Johnny Hodges News

Duke Ellington plays Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan" in 1965, with Johnny Hodges on alto saxophone: Posted October 28, 2009 12:00 AM ABOUT "ABOUT LAST NIGHT" AND ITS AUTHORS This is a blog about the arts in New York City and the rest of America, written by Terry Teachout , Laura Demanski , and Carrie Frye .

For some, the saxophone is the sound of jazz. The unique fusion of brass and woodwind that is the sax found an electrifying vibrato in the hands of jazzmen that truly changed the world.

"First of all the kids in the band want you to know they love you madly" are debonair Duke Ellington 's playful opening remarks on this live concert set.

All About Jazz is celebrating Johnny Hodges' birthday today! Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone, 'Never the world\'s most highly animated showman or greatest stage personality, but a tone so beautiful it sometimes brought tears to the eyes, this was Johnny Hodges.

THE LOWDOWN: One of the great unsung heroes of Detroit jazz, saxophonist George Benson, 80, is being honored Saturday by the Southeastern Michigan Jazz Association with its Ron Brooks Award for his contributions to jazz in Detroit.

Don't trade in your 1991 CD release of this classic album by the magnificent alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges: it's got three more tracks than this latest reissue.

After two albums with cornettist Taylor Ho Bynum, and now dropping "Orchestra" from their name, this venerable Boston avant-garde street band are again a trio a ' and they're still a virtuoso ensemble.