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Duke Ellington makes a rare Verve appearance on this classic album – and works strongly in the mode of earlier sides recorded for the label by Johnny Hodges! There's a relaxed, small group feel going on here – one that's a bit different than some of the tighter Ellington work on Columbia during the 50s, and which almost paves the way for some of the more intimate piano sides that Duke would record during the 60s. In a way, Hodges is almost at the lead – given how comfortable he is here in a Verve setting – and other players include Harry Edison on trumpet, Les Spann on guitar, Sam Jones on bass, and Jo Jones on drums. The real charm, as always, is Hodges' solos, lean, mean, raspy, and soulful – and titles include "Weary Blues", "Royal Garden Blues", "Loveless Love", "St Louis Blues", and "Wabash Blues".

Hodges leads a large group of Ellington players that includes Willie Cook, Clark Terry, Cat Anderson, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, Ray Nance, and Jimmy Woode. The overall sound has that Ellington-minus-Ellington, plus-Hoges feel of similar Verve sessions like these – with lots of nice strong Hodges tenor work in the foreground. Titles include "Digits", "Viscount", "Segdoh", "An Ordinary Thing", and "Little Rabbit Blues".

Two Verve albums from Johnny Hodges – both relatively obscure, and both pretty darn great! The Eleventh Hour is an overlooked gem from Johnny Hodges – a 60s session that hearkens back to the "with strings" Verve mode of the 50s – but one that also updates the approach strongly, thanks to some well crafted arrangements by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's work in the jazz backings for soloist mode during the 60s was some of the best of the big band genre – and although his work here is much more in the mellow tone mode than his backings for players like Jimmy Smith and Lou Donaldson, Hodges is still getting top shelf treatment, some really wonderful washes of sound and color that show that his tone is still very much alive! A nice preface to the pair's classic set for Flying Dutchman – and with tracks that include "Something to Live For", "Don't Blame Me", "Warm Valley", "The Eleventh Hour", "Guitar Amour", and "You Blew Out The Flame In My Heart". Sandy's Gone is a set that has the sweet alto sax of Johnny Hodges working with great arrangements from Claus Ogerman – a mode that's a bit more groovy and 60s than some of Johnny's previous work – in a setting that offers up a nice change for his sound! Claus is in fine form here – swinging with the same style as his own instrumental records for RCA in the 60s – echoes of his German roots, especially in the use of bass at the bottom – which gives even some of the gentler tunes a nice kick we're not used to hearing in Johnny Hodges material. Johnny's got a sound that's soulful, yet sweet too – almost pop, but still very strongly rooted in jazz – on titles that include "Again", "Sandy's Gone", "Monkey Shack", "Scarlett O'Hara", "Candy's Theme", and "Follow Me".

Swing session with small group backing by Billy Strayhorn, Jimmy Woode, Sonny Greer, and Clark Terry – and which features Johnny's warm tones soloing nicely on comfortable standards. All of side one is a "ballad medley", with a very Creamy sound, and titles that include "But Not For Me", "Prelude To A Kiss", "Whispering", and "Tenderly". The flipside's got a bit more kick, and titles that include "Honey Bunny", "Passion", and "No Use Kicking".

A nice little 60s album by Johnny Hodges – one of the few post-Verve sessions that has him still playing in the hard swinging Ellingtonia small combo mode of the 50s! Players are all strong – and include Jimmy Jones, Cat Anderson, Ray Nance, Harry Carney, and Paul Gonsalves – and the tracks are mostly older numbers, but redone here with a bit more 60s bounce. Hodges' alto is, as ever, great – and titles include "Everybody Knows", "The Jeep Is Jumpin", "Main Stem", "I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart", and "Open Mike".

An excellent collection of early work recorded under Johnny Hodges' name in the early years – sessions from 1938 and 1939, issued here on LP format in the mid 50s under LP format, with a nice cover by William Steig! The tracks are a great assortment of small group numbers that focus on Hodges' tremendous tone on alto sax – recorded with Ellingtonian players that include the Duke himself, as well as Cootie Williams, Harry Carney, Sonny Greer, Lawrence Brown, and Billy Taylor. Titles include "Empty Ballroom Blues", "Jeep's Blues", "Good Gal Blues", "Skunk Hollow Blues", "Hodge Podge", and "Rent Party Blues".

