Music

Celebrating Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington’s Saxophonist Of Choice

Published

2 years ago

July 25, 2021

Born on July 25, 1907, Johnny Hodges was the saxophonist of choice for Duke Ellington. Hodges played with considerable authority when with a band. He also possessed a technical mastery of his instrument and an individualistic style. His use of vibrato was one-of-a-kind. At Hodges’s funeral, Ellington had this to say: “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. This is Johnny Hodges.”

After learning to play both piano and drums, Hodges first played soprano sax before becoming a specialist with the alto saxophone. He went to New York while still in his teens where he played with a few bands.

Johnny joined Duke Ellington’s Orchestra in 1928, playing on his first record in March. From the very first moment, he became pivotal to the Ellington sound as well as co-writing some of Duke’s recordings. He toured Europe with Ellington in both 1933 and 1939, and three years later he played on the classic, “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be.”

After playing on so many wonderful Ellington records, Hodges left in 1951 to work within a small group environment. His first session for Norgran was in January along with two other Ellingtonians, trombonist Lawrence Brown and Duke’s long serving drummer Sonny Greer. The album was called Castle Rock. (The title track was a hit single and the album was later reissued on Verve.) A month later, the same players recorded an album entitled Memories of Ellington that was eventually reissued as In A Mellow Tone by Verve.

Over the next decade or so, Hodges recorded for both Norgran and Verve. Among the highlights were Ellingtonia ’56, Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra and The Big Sound. He also worked with Ellington himself and recorded Duke Ellington And Johnny Hodges Play The Blues – Back To Back and Duke Ellington And Johnny Hodges Side by Side.

In the early 1960s, he rejoined Ellington’s band and was in the studio when Duke and Frank Sinatra recorded the album, Francis A And Edward K in December 1967. Among the songs they recorded was the beautiful “Indian Summer,” which featured a sumptuous Billy May arrangement. It is among the best songs Sinatra recorded for Reprise, and Hodges’s sax solo certainly had a lot to do with it. You can hear how much Sinatra likes it: When it ends, Sinatra is so enthralled that he’s half a second late in coming back to sing.

Listen to the best of Johnny Hodges on Apple Music and Spotify.

CMT

‘CMA Fest’ Primetime Special to Air July 19th on ABC

Published

1 hour ago

June 5, 2023

FlipsideMediaET

Pictured (L-R): Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King. Photo: Robby Klein for CMA/ABC

CMA Fest, the three-hour primetime concert special set to be filmed during CMA Fest’s milestone 50th anniversary in Nashville later this week, will air on July 19 on ABC.

Hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson and airing at 7 p.m. CT, the special will feature never-before-seen performances and surprise collaborations from some of country’s hottest acts.

” I could not be more excited to welcome Dierks, Elle and Lainey as our CMA Fest hosts this year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “As fans experienced last year, the energy Dierks and Elle bring to the stage is palpable and will only be amplified with the addition of Lainey this year. Each of these artists have a deep passion for CMA Fest and the country music fans from around the globe who travel to Nashville for the event. We are thrilled to have all three of them together to help us celebrate 50 years!”

Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer and Writer for CMA Fest, and Alan Carter is the Director. 2023 marks the 20th consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.

The post ‘ CMA Fest’ Primetime Special Slated To Air July 19 appeared first on MusicRow.com

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CMT

Luke Combs ‘World Tour’ extended 4 New Arena Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium July 7th

Published

2 hours ago

June 5, 2023

FlipsideMediaET

Luke Combs has added second nights to his upcoming ” World Tour” stadium shows in Tampa, Charlotte, Foxborough and Philadelphia due to overwhelming demand.

Tickets for the new dates at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium (July 7), Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium (July 14), Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium (July 21) and Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (July 28) will be available for pre-sale starting June 8 at 12 p.m. local time through Ticketmaster Verified Fan. General sales will follow June 9, and Combs’ official fan club, The Bootleggers, will have early access to tickets through Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale starting June 8.

” After we got to play two shows in Nashville, I decided I wanted to play more shows for the fans, so I got with my team and the stadiums and luckily all of the July dates lined up for us, so we decide to just do it,” says Combs. “I’m really excited to be able to bring more music to more fans.”

The newly confirmed dates add to the huge success of Combs’ “World Tour,” which has sold over 570,500 tickets across just 11 stadium shows so far, with the majority of the tour still to come. With 44 shows across three continents and 16 countries, the tour is the largest ever for a country artist, earning Combs the No. 1 spot on Pollstar‘s Live75 chart, where he has more than doubled all other charting artists.

The post Luke Combs Extends ‘World Tour’ With Four New Stadium Shows appeared first on Tampa Bay Music News

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Billboards

50th Anniversary Hip-Hop Concert Yankee Stadium to Feature Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg & Lil Wayne, Ice Cube and more . .

Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, and Trina will also perform at the celebratory event.
50th Anniversary Hip-Hop Concert at Yankee Stadium to Feature Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg & More
Alex Young

Published

2 hours ago

June 5, 2023

FlipsideMediaET

Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, and Trina will also perform at the celebratory event.
50th Anniversary Hip-Hop Concert at Yankee Stadium to Feature Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg & & More
. Alex Young

A star-studded lineup led by Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, and Ice Cube will play a concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY on Friday, August 11th. Other notable artists playing include the “Queens of Hip-Hop”– Eve, Lil Kim, Remy Ma, Trina, …

Please click the link below to read the full article.

50th Anniversary Hip-Hop Concert at Yankee Stadium to Feature Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg & & More
Alex Young

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