Johnny Hodges was Duke Ellington's most important soloist, so
when the alto saxophonist returned to his former employer in the fall of
1955 after leading his own band for just over four and a half years, he
had Ellington's approval to record under his own name for Verve on a
steady basis. This limited-edition box set collects all of Hodges'
small-group sessions recorded for Verve between 1956 and 1961 (excepting
some selections whose masters were lost), often with a number of
sidemen on loan from Ellington. The leader's chops are best exhibited in
the ballads and blues features, though his originals merit attention,
too. Hodges hardly hogs the spotlight; he obviously takes his share of
solos but generously features his guests and associates from the
Ellington band. A nonet with Clark Terry, Ray Nance, Quentin Jackson,
Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Woode, and Sam
Woodyard is easily the best all-around session within this compilation,
with many fine tracks. The humorous "Just Squeeze Me," with Nance's hip
vocals complemented by Terry's talkative horn in the background, as well
as a surprising extended workout of "Take the 'A' Train," with Terry
taking over the famous solo spotlight that Nance first recorded in 1941
(heard on flügelhorn) and followed by Nance on his swinging violin, are
among its highlights. Some of the other veterans appearing in this
collection include Roy Eldridge, Vic Dickenson, Ben Webster, and Herb
Ellis. The atmosphere of each session is friendly and swinging, with the
feeling that each take came together quickly, whether or not that was
actually the case. While Johnny Hodges' recordings as a leader from this
period never rivaled Duke Ellington's in either sales or critical
acclaim, they proved to be consistently enjoyable and able to stand the
test of time. The set includes 30 previously unissued tracks. The
detailed liner notes and discography, along with the numerous photos,
also help to make The Complete Verve Johnny Hodges Small Group Sessions
1956-1961 an essential purchase for swing fans, though it is a limited
edition of just 7,500, so it is guaranteed to soar in value.
4 x CD in book/DVD-style tall packaging.
In
this collection by the German "History" label, you get nearly 40 hours
of digitally remastered original 78s and 45s. The sound quality is truly
amazing - the remastering process removes hiss, clicks & pops;
optimizes the equalization, and synthesizes stereo. The forty discs in
this set are grouped into twenty 2-disc volumes which are dedicated to a
vocalist or pair or vocalists.
