Johnny Hodges
Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on soprano saxophone, but refused to play soprano after 1946. Along with Benny Carter, Hodges is considered to be one of the definitive alto saxophone players of the big band era. After beginning his career as a teenager in Boston, Hodges began to travel to New York and played with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Luckey Roberts and Chick Webb. When Ellington wanted to expand his band in 1928, Ellington's clarinet player Barney Bigard recommended Hodges. His playing became one of the identifying voices of the Ellington orchestra. From 1951 to 1955, Hodges left the Duke to lead his own band, but returned shortly before Ellington's triumphant return to prominence – the orchestra's performance at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival. |
Birth and Death Data: Born July 25, 1907 (Cambridge), Died May 11, 1970 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1959
Roles Represented in DAHR: alto saxophone, clarinet, soprano saxophone, composer, saxophone, leader, songwriter
Notes: He is not to be confused with pianist Johnnie Hardge, whose name sometimes appears as "Hodges."
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 26-50 of 257 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Victor | BVE-55848 | 10-in. | 9/16/1929 | Swanee shuffles | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-57542 | 10-in. | 11/14/1929 | Breakfast dance | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-57543 | 10-in. | 11/14/1929 | Jazz lips | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-57544 | 10-in. | 11/14/1929 | March of the hoodlums | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-59692 | 10-in. | 4/11/1930 | Double check stomp | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | composer, instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-59693 | 10-in. | 4/11/1930 | My gal is good for nothing but love | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-59694 | 10-in. | 4/11/1930 | I was made to love you | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | PBVE-61011 | 10-in. | 8/20/1930 | Ring dem bells | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | PBVE-61012 | 10-in. | 8/20/1930 | Old man blues | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | PBVE-61013 | 10-in. | 8/20/1930 | Three little words | Duke Ellington Orchestra ; Rhythm Boys | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal trio | instrumentalist, soprano saxophone, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-62192 | 10-in. | 6/4/1930 | Sweet dreams of love | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-62193 | 10-in. | 6/4/1930 | Jungle nights in Harlem | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-62194 | 10-in. | 6/4/1930 | Sweet jazz o' mine | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-62195 | 10-in. | 6/4/1930 | Shout 'em, Aunt Tillie | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-63360 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | Hittin' the bottle | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-63361 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | That Lindy hop | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-63362 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | You're lucky to me | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-63363 | 10-in. | 10/2/1930 | Memories of you | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-64378 | 10-in. | 11/26/1930 | What good am I without you? | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Dick Robertson | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-64379 | 10-in. | 11/26/1930 | Blue again | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Sid Garry | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-64380 | 10-in. | 11/26/1930 | When a black man's blue | Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington ; Bennie Payne | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo (takes 3 and 4); with male vocal trio (takes 1 and 2) | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-64812 | 10-in. | 11/21/1930 | Nine little miles from Ten-Ten-Tennessee | Smith Ballew ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-64813 | 10-in. | 11/21/1930 | I'm so in love with you | Smith Ballew ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, clarinet, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-67401 | 10-in. | 1/16/1931 | Rockin' in rhythm | Duke Ellington Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | instrumentalist, alto saxophone | |
Victor | BVE-67798 | 10-in. | 1/16/1931 | The river and me | Chick Bullock ; Cotton Club Orchestra ; Duke Ellington | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | instrumentalist, alto saxophone |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Hodges, Johnny," accessed November 9, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103184.
Hodges, Johnny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 9, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103184.
"Hodges, Johnny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 9 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Johnny Hodges
Discogs: Johnny Hodges
Allmusic: Johnny Hodges
Grove: Johnny Hodges
IMDb: Johnny Hodges
Britannica: Johnny Hodges
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Hodges, Johnny - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81071360
Wikidata: Johnny Hodges - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q455176
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/71578250
MusicBrainz: Johnny Hodges - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/881d33d8-e86f-42e8-b571-dbde156f6907
Wikipedia content provided under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-SA license
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