Jeep Is Jumpin

Johnny Hodges | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 17, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Asv Living Era
• ASIN: B000PKBSQ0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #498,288 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Squatty Roo

2. Passion Flower

3. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (Times A-Wastin')

4. Goin' Out the Back Way

5. You're Driving Me Crazy - Johnny Hodges & His Trio

6. Who Struck John?

7. Violet Blue

8. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing

9. Frisky

10. Lotus Blossom - Johnny Hodges & His All Stars

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. A Pound Of Blues

2. Wham

3. Who's Excited

4. Day Dream

5. Standing Room Only

6. Tenderly - Johnny Hodges & His Quartet

7. Tea For Two

8. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

9. Hodge Podge

10. Through For the Night

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The Johnny Hodges saxophone sound was one of the landmarks of jazz, rich, full & singing, sometimes soft & sensuous & at other times brusque & sinewy, but it was always unmistakably his own. Here is an extensive survey of this master's oeuvre, leading his small bands. 94 tracks are included within the four CDs & the timescale covers 1937 - 1952. Includes 44-page booklet. Standard jewel cases housed in a box. Proper. 2003. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For Fans Only, November 18, 2003

By 

Johnny Hodges (Clark Fork, ID United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jeep Is Jumpin' (Audio CD)

As a BIG fan of Johnny Hodges, I was disappointed in these recordings. As is frequently the case with boxed sets, there was too much thrown in. The early work, while of interest to fans, contains too many weak tracks, some of them so poorly mastered that you hear a loud hiss. His soprano sax efforts from the 30s, marred by commercial sounding vocals, are mostly forgettable. This should have been edited down to a 2CD set. Somehow the recording quality of even the later sides fails to capture the uniqueness of JH's sound.

The detailed notes on each recording are scholastically thorough and as a fan, I did enjoy reading a lot of new information about my idol.

Instead of bargain hunting, spend your money wisely on any of the below instead:

"Side by Side" (Verve MGVS-6109) for the excellent remastering and broad range (the power & strength of his sound as well as the sweetness)in a small combo setting. If not his best, at least my favorite.

"Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins"(Impulse IMPD-162) for some of the sweetest ensemble playing this side of heaven (don't be put off by Jeep's lack of billing, he's as prominent as the Hawk)

"Back to Back" (MGM 823 637-2) for the Rabbit's sweeter side in a set of extended classic blues numbers.

"The Great Ellington Units" (Bluebird (RCA)6751-2) mines the same turf as the boxed set under discussion, but the sound is MUCH better.

"The Duke: Duke Ellington the Essential Collection 1922-1962" (Columbia C3K 65841) an example of a more carefully selected a lovingly remastered collection featuring the full Duke Ellington orchestra. It has more good Hodges solos than the JH boxed set. Shows how well the sound CAN be remastered from old recordings. This IS an essential collection.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bargain of the Decade, July 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Jeep Is Jumpin' (Audio CD)

Johnny Hodges was one of the 3 or 4 greatest jazz saxophonists of all time. No one ever matched his beautiful tone, fluid technique, or sheer elegance. This amazing bargain set contains 4 CDs with 94 tracks featuring Hodges leading a small band of Duke Ellington's best musicians (Cootie Williams, Billy Strayhorn, Lawrence Brown, and Duke Ellington himself) dating from 1937 to 1952. (The last disc contains some rare recordings of Hodges on hiatus from Ellington's Orchestra, leading his own band.) The tunes are almost all Ellington, Hodges, and Irving Mills classics. The sound is clear and warm, without the muffled sound that mars too many old jazz reissues. The packaging is handsome, with lots of photos and good liner notes in the accompanying booklet. Kudos to Proper for bringing out such excellent, inexpensive sets of America's greatest music!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well done compliation of one of the great sax players, July 16, 2006

By 

A. Levy (Highland, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jeep Is Jumpin' (Audio CD)

No one played a smoother or more sublime sax than Johnny Hodges, and this very competently-produced compilation does him proud. You get well over four hours of Johnny playing for the most part with other once and future Ellington sidemen, at an unbeatable price. The sound quality is first rate -- I honestly don't know what the criticism of the recording quality in the other post refers to, with the possible (and understandable) exception of some of the very early stuff on the first disk, I certainly can't hear it. Extensive and well-written liner notes also. Definitely a best buy.