Let's Fall In Love - Music

Let's Fall In Love by Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges

Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges

Artist Biography For Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington April 29 1899 – May 24 1974 Was An American Composer Pianist And Big-Band Leader. Ellington Wrote Over 1 000 Compositions. In The Opinion Of Bob Blumenthal Of The Boston Globe "n The Century Since His Birth There Has Been No Greater Composer American Or Otherwise Than Edward Kennedy Ellington." A Major Figure In The History Of Jazz Ellington's Music Stretched Into Various Other Genres Including Blues Gospel Film Scores Popular And Classical. His Career Spanned More Than 50 Years And Included Leading His Orchestra Composing An Inexhaustible Songbook Scoring For Movies Composing Stage Musicals And World Tours. Several Of His Instrumental Works Were Adapted Into Songs That Became Standards. Due To His Inventive Use Of The Orchestra Or Big Band And Thanks To His Eloquence And Extraordinary Charisma He Is Generally Considered To Have Elevated The Perception Of Jazz To An Art Form On A Par With Other Traditional Genres Of Music. His Reputation Increased After His Death And The Pulitzer Prize Board Bestowed On Him A Special Posthumous Honor In 1999. John Keith "Johnny" Hodges July 25 1906 – May 11 1970 Was An American Alto Saxophonist Best Known For His Solo Work With Duke Ellington's Big Band. He Played Lead Alto In The Saxophone Section For Many Years Except The Period Between 1932–1946 When Otto Hardwick Generally Played First Chair. Hodges Was Also Featured On Soprano Saxophone But Refused To Play Soprano After 1946 When He Was Given The Lead Chair. He Is Considered One Of The Definitive Alto Saxophones Players Of The Big Band Era Alongside Benny Carter . Hodges Started Playing With Lloyd Scott Sidney Bechet Lucky Roberts And Chick Webb. When Ellington Wanted To Expand His Band In 1928 Ellington's Clarinet Player Barney Bigard Recommended Hodges Who Was Featured On Both Alto And Soprano Sax. His Playing Became One Of The Identifying Voices Of The Ellington Orchestra. Hodges Left The Duke To Lead His Own Band 1951–1955 But Returned To The Large Ensemble Shortly Before Ellington's Triumphant Return To Prominence – The Orchestra's Performance At The 1956 Newport Jazz Festival.