Art Hodes discusses his style of playing

Listen Now Add to Play List Read Transcript (File Size: 0.21MB)

Art Hodes on Jelly Roll Morton's skill as an arranger

Listen Now Add to Play List Read Transcript (File Size: 0.20MB)

Art Hodes discusses the different people he has worked with

Listen Now Add to Play List Read Transcript (File Size: 0.47MB)

If you are experiencing problems playing audio on this site,
please update to the latest version of Flash.

Transcription

Q: “You worked with an awful lot of great people – would the record company just come to you and say ‘put together a session’ and you would call in the people you wanted or how did it all work?”

A: “Well, I got together for Blue Note, which was a very active jazz label in the '40s. First with Edmond Hall in a group, and then later with Sidney Bechet and the, they were the two fellows that owned Blue Note for were the American jazz music and they decided that they want to record. And so previously, they're recording me they recorded quite a number of black artists and then they decided to mix the label. We're all hanging out together and I had recorded for a label called Solo Art and I fortunately or unfortunately for the label, I did turn out to be the only White one that they've recorded, but it gave me a kind of status there. And they decided to try it and they got stuck getting selling records. They were fairly successful and either Sidney Bechet was the leader or I was the leader. We switched off. It was a big deal. I mean, we made the same amount of money. I think it was 90 or 110 a piece for being a leader, for doing a whole date.”