Side by Side

Artist: Duke Ellington With Johnny Hodges
Label: Polygram Records
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 731452140524
EAN: 0731452140524
ASIN: B00000IKVA

Release Date: 1999-03-23

Related Categories:

General

| Jazz | Styles | Music

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| Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

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| Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Listmania:

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Tracks:

Stompy Jones
Squeeze Me
Big Shoe
Going Up
Just A Memory
Let's Fall In Love
Ruint
Bend One
You Need To Rock

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Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra
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Customer Reviews:

Just A Memory.......2007-03-04

It's hard to imagine that only 40 or so years ago, muscians like Johnny Hodges, Lawrence Brown, Harry Edison, Ben Webster, Jo Jones, Billy Strayhorn, Roy Eldridge and Duke Ellington still exsited. The techniques used by these men on this recording; Swinging with a blues sensibility and without force, and a master control of dynamics; are a lost art in, not only most of jazz today, but all music. It is a treat to hear these musicians in these small group context.

Spectacular odds and ends.......2006-02-18

I've found this set, along with the "Back to Back", among the most remarkable recordings attributed to either of these men since they split, temporarily, in the early Fifties. The three pieces recorded at the same sessions as "Back to Back" share that album's gravity and lyricism, but in a much more uptempo, jazz mainstream mode. Ensemble and solo quality is consistently extraordinary in all, but I'd single out "Goin' up", in an arrangement greatly improved over the one from Carnegie Hall in the early Forties which featured a momentum-destroying trombone break and a rather weak violin solo. Here the dynamic continues throughout, with both Duke and Hodges turning in solos as good as any they'd ever produced on record.
The sessions including Eldridge, Lawrence Brown and Ben Webster are, on first hearing, somewhat lower-voltage, that stemming, I think, from the presence of Billy Strayhorn rather than Duke Ellington on the piano. Whatever either one of them may have said about it, I really think that Duke was the more memorable pianist of the two, his lack of virtuosity in the usual sense actually being a stylistic advantage. Maybe Elton John could have PLAYED these lines (though without Duke's dynamic control) but would he ever THINK of such music, for a single measure? In any event, all of the horn players, Hodges, Eldridge, Lawrence Brown produce fabulous solos on each piece, with Ben Webster, especially, nearly equaling Hodges in intensity and elegance.
My only negative criticism of this re-issue, and its sibling Back to Back, would be the failure to include any alternate takes. Perhaps they were destroyed by the company? I've heard stories about Artie Shaw rescuing some of his airshot recordings at the last minute, called in by a friend just as Victor was throwing them out.

Jeep in his prime.......2004-04-26

This is my favorite of my many Johnny Hodges records. Like fine cognac, Jeep seemed to keep improving over his long career. Particularly noteworthy in this late fifties set is the energy of the uptempo numbers; Johnny's not noted for speed, but here he skips along like a perfectly thrown flat rock into a stream. Duke seems inspired to pound the ivories with equal (and equally rare) vigor.

On the slow numbers, no alto player ever began to match JH for touch-your-heart balladry. On "Squeeze Me" and "Just A Memory" he outdoes even himself. A religous experience.

The sound quality of the 24bit mastering is genuinely unbelievable! Sounds better than most Super Audio CDs. Be sure to also get JH's Verve session "With Billy Stayhorn and the Orchestra"; has the same awesome sound quality and all of Dukes men blowing the roof off in the background.

We're way beyond five stars here music fans, give this one the whole galaxy. And we're way beyond "jazz" here too, this one transcends genre setting the standard for music that can touch us at a deep and personal level. No foolin'.

Great album.......2004-03-23

One of my favorite Duke Ellington albums, probably the one I play most often. Swings like crazy and is a lot of fun.

A Real Find Among the Vast Ellington Catalog.......2001-11-15

I luckily stumbled onto this CD while searching through a jazz guide in the bookstore. I've grown very partial to the great recordings made by Verve in the 50's of the legendary performers such as Ben Webster and Lester Young. A departure from bebop or hard bop; these records showcased those legends with top quality sound and excellent backing. Here Ellington and company roll through some great standards, the CD mostly featuring Hodges. Webster, Edison, Eldrige, et al are along for the ride. A really fine demonstration of small group swing.

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