Live in Sanremo

Duke Ellington Orchestra

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Johnny Hodges is featured with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at the Sanremo Jazz Festival on March 22, 1964.

Set List:

1. “Sophisticated Lady”
2. “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart”
4. “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (Johnny Hodges, soloist)”
3. “C Jam Blues”

Personnel:

Duke Ellington – piano director
Rolf Ericson – trumpet
Lawrence Brown – trombone
Johnny Hodges – alto sax
Paul Gonsalves – tenor sax
Harry Carney – baritone sax
Bibi Rovére – bass
Sam Woodyard – drums

Johnny Hodges was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1906 and grew up in Boston where he developed his talents as a pianist a began playing at private house parties.

After he started on soprano saxophone he got an opportunity to meet and play for Sidney Bechet when he was fourteen.

Detecting his great talent Bechet encouraged Johnny to continue and he spent the coming years building a solid local reputation before moving to New York in 1924.

By 1928 Johnny Hodges, now favoring the alto sax, joined the “Duke Ellington Orchestra” and would be a prominent musical figure at Benny Goodman’s legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall concert a decade later.

Revered for his purity of tone and timeless instrumental ability, particularly on ballads, Hodges was truly a musician’s musician who won the respect and admiration of his peers.

Johnny Hodges’ final performances took place at the Imperial Room in Toronto just days prior to his death from heart failure on May 11, 1970.

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