Johnny Hodges – Blues A-Plenty

Johnny Hodges’ 1958 album Blues-A-Plenty showcases the great alto saxophonist backed by an all-star group featuring Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Vic Dickenson, and an Ellingtonian rhythm section formed by Billy Strayhorn on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass, and Sam Woodyard on drums. Hodges was perhaps the most important soloist and sideman in Duke Ellington’s orchestra from 1928 up to Hodges’ death in 1970. The self-taught player made many solo forays during his long career — one of his ’50s outfits included a young John Coltrane — but history remembers Hodges for his virtuosic sidemanship, particularly his sensitive rendering of ballads.

Seeking to offer definitive audiophile grade versions of some of the most historic and best jazz records ever recorded, Verve Label Group and Universal Music Enterprises’ audiophile Acoustic Sounds vinyl reissue series utilizes the skills of top mastering engineers and the unsurpassed production craft of Quality Record Pressings. All titles are mastered from the original analog tapes, pressed on 180-gram vinyl and packaged by Stoughton Printing Co. in high-quality gatefold sleeves with tip-on jackets. The releases are supervised by Chad Kassem, CEO of Acoustic Sounds, the world’s largest source for audiophile recordings.