Johnny Hodges
is forever associated with
Duke Ellington
as one of his principle soloists, though he recorded extensively as a bandleader himself beginning in the '50s. This compilation draws from earlier
Storyville
releases, including a number of features for the alto saxophonist with
Ellington
, highlighted by
"All of Me"
and
"Jeep's Blues."
But the bulk of this CD contains all ten tracks of
Hodges
' earlier disc,
Masters of Jazz, Vol. 9
, which features the saxophonist leading two separate groups of all-stars in club settings. Six tracks come from a 1960 set at
The Cellar
in San Francisco, with
Ben Webster
providing a perfect foil for
, all originals by the leader. Four selections come from a
Norman Granz
-sponsored European tour in 1961, where
led a group of fellow
veterans (
Harry Carney
,
Ray Nance
Lawrence Brown
Aaron Bell
Sam Woodyard
, with pianist
Al Williams
).
' swinging take of
"On the Sunny Side of the Street"
is brilliant, with the other horn providing lush background and soft rifts for the soloist. In addition to
Brown
also solos in both
"Good Queen Bess"
and a rousing
"Things Ain't What They Used to Be."
Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden