Johnny Hodges
Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra
Play Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra
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AMG Review of Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra
Ken Dryden
All Music GuideAlto saxophonist Johnny Hodges recorded frequently for Verve in the 1950s and 1960s, although nearly all of the musicians on this CD are from the Ellington orchestra and the arrangements are by Billy Strayhorn. Hodges is never less than superb throughout this reissue, while Lawrence Brown, Harry Carney and non-Ellingtonians Howard McGhee on trumpet and pianist Jimmy Jones also deserve praise. Strayhorn's exotic chart of "Azure" and emotional scoring of "Your Love Has Faded" are especially striking. Recommended.
 "Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra")
