosa.

John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges" (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 25 de Julho de 1906 - 11 de Maio de 1970) foi um excelente saxofonista de jazz norte-americano.

Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra - Recorded December 1961 at Van Gelder Recording Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Original recordings produced by Creed Taylor.

Participantes:

 Johnny Hodges (Sax Alto)

 Paul Gonsalves (Sax (Tenor) 

 Cat Anderson, Bill Berry, Shorty Baker, Howard McGhe, Ed Mullens,Bill Berry (Trumpet)

 Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson (Trombone)

 Russell Procope (Clarinet,Sax Alto)

 Chuck Connors (Trombone Bass) 

 Harry Carney (Clarinet Bass, Sax Baritone, Sax Bass)

 Jimmy Hamilton (Clarinet,Sax Tenor)

 Jimmy Jones (Piano)

 Sam Woodyard (Drums)

 Aaron Bell (Bass)

 Billy Strayhorn (Arranger, Conductor), Sam Woodyard (Drums)

Recorded during the last decade of his long tenure with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, this album finds the great alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges's 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 -Strayhorn's contributions are noticted throughout the thoughtfully warm arrangements- 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. 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. Detail of the session is related in Lush Life the biographpy of Billy Strayhorn (pg 217). Briefly, Strayhorn was given free rein in providing new arrangments of songs by Ellington, Hodges and himself. 

In the 30 plus years they worked together Strayhorn used the Ellington orchestra to feature Hodges. However, this disc really puts Hodges in the forefront of the orchestra and the results are tremendous. Hodges, under Strayhorns direction gives top notch redendtions of two of the greatest songs they did together, 'Day Dream' and 'I Got It Bad'. 

By Ken Dryden, All Music Guide 

Track List:

      1. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington, Bob Russell) (3:00)

2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) (Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster) (3:35)

3. The Gal from Joe's (Irving Mills, Duke Ellington) (2:27)

4. Your Love Has Faded(Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn) (3:00)

5. I'm Just a Lucky So and So (Duke Ellington, Mack David) (3:20)

6. Jeep's Blues (Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington) (3:18)

7. Day Dream (Duke Ellington, John Latouche, Billy Strayhorn) (3:56)

8. Juice A-Plenty (Johnny Hodges) (3:18)

9. Azure (Irving Mills, Duke Ellington) (2:33)

10. Tailor Made (Johnny Hodges, Ed Mullens) (3:35)

11. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish) (4:25)

( tracks 2-6, 8, 10, and 11 probably on December 11; tracks 1, 7, and 9 probably on December 12).

C.S.