Although we've always thought that Wild Bill Davis was a bit of a snoozer, these records that he made with Johnny Hodges are all pretty groovy, especially this one, which has Grant Green on guitar. The group plays a number of originals, with a solid soul jazz sound that borders on a Blue Note bag. Tracks include "Wings & Things", "Dow De Dow Dow Dow", "Casanova", and "Spotted Dog".

An excellent album that features late 30s recordings by some of Duke Ellington's most famous sidemen! The groups on most of these are fairly similar – mostly small group sessions from the larger Ellington outfit – pulled out in ways that give a strong focus on the solo talents of the session leader – and as with other packages in this series, the fidelity is much better than the original singles, and accompanied with full notes on the music! Titles include "Rexatious" and "Lazy Man's Shuffle" by Rex Stewart; "Echoes Of Harlem", "Swing Pan Alley", and "I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me" by Cootie Williams; "The Rabbit's Jump", "Pyramid", and "Jitterbug's Lullaby" by Johnny Hodges; and "Caravan" and "Stompy Jones" by Barney Bigard.

An unlikely pairing – but that's what makes it so great! Mulligan and Hodges come together in this rare Verve set from the late 50s – an inspired combination of talents that really work some magic together. Hodges' tone is in the lead in our ears, always wonderful, especially in a set of open-ended tracks like this – but Mulligan's sweet and careful blowing works surprisingly well as a foil, giving the set a nice bottom, and a good overall approach. Backing is by a trio that features Claud Williamson, Buddy Clark, and Mel Lewis – and titles include "Bunny", "Back Beat", "What's The Rush", and "18 Carrots For Rabbit".

One of Hodges' best albums for Verve from the 60s – recorded with a great small combo that includes Grant Green on guitar, Grady Tate on drums, and Wild Bill Davis on organ. The sound's a lot hipper than you'd expect – with less of the corny organ work by Davis that can ruin a session – and the overall feel is like some swinging Prestige soul jazz organ set from the early 60s. Titles include "Wild Bill Blues", "Joe's Blues", "Warm Valley", "Solitude", and "Harmony In Harlem".

Something wonderful happened to Coleman Hawkins at the end of his career – record companies started letting him record in really long formats, stretching out creatively on extended solos that continued to push the boundaries of his talents! This set is a prime example of that shift – as it features Hawkins alongside Roy Eldridge and Johnny Hodges – all working with trio backing by Tommy Flanagan, Major Holley, and Eddie Locke in a live setting at the Village Gate. Tracks are all well over ten minutes long – 2 at eleven minutes, and 1 at sixteen – and they allow the three lead soloists to really stretch out in a warmly improvisatory manner that surpasses even the easygoing Verve studio sessions of the 50s. Titles include "Satin Doll", "Perdido", and "The Rabbit In Jazz". CD also features Coleman Hawkins Alive At The Village Gate – tracks from the same date, but without Eldridge and Hodges – great long tracks that include "Mack The Knife", "It's The Talk Of The Town", "All The Things You Are", and "Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho".

Duke Ellington and Mary Poppins? Sounds like a terrible combination – but it's actually pretty darn great! You see, the key words in the title are "plays with" – as Duke takes the core score of the film and, working with Billy Strayhorn, comes up with some groovy little tunes that really depart from the originals – and become perfect backdrops for the modern Ellington genius of the 60s. Solo work on the set is by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, and Harry Carney – and overall, the album's got that nice punchy feel of Ellington's other Reprise sides – and makes especially nice use of the modal quality of some of the tunes from the film. Titles include "Jolly Holiday", "The Life I Lead", "I Love To Laugh", "Stay Awake", "Chim Chim Cheree", and "Feed The Birds".

Duke Ellington and Mary Poppins? Sounds like a terrible combination – but it's actually pretty darn great! You see, the key words in the title are "plays with" – as Duke takes the core score of the film and, working with Billy Strayhorn, comes up with some groovy little tunes that really depart from the originals – and become perfect backdrops for the modern Ellington genius of the 60s. Solo work on the set is by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Cootie Williams, and Harry Carney – and overall, the album's got that nice punchy feel of Ellington's other Reprise sides – and makes especially nice use of the modal quality of some of the tunes from the film. Titles include "Jolly Holiday", "The Life I Lead", "I Love To Laugh", "Stay Awake", "Chim Chim Cheree", and "Feed The Birds".

