Blue Notes (album) - Misplaced Pages

Blue Notes is an album by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges and orchestra featuring performances recorded in 1966 and released on the Verve label.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic

AllMusic awarded the album 3 stars with its review by Ken Dryden stating, "the veteran alto saxophonist is backed by an all-star group with arrangements by conductor Jimmy Jones. Hodges' gorgeous tone and effortless ability to swing are the cornerstones of the album, especially in a stunning, very slow performance of "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me" and the jaunty original by the leader, "L.B. Blues"".

Track listing

All compositions by Johnny Hodges except where noted.

"Blue Notes" – 2:50
"I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" (Jimmy McHugh, Clarence Gaskill) – 3:20
"Rent City" (V. Speddy) – 3:45
"Sometimes I'm Happy" (Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar) – 2:40
"Broad Walk" – 3:30
"L. B. Blues" – 4:00
"The Midnight Sun Will Never Set" (Quincy Jones) – 3:30
"Say It Again" – 3:27
"Sneakin' Up on You" (Ted Daryll, Carl Taylor) – 5:30

Personnel

Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
Ernie Royal, Snooky Young – trumpet
Tony Studd – bass trombone
Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
Frank Wess – alto saxophone, flute
Jerome Richardson – alto saxophone, flute, piccolo
Don Ashworth (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 & 8), Danny Bank (tracks 3, 4, 7 & 9) – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
Hank Jones – piano
Kenny Burrell (tracks 1 & 8), Eric Gale (tracks 2–7 & 9) – guitar
Bob Cranshaw (tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 & 8), George Duvivier (tracks 3, 4, 7 & 9) – bass
Grady Tate – drums
Joe Venuto – vibraphone, shakers (tracks 2–7 & 9)
Jimmy Jones – arranger, conductor

References

Verve Records Catalog: 8600 series accessed July 27, 2017
Discography of the Verve, Clef and Norgran labels accessed July 27, 2017
^ Dryden, Ken. Blue Notes – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved July 27, 2017.

v t e Johnny Hodges
Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.
As leader or co-leader	Castle Rock (1951–52) In a Tender Mood (1951–52) The Blues (1952–54) Used to Be Duke (1954) Creamy (1955) Duke's in Bed (1956) Ellingtonia '56 (1956) The Big Sound (1957) Blues A-Plenty (1958) Johnny Hodges and His Strings Play the Prettiest Gershwin (1958) Not So Dukish (1958) Side by Side (and Duke Ellington, 1958–59) Back to Back (and Duke Ellington, 1959) Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges (1959) Blue Hodge (1961) Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra (1961) Blue Rabbit (and Wild Bill Davis, 1963–64) Sandy's Gone (1963) Mess of Blues (and Wild Bill Davis, 1963) Everybody Knows Johnny Hodges (1964–65) Blue Pyramid (and Wild Bill Davis, 1965–66) Con-Soul & Sax (1965–66) Inspired Abandon (and Lawrence Brown, 1965) Joe's Blues (and Wild Bill Davis, 1965) Wings & Things (nd Wild Bill Davis, 1965) Blue Notes (1966) Stride Right (and Earl Hines, 1966) Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City (1966) Don't Sleep in the Subway (1967) Swing's Our Thing (and Earl Hines, 1967) Triple Play (1967) Rippin' & Runnin' (1968) 3 Shades of Blue (1970)
With others	Hawkins! Eldridge! Hodges! Alive! At the Village Gate! (and Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge, 1962) Joya Sherrill Sings Duke (Joya Sherrill, 1965) Cue for Saxophone (Billy Strayhorn, 1959) Taylor Made Jazz (Billy Taylor, 1959) Duke with a Difference (Clark Terry, 1957)
Duke Ellington discography

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