Track Listing

1. Stompy Jones
2. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
3. Big Shoe
4. Going Up
5. Just a Memory
6. Let's Fall in Love
7. Ruint
8. Bend One
9. You Need to Rock

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #85496 in Music
• Brand: Ellington
• Released on: 1999-03-23
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .17 pounds

Amazon.com
The sound of Johnny Hodges's alto saxophone--a tone of ethereal smoothness combined with slyly familiar blues phrasing and a capacity for both wit and romance--may be the most identifiable sonic marker of Duke Ellington's music, and it's much in evidence on the two small group sessions on this CD. One, from 1959, has Hodges and Ellington in a sextet with two great Basie alumni, drummer Jo Jones and trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison. The combination generates extraordinary swing, especially on the opening "Stompy Jones," with Ellington's percussive chords and Jones's drums generating enough power to drive a big band. Hodges and Edison maintain the big-band illusion, fuelling one another's solos with supportive riffs, while Ellington seems to revel in the wide-open spaces, soloing on "Going Up" with an expansive and almost casual brilliance. Though Duke is absent from the second date on this CD, featuring a septet recorded in 1958, his alter ego, Billy Strayhorn, plays piano in appropriately ducal fashion. This band has an even stronger Ellington flavor, with tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and trombonist Lawrence Brown adding their unique sounds to a joy-filled session that recalls Duke's small group recordings of the '30s. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Absolute mastery by all
If Martians ever land here and ask "What is jazz?" play them this one! In the 1950s, when jazz was moving in several new directions, many of the star soloists of the great 'swing' orchestras were left somewhat out in the cold, even though many of them were not only playing better than they ever had, they were also being recorded with vastly improved technology. If proof were needed, here is one of those records. It will go down as a classic when future historians review the century's music -- along with its 'sister' recording "Back To Back," which you should also get. Ellington plays magnificently throughout these sides, and Hodges plays the greatest alto sax of all time -- absolutely inimitable, immediately recognizable, and with phrasing and structure to his solos that could be described as architectural wonders. Note the passionate phrasing in his blues solo on "Big Shoe". As for Ellington, listen to his solo on "Stompy Jones." One of his greatest, his chords seem to change color AS they ring out. Thelonious Monk later built on this technique. In "Stompy" DE's superb solo builds chorus after chorus as the unmistakably supportive drummer Jo Jones (arguably jazz's greatest drummer) pressures him with his left stick on the snare drum (like a rattle-snake) and with his changes from hi-hat to ride cymbals with his right -- absolute genius in drumming dynamics. The piece ends with a dazzling drive out by Harry Edison on trumpet. You gotta hear it. All this leaves me without having described tracks incuded from a different session that include Roy Eldrige and Ben Webster!! The key is that in that era, on this record and others like it, musicians listened to one another and contributed to what each was saying on the theory that 1+1 makes 3. Today's highly trained, technically muscle-bound musicians haven't an iota of the personality that make for the quality of jazz this recording has. Please consider this a recommendation!

Jeep in his prime
This is my favorite of my many Johnny Hodges records. Like fine cognac, Jeep seemed to keep improving over his long career. Particularly noteworthy in this late fifties set is the energy of the uptempo numbers; Johnny's not noted for speed, but here he skips along like a perfectly thrown flat rock into a stream. Duke seems inspired to pound the ivories with equal (and equally rare) vigor.

On the slow numbers, no alto player ever began to match JH for touch-your-heart balladry. On "Squeeze Me" and "Just A Memory" he outdoes even himself. A religous experience.

The sound quality of the 24bit mastering is genuinely unbelievable! Sounds better than most Super Audio CDs. Be sure to also get JH's Verve session "With Billy Stayhorn and the Orchestra"; has the same awesome sound quality and all of Dukes men blowing the roof off in the background.

We're way beyond five stars here music fans, give this one the whole galaxy. And we're way beyond "jazz" here too, this one transcends genre setting the standard for music that can touch us at a deep and personal level. No foolin'.

Best swinging small combo jazz ever recorded!
Abh457 has got it right! As great as "Back to Back" is, this one is unbelievable- the most swinging, emotional jazz record I've ever heard, and I've been listening since 1955; Hodges, Edison, Webster , Brown, Eldridge, pianists, &rhythm are all superb. All tracks great, but Just a Memory my favorite. Sidney Bechet is fabulous on Apex Blues, and Stan Getz on 'Tis Autumn(and many others), but you can't beat Side by Side for small combo jazz!! For somewhat larger band & a true jam session, you can't beat Buck Clayton Jam Sessions, esp. Robbins Nest& Huckle-Buck!