One of Ellington's greatest albums of the 60s – and a record tinged with Eastern themes and darkly angular modern arrangements. The group here features Ellington stalwarts Johnny Hodges, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, Cootie Williams, Mercer Ellington, and Rufus Jones – and the players work together tightly to craft the suite of tracks based on Ellington's impressions of recent travels through the Mid and Far East during the 60s. Titles include "Tourist Point Of View", "Isfahan", "Depk", "Mount Harissa", "Amad", "Agra", and "Blue Pepper".

Don't let the title put you off, because this certainly isn't a session of background music – and the name simply refers to the fact that the arrangements on the set really showcase the strong horn work of the Ellington orchestra! Duke's still on piano for the session, but the real strength of the album's carried by classic Ellington players that include Ray Nance, Willie Cook, Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Harry Carney, and Lawrence Brown. Arrangements are by Bill Mathieu and Gerald Wilson – and although many of the tunes are older Ellington numbers, they've got a tight groove (and excellent recording quality) – which updates the material nicely. Titles include "Midriff", "Main Stem", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "What Am I Here For", "Kinda Dukish", and "Perdido".

Excellent Duke Ellington work from the late 50s – written and recorded during a period in which he was reemerging with a stronger jazz vision than ever before! The set was written by Ellington and Strayhorn – and dedicated to the Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario – but forget the Bard-inspired roots of the tracks, because the shimmering moods of the pieces is pure Ellington – with a richness of feeling that's totally great, and a sound that's wonderfully fresh, given that most of these numbers aren't overplayed Ellington compositions! Players include Cat Anderson and Clark Terry on trumpets, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, and Johnny Hodges on alto – and titles include "The Telecasters", "Circle Of Fourths", "Sonnet For Caesar", "Sonnet To Hank Cinq", and "Such Sweet Thunder".

Mulligan always sounds great next to a tenor – especially in the Verve series that has him teamed up with players like Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, or Stan Getz. This release, cut with Ben Webster upfront, is one of the best of that series – and features the pair blowing easily and soulfully on some long tracks with rhythm by Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar, and Mel Lewis. Titles include "Go Home", "The Cat Walk", "Sunday", "Who's Got Rhythm", and "Tell Me When".

Mulligan always sounds great next to a tenor – especially in the Verve series that has him teamed up with players like Johnny Hodges, Paul Desmond, or Stan Getz. This release, cut with Ben Webster upfront, is one of the best of that series – and features the pair blowing easily and soulfully on some long tracks with rhythm by Jimmy Rowles, Leroy Vinnegar, and Mel Lewis. Titles include "Go Home", "The Cat Walk", "Sunday", "Who's Got Rhythm", and "Tell Me When".

An unusual non-Ellington session from Billy Strayhorn – but one that's recorded in septet formation with plenty of the Duke's men at his side! Strayhorn's in the lead on piano, and other players include Quentin Jackson on trombone, Cue Porter (Johnny Hodges?) on alto sax, Shorty Baker on trumpet, and Russell Procope on clarinet – all gliding nicely with a bit more solo room than usual, in the great swing-based mode used by the Felsted label for it's short-lived series of sessions. Titles include "Watch Your Cue", "Cue's Blue Now", "Cherry", "Gone With The Wind", and "Rose Room".

An incredible document of a key genre in 50s jazz on record – the jam session tradition, recorded beautifully for Verve records by the legendary Norman Granz! The idea of a jam session was nothing new at the time, of course, but it was mostly a live phenomenon – known to players from concerts and club dates, or presented on vinyl by Granz, in his celebrated Jazz At The Philharmonic sessions. These dates mark a move into the studio by Granz – one that captures the same sort of energy and unique pairings of musicians that went down in the live sessions, with the added benefit of studio technology to make the work sound even clearer, and more intimate. The 5CD set brings together all 9 Jam Session albums – packaged beautifully in a slipcase with original album cover art, and a full 72 page booklet on the musicians, sessions, and titles included. Players include nearly everyone who might have worked for Verve in the 50s – Benny Carter, Charlie Parker, Johnny Hodges, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Buddy DeFranco, and countless others – and titles include "Jam Blues", "Funky Blues", "Apple Jam", "Blues For The Count", "Jamming For Clef", "Rose Room", "Blue Lou", and "Lullaby In Rhythm" – all in very long versions!

