Duke Ellington And His Orchestra recorded this album in Chicago, IL on 7 & 8 February 1956 for the Bethlehem label. Ray Nance has vocals on I Can't Get Started, Jimmy Grissom sings on Everything But You. The Polydor reissues have slightly more adventurous titles, as well as the track listing changed. At the same session, the orchestra recorded another 12 tracks, released as "Historically Speaking - The Duke".

Shavers and Hodges were genii: unflawed musicians, total original minds, two of the great burnished talents that were ablaze in those fiery jazz years. Both seminal figures: Johnny Hodges, one of the three classic alto-saxophonists in jazz, Charlie Shavers, one of the two or three greatest trumpeters of his era. Both had the gift of making perfection sound easy, and both revelled – with an almost Casanova sensuality – in every tonal, and technical richness that their instrument was capable of. On this record, the two old masters perform in two settings each, both with the kind of ripe luscious talent that grows only in the summertime of an art.

Take the "A" Train is the vibrant signature composition of Duke Ellington, the most important composer in the history of jazz, also a rare bandleader who held his large group together for almost 50 years. It is quite impossible for one album to capture the full flavour and rich diversity of Duke Ellington’s music and orchestra. The eight tracks here offer a remarkably well-balanced sample of the prolific repertoire – the immortal compositions, the arresting arrangements, the outstanding soloists and, not least, the distinctive solo work of the piano player, Edward Kennedy Ellington, the Duke who became King of Orchestral Jazz.

The superb November 1960 session recorded by the Ben Webster-Johnny Hodges sextet in studio conditions at the Jazz Cellar, in San Francisco (without an audience). It is presented here in its complete form for the first time ever. These recordings are exceptional in that no other date exists in their collaborative discography featuring them as the only horns. The two great saxophonists were the only horn players heard at the session. They were backed by a rhythm section of piano, guitar, bass and drums. As bonus, to this new DSD release has added a complete (and very rare) octet session featuring Johnny Hodges and His Orchestra from August 27, 1964.

One of the giants of the alto saxophone, Johnny 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.

One of the great tenor and organ dates cut for RCA in the 60's by the team of Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis featuring performances recorded in 1965. The title is a play on words based on the term "console organ", a term used by the Hammond organ company to describe the type of organs favored by Davis.

ESOTERIC proudly introduces a series of re-master collection - A great Jazz collection. The reissue of historical music masterpieces by ESOTERIC has attracted a lot of attention, both for its uncompromising commitment to recreating the original master sound, and for using SACD technology to improve sound quality. This Box Set of "Verve 6 Great Jazz" features masterpiece releases of Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges, Lester Young & Teddy Wilson, Illinois Jacquet, Dizzy Gillespie/Sonny Stitt/Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster & Art Tatum. Not only for new followers, but also for well experienced followers of these recorded materials.

"Midnight in Paris" is an album by American pianist, composer and bandleader Duke Ellington recorded in 1962 for the Columbia label. The album features performances of compositions inspired by or associated with Paris…

"Indigos" is a 1958 jazz album by Duke Ellington and His Orchestra. This album stands as an outstanding example of the Ellington Orchestra playing Jazz, features standards such as "Mood Indigo", "Autumn Leaves", "Prelude To a Kiss" and more.

"Blues In Orbit" captures the essence of a late-night recording date that was as much a loose jam as a formal studio date, balancing the spontaneity of the former and the technical polish of the latter. If you're just getting into jazz, this album is highly recommended as a great way to initiate your collection

"Jazz pour tous: Johnny Hodges" is a collection recordings of Johnny Hodges compiles from the archives of Bibliothèque nationale de France…

The experimental "Afro-Bossa" features Duke Ellington pushing his talented group to their limits. The jazz master tosses around the forms he knows so well. Other players include Cat Anderson, Paul Gonsalves, Harry Carney, and Cootie Williams. There is plenty of cornet, violin and plunger-muted trumpets.

"Ellington ‘65" is an illuminating eleven-track album of standards from the legendary Duke Ellington. The album is among the very best in his career and highlights some of the most exceptional performances from veteran players like Johnny Hodges, Russell Procope and Lawrence Brown. With blistering horn arrangements, the ensemble delivers passionate and virtuosic performances on songs like “Hello, Dolly!”, “Never on Sunday”, “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco”. A must have for any music library.

This lush, Caribbean-themed collection created a new standard for big band music. The recording includes four original compositions representing the “Virgin Island Suite” and new readings of classics from Ellington’s extensive repertoire. The pieces on this set are as impressive as the stellar line up of musicians including Cat Anderson, Jimmy Hamilton, Billy Strayhorn, among others. The inspired performances and textured nuances are captured with the highest fidelity.

This 1959 Verve record is a collaboration between Ellington and saxophonist Johnny Hodges. Hodges takes the lead on most of the tracks, backed by Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on piano and well-known jazz musicians like Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Jo Jones.