Johnny Hodges

THE JOHNNY HODGES/ WILD BILL DAVIS PROJECT - VOL.1

2-CD SET

INCLUDES THE COMPLETE LPs: "Con-Soul & Jazz", "Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City" AND ALSO "Blue Pyramid"

PLUS BONUS TRACKS!

Vol.1, the only 2-CD set of the series, comprises the only two albums in which Wild Bill Davis was the primary session leader, and in which his name preceded that of Hodges in the original cover art (Con-Soul & Jazz and Wild Bill Davis & Johnny Hodges in Atlantic City). These albums usually appear on jazz discographies under Wild Bill's name. In addition, we also have the album Blue Pyramid, in which Hodges' name is, as usual, the first one mentioned.

The three albums, recorded in '65 and '66, were the last small group albums by this amazing team. As fillers at the end of Disc Two are 5 songs from the Hodges album Blue Notes and the four tracks featuring both Hodges and Davis from the album "Sandy's Gone".

Personnel: JOHNNY HODGES (alto sax), WILD BILL DAVIS (organ)
plus collective personnel: Lawrence Brown (tb), Jimmy Hamilton (cl), Kenny Burrell & Mundell Lowe (g), George Duvivier (b) & Osie Johnson (d), among others.

Tracks CD 1: 1. On The Sunny Side Of Th e Street, 2. On Green Dolphin Street, 3. Lil' Darlin', 4. Con Soul And Sax, 5. Th e Jeep Is Jumpin,' 6. I'm Beginning To See Th e Light, 7. Sophisticated Lady, 8. Drop Me Off In Harlem, 9. No One, 10. Johnny Come Lately, 11. Just Squeeze Me, 12. It's Only A Paper Moon, 13. Taff y, 14. Good Queen Bess, 15. L.B. Blues, 16. In A Mellow Tone, 17. Rockville.
Total time: 70:22 mins.

Tracks CD 2: 1. I'll Always Love You, 2. It Don't Mean A Thing, 3. Belle Of The Belmont, 4. Blues For Madeleine, 5. When I'm Feeling Kinda Blue, 6. Pyramid, 7. Nonchalance, 8. At Dawn, 9. Th e Brown-Skin Gal In The Calico Gown, 10. Stormy Weather, 11. Rabbit Out Of Th e Hat, 12. Hash Brown, 13. Blue Notes*, 14. Say It Again*, 15. I Can't Believe Th at You're In Love With Me*, 16. Broad Walk*, 17. L.B. Blues*, 18. Sandy's Gone*, 19. Candy's Theme*, 20. The Caretakers Theme*, 21. Again*. (* Bonus Tracks).
Total time: 73:53 mins.

CD 1, #1-10: "CON-SOUL & SAX": New York, Jan 7, 1965.
CD 1, #11-17 & CD 2, #1-3: "IN ATLANTIC CITY": Grace's Little Belmont, Atlantic City, Aug 10 & 11, 1966.
CD 2, #4-12: "BLUE PYRAMID": New York, Nov/Dec, 1965 & Jan 17, 1966.
CD 2, #13-17: From "BLUE NOTES": New York, Aug 15 & 19, 1966.
CD 2, #18-21: From "SANDY'S GONE": New York, Sept 3, 1963.


THE JOHNNY HODGES/WILD BILL DAVIS PROJECT AN OUTSTANDING 4 VOLUME (5 CD) PROJECT INCLUDING ALL OF HODGES AND DAVIS' SMALL-GROUP COLLABORATIONS! MOST OF THIS MATERIAL APPEARS HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER SINCE THE ORIGINAL LP ISSUES! EACH RELEASE INCLUDES A DETAILED 16 TO 24-PAGE BOOKLET, WITH PHOTOS AND COMPLETE INFORMATION!

This special one-off project contains 10 complete original albums, spread over 5 CDs (three single CDs and one double CD set): "Blue Hodge" (1961), "Mess Of Blues" (1963), "Blue Rabbit" (1964), "Joe's Blues" (1965), "Wings And Th ings" (1965), "Con-Soul & Sax" (1965), "Blue Pyramid" (1965), "In Atlantic City" (1966). Two of these ten albums are included as a bonus: two complete 1966 Johnny Hodges' albums (without Wild Bill Davis): "Blue Notes" & "Stride Right" (the latter with Earl Hines) and also four tracks featuring Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis from the rare 1963 big band album "Sandy's Gone". Celebrated jazzmen with deep blues roots, Johnny Hodges (1906-1970) and Wild Bill Davis (1918-1995) formed a prolific musical team with exquisite chemistry that was apparent from their first recording together (the 1961 album Blue Hodge) and would continue for nearly a decade. Hodges and Davis recorded a total of eight albums as co-leaders. The majority of these recordings, however, remained lost in obscurity after their original release and, with a few exceptions, have never been released on CD until now. All of these LPs are presented in their entirety on this project, which also includes numerous bonus tracks!

THE COMPLETE SMALL GROUP RECORDINGS OF A SPLENDID BLUES TEAM. Celebrated jazz musicians with deep blues roots, Johnny Hodges (1906-1970) and Wild Bill Davis (1918-1995) formed a prolific musical team with exquisite chemistry that was apparent from their first recording together (the 1961 album Blue Hodge) and would continue for nearly a decade.
Apart from making various albums as co-leaders with small groups, they were both members of Duke Ellington's orchestra (Hodges was, of course, an Ellington veteran) in the late Sixties, with whom they toured Europe in 1969. Will Bill was even present of the April 27, 1970 New York session (issued on the Ellington album New Orleans Suite), which turned out to be Johnny's last session ever: he died of a heart attack on May 11, 1970, while at his dentist's office.

Hodges and Davis recorded a total of eight albums as co-leaders. A few numbers from some of these sessions (mostly ballads where a piano was better suited than the organ) featured pianist Hank Jones replacing Will Bill Davis. Their albums were met with great success and constitute a solid body of recordings, which combined standard songs and Ellington-related tunes with highly-spirited blues, mostly composed by Hodges and Davis.

The majority of these recordings, however, remained lost in obscurity after their original release and, with a few exceptions, have never been released on CD until now.

Chronologically, their collective albums are as follows:
1. Blue Hodge (1961)
2. Mess Of Blues (1963)
3. Blue Rabbit (1964)
4. Joe's Blues (1965)
5. Wings And Th ings (1965)
6. Con-Soul & Sax (1965)
7. Blue Pyramid (1965)
8. In Atlantic City (1966)

All of these LPs are presented in their entirety in this project, which also includes numerous bonus tracks! Although this four-volume set includes all of their collective albums, the producers decided not to issue them in chronological order. Instead, the original LPs were grouped according to diverse musical criteria:

Vol. 1, the only 2-CD set of the series, comprises the only two albums in which Will Bill Davis was the primary session leader, and in which his name preceded that of Hodges in the original cover art, plus Blue Pyramid.

Vol. 2, includes the two albums in which guitarist Grant Greenplays with the two masters.

Vol. 3, includes the recording in which guitarist Kenny Burrell played with Hodges and Davis, plus three tracks from the Blue Rabbit LP.

THE BONUS TRACKS: Hodges and Davis also participated on a ninth project, a Claus Ogerman big band LP titled Sandy's Gone fronted by Hodges. This project includes the four tracks which also feature Will Bill Davis, as a bonus at the end of Vol 1. The only other known recordings by Hodges and Davis together were as members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT: To fill up the discs in the project, the producers have also included two complete Johnny Hodges albums (without Wild Bill Davis) from the same period: Blue Notes (1966) and Stride Right (1966).