''Castle Rock'' is an album recorded by American jazz saxophonist

Johnny Hodges Johnny Hodges (July 25, 1907 – May 11, 1970) was an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist, best known for solo work with Duke Ellington's big band. He played lead alto in the saxophone section for many years. Hodges was also featured on sop ...

featuring performances recorded in 1951 and 1952 and released on the Norgran label.Norgran Records Catalog: 1000 series
accessed February 16, 2016Discography of the Verve, Clef and Norgran labels
accessed February 16, 2016

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

awarded the album 3 stars out of 5 and noted "Hodges was evidently trying to make somewhat of a break from his established sound with this recording, though the results are mixed. It's still worth acquiring, though there are a number of better recordings available under Hodges' name".

Track listing

''All compositions by Johnny Hodges, except as indicated.'' # "Castle Rock" (

Al Sears Albert Omega Sears (February 21, 1910 – March 23, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and bandleader, sometimes credited as Big Al Sears. Sears was born in Macomb, Illinois, United States. His first major gig came in 1928 when he re ...

) - 2:40 # "The Jeep Is Jumpin'" (

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

, Johnny Hodges) - 2:45 # "A Gentle Breeze" (Sears) - 3:10 # "Globe Trotter" - 3:05 # "Jeep's Blues" (Ellington, Hodges) - 2:55 # "A Pound of Blues" (Leroy Lovett) - 3:05 # "You Blew Out the Flame in My Heart" - 3:20 # "Something to Pat Your Foot To" (Sears) - 2:50 # "Blue Fantasia" - 3:10 # "My Reward" (Ellington) - 3:10 # "Sideways" (Lovett) - 3:00 # "Wham" - 3:00 *Recorded in New York City on January 15, 1951 (tracks 7-10), January 15, 1951 (tracks 2 & 5), March 3, 1951 (tracks 1, 3 & 4) and January 13, 1952 (tracks 6, 11 & 12).

Personnel

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

Emmett Berry Emmett Berry (July 23, 1915 – June 22, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter. Berry was born in Macon, Georgia, United States. He began to study classical trumpet in Georgia, but by 18 had switched to jazz and moved to New York City. He bec ...

, (tracks 1-6, 11 & 12), Nelson Williams (tracks 7-10) -

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

* Lawrence Brown -

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

* Leroy Lovett (tracks 1-3 & 5-12),

Billy Strayhorn William Thomas Strayhorn (November 29, 1915 – May 31, 1967) was an American jazz composer, pianist, lyricist, and arranger who collaborated with bandleader and composer Duke Ellington for nearly three decades. His compositions include "Take the ...

(track 4) -

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

* Al McKibbon (tracks 7-10),

Lloyd Trotman Lloyd Nelson Trotman (May 25, 1923 – October 3, 2007), born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, was an American jazz bassist, who backed numerous jazz, dixieland, R&B, and rock and roll artists in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He resided i ...

(tracks 1-6, 11 & 12) -

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

Sonny Greer William Alexander "Sonny" Greer (December 13, – March 23, 1982) was an American jazz drummer and vocalist, best known for his work with Duke Ellington. Early life and career Greer was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. There has been long-sta ...

(tracks 1-5 & 7-10), Joe Marshall (tracks 6, 11 & 12) -

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

References

{{Authority control 1955 albums Johnny Hodges albums Norgran Records albums Albums produced by Norman Granz