Hodges, Johnny

His return to the Duke's fold in 1955 helped revitalise the orchestra, and was a major factor in the success of recordings such as Such Sweet Thunder (1957), Jazz Party (1959), and Nutcracker Suite (1960). For the rest of his life, “Rabbit” freelanced in a wide range of group settings, usually with fellow Ellingtonians, but also in a genre-bending meeting with Lawrence Welk 's orchestra. Despite deteriorating health, Hodges continued to follow a punishing schedule, ignoring his warnings...