Our Lindy 3 and 4 teachers this block are a rotating cast of teachers from the Amsterdam-based collective The BackBeat. Just like two years ago when we had Julia and Peter (also sometimes known as DJ Syncopeter) they will share an album of the week (approximately) every week by artists they care about, including some historical context and fun trivia. This made us really enthusiastic about learning more about the cultural background and music, so we thought we’d share the love by putting all of them on our website.
This is the Album of the week for the 26th of January. Side by Side by Johnny Hodges and Duke Ellington (1959)
Listen to the album on Spotify
Listen to the album on Youtube
Peter:
Johnny Hodges, born John Cornelius Hodges in 1907, was an alto saxophonist best known as the lyrical voice of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. If Ellington was the architect, Hodges was the singer — his sound smooth, vocal, and unmistakably human. Many musicians could play fast; very few could make a single note feel like it mattered as Hodges did.
He grew up in Boston and was largely self-taught, absorbing blues, early jazz, and popular dance music rather than formal conservatory training – not being able to read notes, he learned by ear only. When he joined Duke Ellington in the late 1920s, something clicked immediately. Ellington began writing pieces for Hodges, shaping melodies around his ability to slide between notes and stretch phrases without ever losing the beat. In interviews, Duke often spoke of Hodges not as a soloist, but as a colour — an essential one.
Johnny was famously quiet offstage, almost shy, and played without many facial expression. Fellow musicians joked that he said everything he needed to say through his alto. This, together with the fact that he is said to have liked lettuce- and tomato sandwiches (without bacon), earned him the nickname ‘Rabbit’. Hodges takes his time, leaning back just a fraction behind the beat, daring the rhythm section to follow him (they always did).
This week’s Album of the Week is Side by Side: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges (plus others). Unlike the grand festival recordings, this is an intimate studio album — stripped down, relaxed, and very honest. No big dramatic gestures here, just blues forms, space, and incredible time feel. If you’re used to Ellington’s large orchestral palette, this album feels like being invited into the living room.
Tracks like “Stompy Jones” and “Big Shoe” swing effortlessly without ever rushing, while “Going Up” shows just how much emotional weight Hodges can put into a slow-to-medium tempo. For dancers, this is gold: clear phrasing, breathing room, and music that rewards patience rather than tricks.
If you listen closely, notice how Hodges often seems to arrive late — but never actually is. Try delaying your movement just a touch, letting the phrase stretch before resolving. It’s a beautiful reminder that swing isn’t always about energy or speed. Sometimes it’s about elegance, control, and letting the music unfold.
If Basie teaches us groove (his famous snapping routine here) Johnny Hodges teaches us how to move with grace — and mean it.
If you’d like to read back about Duke Ellington – Johnny’s partner in crime – you can find it on SiU here.
Thank you very much for sharing this with us Peter!
