This is one of a series of taped interviews with musicians who are asked to give a snap opinion on a set of records played to them. Although no previous information is given as to what they are going to hear, they are, during the actual playing, handed the appropriate record sleeve. Thus in no way is their judgment influenced by being unaware of what they are hearing. As far as possible the records played to them are currently available items procurable from any record shop.
John Cornelius Hodges is one of the most important and impressive soloists that jazz has produced. His conception of alto playing is entirely his own, with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of melodic twists and beautiful phrases upon which to draw. Although his tone is extremely smooth, by the use of perfectly controlled glissandi and a powerfully built-in beat, anything he plays, at any tempo, comes out piping hot. On stage he is apt to give the impression that he is a man hardly in love with his work, but behind the bored exterior is a brain as keen and quick as a mongoose. Nothing that goes on in the Duke Ellington band ever escapes the attention of Johnny Hodges. – Sinclair Traill
Blues in Thirds. Sidney Bechet. HMV DLP 1042
Well, I hope to play more soprano one day soon – fine instrument. Bechet, he schooled me you know, back in 1925. He was terrific – the only soprano-sax player! I intend playing it again myself, but it takes time. You can’t just pick it up and play it, it takes preparation – it’s kind of a hard instrument, you know.
There was another great man in there too, Earl Hines. I never recorded with him, but I’d like to. I hear that in a little theatre on 44th Street they are going to try something with small groups, and I think they’ve sent for Earl Hines to open the series. I hope it does well.
‘I think I was all set to be a crook, until I came under the spell of music. Perhaps if some of the modern kids listened more to good jazz, it wouldn’t do them any harm’
To return to Bechet, I first caught him when he came to New York in 1923 and made a record with Clarence Williams’ Blue Five. I also went by to see him play vaudeville. He was in a show called Seven and Eleven, Jimmy Cooper’s Black and White Revue and others. I used to stay out of school to listen to him – stayed away so often the truant officer was out looking for me. But they never could catch me – I’d go too fast. That’s why I am called Rabbit, I’d run on fast, like a rabbit. I think I was all set to be a crook, until I came under the spell of music – a master-mind crook. But music was too strong. Perhaps if some of the modern kids listened more to good jazz, it wouldn’t do them any harm.
You know, when I first got keen on music and wanted a saxophone, I told my mother I had to have one. Well, my father couldn’t or wouldn’t buy me one, so I told my mother I’d get one, like the bad fellers got one. So she got scared at what I was going to do, and bought me one! I told you I was all set out to be a big crook! Those saxophones, they looked so pretty in the shop window. They had them in all colours in those days, and they were so shiny. My, they were pretty. I studied piano, but didn’t like it. Never had a lesson on the saxophone, just kind of picked it up. I got my first soprano from Bechet – I have it still. One day I want to record on soprano again. I want to do Southland. I used to hear Sidney play that tune.
Hyde Park. Bruce Turner’s Jump Band. 77 LEU 12-2
Well, that was surprising! We recorded that tune back in 1933, when the band was in England. Who was that alto player? Sounded a bit like a kind of brother of mine, if you see what I mean. Bit of Pete Brown in there too. Good, but I was kind of surprised to hear that tune played by a small group – more used to it by a big band.
‘Ben Webster used to tell me about this young boy back in Kansas City who used to cook up sessions with him and what a lot of tenor he could play’
Billie’s Bounce. Charlie Parker. London LTZ C 15108
This is a memorial set, I see. Funny thing they don’t truly appreciate anybody ’til they die. Parker was a terrific player. Ben Webster used to tell me about this young boy back in Kansas City who used to cook up sessions with him and what a lot of tenor he could play. ’Course Parker, he started that bop; he was the master of that idiom. He created it, mastered it and there has never been anyone to come near him in that style of playing. There have been several musicians who have tried to come close to him, but he was it.
King of the Zulus. Louis Armstrong – Autobiography. Decca DL 8606
Well, after Louis I don’t hear no more trumpet players! I can easily forget about all the others – tho’ I listen to them of course. I like a lot of the others, but there ain’t none these days, I would sit up at night to listen to – they don’t knock me out. But, Louis, well, he’s a tough man. Can I hear that Dear Old Southland? It’s a favourite tune of mine. Well, after listening to that record and remembering the way Bechet used to play that tune, brings back to mind the fact that there was a cabaret in New York on almost every corner back in 1925-1926. Any entertainer could drift in and do a number and entertain. There were any number of silver dollars in New York in those days and in order to get the pool going the band would throw one out there, and then everybody would follow suit.
Bechet he used to play a place called the Capitol-Palace, at 140th Street and Lennox Avenue – I played there with Lloyd Scott for some years. Bechet, he would come in, Scott would introduce him and he would play Dear Old Southland. He would play just long enough to pick up about $40 or $50, then he’d go along to the next club. Man, he was just terrific on that thing! Well, I have my own ideas, but I reckon I’ll keep them secret to myself. But I couldn’t attempt to play like he did – I’ll tell you that! That timing, it was just right. That’s a thing that happens now. A lot of the cats won’t wait for you to play a break. It has to be timed right and a lot of them, to my mind, rush it too fast. They keep on going, where there should be a pause.
Hub-Tones. Freddie Hubbard. Blue Note BN 4115
That was real nice. I have heard some of these very modern musicians, but I keep quiet about what I think – I won’t say a thing. But that was nice. Cool, but not way out. There is a kind of medium thing happening in music, kind of between the older and the more modern. I heard Don Byas last time I was over and he plays that way so well. He has taken all the best parts of the modern tenor players and contrived it to his own personal sound – he’s a great player.
Bends Blues. Pee Wee Russell. Impulse A 31
My man, Pee Wee! At last you have shown me someone that I am younger than. I used to play a lot of jazz sessions with Pee Wee and that crowd. I used to stay down in the Village in 1953-54 and used to join in the Friday and Saturday jam sessions. I used to have a real good time with Pee Wee and Joe Sullivan. Unique is the way to describe Pee Wee’s playing, but he plays a lot of blues – a lot. My friend George Wein is on this, I see. Now I can tell you that he plays a lot more piano than most people give him credit for. Actually I have heard him play better than he does here. But this is Pee Wee’s record anyway.
Finally, I’d like to say that I think there’s a lot more to music than many people think. Travelling around as we do, I have found it can make people get close together – friendly. Also it can sooth away pain and bad feeling – and that’s really something.