A beautiful jazzy score by Duke Ellington – and a fitting companion to this classic Otto Preminger film! The record captures Ellington at a perfect moment – right during his Indigos period of increased sophistication, when his band was at an all-time level of perfection – and really shaking free of the too-familiar modes of the past. Ellington's music has a wonderful range of feeling here – even more so than usual, given the shifting scenes of the film – and the players are an all star lineup that includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Johnny Hodges on alto, and Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet. Titles include "Upper & Outest", "Almost Cried", "Sunswept Sunday", "Happy Anatomy", "Flirtibird", and "Low Key Lightly".

Did Ellington ever record in concert and it not be great? This wonderful double-length set from the 60s is key proof of his genius in an unfettered live setting – recorded in Paris in 1963 with plenty of dark edges! The tracks are short overall, but Duke's really at the head of the group on piano – playing with those angular, modern tones he picked up in the post Money Jungle years – and clearly in charge of the group from the keyboard, not the podium. Horn players include Harry Carney, Ray Nance, Lwarence Brown, Cootie Williams, Johnny Hodges, and Paul Gonsalves – all bringing in some special tones and unique performances to an extended set list that includes both Ellington standards and a few lesser-known numbers. Titles include "Rockin In Rhythm", "Concerto For Cootie", "Suite Thursday", "Tone Parallel To Harlem", "Bula", "Cop Out", "Happy Go Lucky Local", "Theme From Asphalt Jungle", and "Star-Crossed Lovers".

One of Duke Ellington's best albums of the 50s – a well-conceived session of dark moody tracks that revisits a few old favorites, hits a few standards, and offers a new gem that's right up there with the classics! The "indigos" title is taken very seriously here – as the album's awash in blue tones and darker hues – a bit Kenton in inspiration, but carried off with a lot more intimacy and sense of soul throughout. The group by this point is completely mature – and old bandmates like Johnny Hodges on alto, Paul Gonsalves on tenor, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet, Cat Anderson and Ray Nance on trumpets, and Jimmy Woode on bass all fit together perfectly under Ellington's direction. Titles include Duke's great "The Sky Fell Down", plus "Mood Indigo", "Autumn Leaves", "Tenderly", "Dancing In The Dark", "Where Or When", and "Solitude".

One of our favorite Duke Ellington albums, and a sometimes-overlooked work that stands as one of his best compositions from the time. The whole 10" LP stands as one extended suite of tracks commissioned by the Liberian government for their centennial celebration in 1947. The piece starts with the haunting "I Like The Sunrise", with vocals by Al Hibbler, then leads into 5 "Dances", with solo work by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, and Tyree Glenn. Beautiful stuff, and one of the few essential Ellington LPs.

Vocals and cornet from Rex Stewart – with work by Duke Ellington and Ram Ramirez on piano, Johnny Hodges on alto, Harry Carney on baritone, and Lawrence Brown on trombone.

A well-selected set of tracks by the legendary vocalist Leon Thomas – one that focuses squarely on his recordings for the Flying Dutchman label – with standouts from his own records, a crucial collaboration with Johnny Hodges, and a previously unreleased tune as well! The collection features a really wonderful range of music – some tunes with the righteous feel of Thomas' singing with Pharoah Sanders, some others with a tighter soul feel, and even a few more with a classic jazz approach that's mighty nice! The albums under Thomas' name often feature some great small group backings – with players who include Billy Harper on tenor, and Roy Haynes or Bernard Purdie on drums – and some of the larger backings feature excellent arrangements from Oliver Nelson and Pee Wee Ellis. Titles include "Shape Your Mind To Die", "Just In Time To See The Sun", "It's My Life I'm Fighting For", "The Creator Has A Master Plan", "Let The Rain Fall On Me", "China Doll", "Bags' Groove", "One", "Come Along", "Let's Go Down To Lucy's", "Love Each Other", "Balance Of Life (Peace Of Mind)", "Umbo Weti", "Welcome To New York", and a previously unreleased version of "Um Um Um".

