John Cornelius Hodges was an alto and soprano saxophone, composer. Hodges was living in Boston in May of 1928, where Duke Ellington first heard the precocious young saxophonist and signed him on to replace Otto Hardwicke. Self-confident and gloriously talented, he was already playing with the poise that would last him a lifetime. Seated impassively at the center of Ellington's saxophone section, Hodges directed his section through all of Ellington's creations for the next 22 years, his rich tone, flawless technique and soaring creativity providing Ellington's saxophonic trump-card. In 1951, Hodges decided to form his own band. It lasted four successful years but, Hodges complained, “It was a whole lot of work! – and a whole lot of headaches too!” In August 1955, he rejoined Ellington, and was a huge hit at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, apparently bringing a new creative thrust to Ellington’s writing. Recordings such as Such Sweet Thunder (1957), Jazz Party (1959) and Nutcracker Suite (1960) might have been possible without Hodges but would never have been so great. At Hodges’ death, Ellington mourned “Because of this great loss, our band will never sound the same. May God bless this beautiful giant in his own identity.” See Dance, Stanley, The World of Duke Ellington (Scribner's, 1970, repr. Da Capo, 1980)
 
Johnny Hodges
(b. July 25, 1907 - d. May 1, 1970)
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