The solo projects of
Johnny Hodges were not so much individualistic divergences away from his duties with
the Duke Ellington Orchestra, but served more as extensions of the vintage, classic style of jazz tailored to his personalized sound away from what he had to compete with sitting next to the raft of talent in
Duke's big band. Working here in the mid-'60s with groups ranging from an octet to a 12-member (featuring nine extra tracks not included on the original 33 1/3 LP) or 15-piece group,
Hodges showcases many of his original compositions. He primarily employs
Ellington personnel, with the exception being the quite able
Jimmy Jones at the piano on the majority of these selections. His son Johnny Hodges, Jr. plays drums on two tracks when
Grady Tate or
Gus Johnson sits out, while bass players chosen by the legendary alto saxophonist include the formidable
Ernie Shepard and a young
Richard Davis. These quite famous numbers are loaded with pungent solos by cream of the crop jazzmen such as trumpeter
Cat Anderson, woodwind specialists
Russell Procope and
Jimmy Hamilton, the deeply soulful tenor saxophonist
Paul Gonsalves, and nimble trombonist
Lawrence Brown. If you are a devout fan, you'll easily recognize favorites like the harmony-strewn evergreen "Main Stem" with fluttering clarinet and a patented
Anderson solo, the
Billy Strayhorn ballad "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" where
Hodges is fully featured, "Mood Indigo" where the group is stripped down to four horns in guarded repast, and the very slow "Jeep's Blue" as the piano of
Jones takes center stage.
Brown's introduction and theme for "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" sweetly showcases the underappreciated trombonist.
Hodges wrote or co-wrote several of these tracks, including the lesser-known spiky-accented and vibrato-laden "Papa Knows" as offshoots of its precedent, "Mama Knows," and the two-note bass-heavy title track, delivered quicker than the established 4/4 rhythm. "Good Queen Bess" is a basic
Count Basie-type bluesy theme, and there's the distinctly
Ellingtonian blues "Little Brother" and the always rousing "Stompy Jones," where
Procope and the gang trade lines profusely. It would be difficult to pick a favorite or a clunker, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anything more inspired or another project loaded with this much talent. Everybody knows
Johnny Hodges and this stellar collection of all-stars, because they are absolutely the best at what they do. ~ Michael G. Nastos