Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges – Blues Summit (VG+/VG) – 2xLP, US 1973

Blues Summit is an LP by Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges from 1973 released on the Verve Records label.

About this album

Blues Summit brings together Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges in a compact, blues-rooted showcase of swing-era elegance. Issued in 1973 as a compilation, it draws on the long-running partnership between Ellington’s orchestral imagination and Hodges’s unmistakable alto saxophone voice, which helped define the sound of classic Ellington small-group and big-band sessions alike. The selection leans into standards and blues forms, underlining how naturally Ellington’s harmonic sophistication and Hodges’s smooth, singing phrasing could turn familiar material into something distinctive. For listeners exploring the Ellington circle, it is a focused reminder of how central Hodges was to that band’s expressive identity.

Genre: Jazz