Deep and bluesy work from the all-star Ellington group of the late 50s – a beautifully recorded album that moves way past the simple cliché of its title! The set features a host of original tunes from Duke Ellington and other members of the group – and players include Jimmy Hamilton on tenor, Ray Nance on trumpet, Matthew Gee on trombone, and the wonderful Johnny Hodges on alto – playing here at the peak of his later powers. Titles include "Three J's Blues", "Smada", "C Jam Blues", "Sweet & Pungent", "Blues In Blueprint", "The Swinger's Jump", and "Blues In Orbit". CD features 8 bonus tracks too – including "Track 360", "Brown Penny", "Sweet & Pungent (alternate)", and "Pie Eye's Blues (alternate)".

A 50s LP that showcases Duke's early 40s sides for the Bluebird/Victor label – including early versions of formative compositions, featuring players like Rex Stewart, Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard, and Ray Nance. Titles include "Take The A Train", "Portrait Of Bert Williams", "Rumpus In Richmond", "Rocks In My Bed", "Sepia Panorama", "Flaming Sword", "Perdido", and "Blue Serge".

One of our favorite Duke Ellington albums, and a sometimes-overlooked work that stands as one of his best compositions from the time. The "Liberian Suite" was originally issued as a 10" LP, and is one extended suite of tracks commissioned by the Liberian government for their centennial celebration in 1947. The piece starts with the haunting "I Like The Sunrise", with vocals by Al Hibbler, then leads into 5 "Dances", with solo work by Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney, and Tyree Glenn. "Tone Parallel To Harlem" is added to the album, taking up all of side two, and is another beautiful extended work – the kind that really showed tremendous growth in Ellington's style.

A charming little set from the great Dave Frishberg – easily one of the hippest singers and songwriters in jazz during the past few decades! The set's got Dave working solo – just singing along with his own piano accompaniment – in a whimsical way that matches the same sort of energy you'd get from Blossom Dearie or Bob Dorough in a similar setting – both good comparisons, given how much each have sung some of Frishberg's tunes! And as a way of tipping his hat back, the set features a great version of Dearie's "Long Daddy Green" – plus an extended "Johnny Hodges Medley", and loads of great tunes that include "The Dear Departed Past", "Eloise", "One Horse Town", "Zanzibar", and "Blizzard Of Lies".

Formative work from Duke Ellington – an insane amount of crucial recordings from the 30s, package together here with copious notes, session information, personnel, and wonderful sound! The music shows Ellington really coming into his own – working with his Famous Orchestra of the time, and creating initial recordings of tunes that would go onto transform a generation – finding a great way to mix together the modern inflections of the whole ensemble, with important solo voices of players like Johnny Hodges on alto sax, Cootie Williams on trumpet, Lawrence Brown on trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Juan Tizol on valve trombone, and Harry Carney on alto and baritone sax! The package brings together seminal 78rpm sides for labels that include Brunswick, Columbia, and Master – and although there are some alternate takes in the set, there's also a stunning amount of different songs recorded during these years – laid out in the package on 11 CDs features a total of 252 tracks in all. As usual, the presentation is superb – and a great reminder that these Mosaic boxes are even more essential for material from the 78rpm era than they are for the LP jazz of later years!

A sharp early 60s session from the Duke Ellington group – one that seems to draw strongly on the best late 50s work for Columbia Records, but which also seems to add in an extra crackle too! The tunes are relatively short, but the group pack plenty of punch in the small space – especially on the more rhythmic numbers, which almost seem to borrow a bit from Basie's bag – yet with more of the sophistication you'd expect on the Ellington horns. The work of Aaron Bell on bass and Sam Woodyard on drums is especially strong on this session – but there's loads of great interplay from reedmen who include Johnny Hodges, Jimmy Hamilton, Russel Procope, Harry Carney, and Paul Gonsalves – plus trumpet from Bill Berry, Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes, and Harold Baker. Titles include "Taffy Twist", "Flirtbird", "Smada", "What Am I Here For", "Boo Dah", "Black & Tan Fantasy", and "I'm Gonna Go Fishin".