johnny hodges biography

Hodges made a large, long-term contribution to the music, both as a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and on his own. 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. Connect your Spotify account to your Last.fm account and scrobble everything you listen to, from any Spotify app on any device or platform. After moving for a short period of time to North Cambridge, the family moved to Hammond Street in the South End of Boston, where he grew up with baritone saxophonist Harry Carney, and saxophonists Charlie Holmes and Howard E. Johnson. By clicking "Ok" or by continuing to use our website, you agree to cookies being set on your device as explained in our, ELLINGTON, Duke: Air Conditioned Jungle (1945) (Duke Ellington, Vol. Possessor of the most beautiful tone ever heard in jazz, altoist Johnny Hodges formed his style early on and had little reason to change it through the decades. His playing became one of the identifying voices of the Ellington orchestra. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years, except the period between 1932 – 1946 when Otto Hardwick generally played first chair. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years, except the period between 1932 – 1946 when Otto Hardwick generally played first chair. His playing became one of the identifying voices of the Ellington orchestra. When Ellington wanted to expand his band in 1928, Ellington's clarinet player Barney Bigard recommended Hodges, who was featured on both alto and soprano sax. Other songs recorded by the Ellington Orchestra which prominently feature Hodges' smooth alto saxophone sound are "Magenta Haze", "Prelude to a Kiss", "Haupe" (from Anatomy of a Murder) – note also the "seductive" and hip-swaying “Flirtibird,” featuring the "irresistibly salacious tremor" by Hodges, "The Star-Crossed Lovers" from Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder suite, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)", "Blood Count" and "Passion Flower". Read more on Wikipedia. Date of birth : 1906-07-25 Date of death : 1970-05-11 Birthplace : Cambridge, Massachusetts,U.S. He was mostly self-taught, although he did take lessons on soprano saxophone with Bechet. Click to learn more. b. July 25, 1906, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, d. May 11, 1970) and Duke Ellington are eternally intertwined. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years, except the period between 1932 and 1946 when Otto Hardwick generally played first chair. After him are Jorma Kaukonen (1940), Ma Rainey (1886), Lauryn Hill (1975), Mike Stern (1953), Roy Haynes (1925), and Matisyahu (1979). Among musicians born in United States, Johnny Hodges ranks 341. that I ever heard. Hodges was apparently aware of this effect, leaving the Ellington orchestra in the 1950's, to be replaced by the stellar alto man, Willie Smith, formerly the lead alto star of the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra. As evidenced by the Ellington compositions named after him, he earned the nicknames Jeep and Rabbit – according to Johnny Griffin because "he looked like a rabbit, no expression on his face while he's playing all this beautiful music.". Among people deceased in 1970, Johnny Hodges ranks 132. He became a kind of protégé of clarinetist Sydney Bechet and joined his band after a stint with Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith’s quartet, which began when he was only 18. Hodges was also featured on soprano saxophone, but refused to play soprano after 1946, when he also got the task of playing the lead chair. The paths of Johnny Hodges (John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges, nicknames: "Rabbit", "Jeep". Rabbit's Blues: The Life and Music of Johnny Hodges Con Chapman 240Pages ISBN: #9780190055288 Oxford University Press 2019 Alto and soprano saxophonist Johnny Hodges was one of the most singular voices in jazz. Hodges was also featured on soprano saxophone, but refused to play … Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright, Celebrities Interesting Facts By Nationality, Celebrities Interesting Facts By Profession. Among musicians, Johnny Hodges ranks 930 out of 2,258. The paths of Johnny Hodges (John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges, nicknames: "Rabbit", "Jeep". Hodges was born in the Cambridgeport neighborhood of Cambridge, Massachusetts, to John H. Hodges and Katie Swan Hodges, both originally from Virginia. Although he could stomp with the best swing players and was masterful on the blues, Hodges' luscious playing on ballads has never been topped. Ellington's practice of writing tunes specifically for members of his orchestra resulted in the Hodges specialties, "Confab with Rab", "Jeep's Blues", "Sultry Sunset", and "Hodge Podge". We would like to express to you our deepest thanks for your contribution. His highly individualistic playing style, which featured the use of a wide vibrato and much sliding between slurred notes, was frequently imitated. All user-contributed text on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges (July 25, 1906 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He became a kind of protégé of clarinetist Sydney Bechet and joined his band after a stint with Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith’s quartet, which began when he was only 18. Email Print. We use cookies to improve the use of our website, our products and services, and confirm your login authorization or initial creation of account. Other songs recorded by the Ellington Orchestra which prominently feature Hodges' smooth alto saxophone sound are "Magenta Haze", "Prelude to a Kiss", "Haupe" (from Anatomy of a Murder) – note also the "seductive" and hip-swaying “Flirtibird,” featuring the "irresistibly salacious tremor" by Hodges, "The Star-Crossed Lovers" from Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder suite, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)", "Blood Count" and "Passion Flower". ". Johnny Hodges discography and songs: Music profile for Johnny Hodges, born 25 July 1907. While his mother was a skilled piano player, Hodges was mostly sel…