Johnny Hodges: 3 Shades of Blue (1970)

Yesterday, I posted on Webster's Dictionary, a rare late-career album by tenor saxophonist Ben Webster and arranged by Stan Tracey that is virtually unknown by even ardent jazz fans. To continue my series on great saxophonists and little-known gems in their final years, today I'm looking at Johnny Hodges's 3 Shades of Blue, arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson.

Recorded in 1970 over two dates in March for the Flying Dutchman label, the album showcased the alto saxophonist with a powerhouse band and, on three tracks, vocalist Leon Thomas.

The tracks that were recorded on March 16 featured Ernie Royal, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker and Snooky Young (tp); Al Grey, Quentin Jackson, Garnett Brown and Tom Mitchell (tb); Johnny Hodges (as); Bob Ashton, Jerome Richardson, Danny Bank, Jerry Dodgion and Joe Farrell (reeds); Hank Jones (p); Ron Carter (b); Grady Tate (d) and Oliver Nelson (arr,cond).

The tracks recorded on March 19 featured a few changes: Frank Wess (reeds) replaced Joe Farrell; Earl Hines (p) replaced Hank Jones; David Spinozza (g) and Leon Thomas (vcl) added.

For me, Hodges has always been as smooth as silk on the alto saxophone, but on many small-group albums he has a syrupy vibrato that can seem outdated and cloying. Duke Ellington loved Hodges's wistful, bucolic sound in his orchestra setting, which made sense atop the reeds, but it still sounded sugary to me. With Oliver Nelson's brash and cinematic arrangements, however, Hodges takes on a different personality out of necessity. While it's still Hodges, he seems more on the run, adding excitement to his sound.

Johnny Hodges died in May 1970; Oliver Nelson died in 1975.

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