Arthur W. Hodes (November 14, 1904 – March 4, 1993), was a Russian Empire-born American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and blues pianist. He is regarded by many critics as the greatest white blues pianist.

Biography

Hodes was born in

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( uk, Миколаїв, ) is a city and municipality in Southern Ukraine, the administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv city, which provides Ukraine with access to the Black Sea, is the location of the most downriver brid ...

, in present-day Ukraine. His family settled in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, when he was a few months old. His career began in Chicago clubs, but he did not gain wider attention until moving to New York City in 1938. In New York, he played with

Sidney Bechet Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer. He was one of the first important soloists in jazz, and first recorded several months before trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His erratic tempe ...

Joe Marsala Joseph Francis Marsala (January 4, 1907 – March 4, 1978) was an Italian-American jazz clarinetist and songwriter. His younger brother was trumpeter Marty Marsala and he was married to jazz harpist Adele Girard. Music career He was born in C ...

, and

Mezz Mezzrow Milton Mesirow (November 9, 1899 – August 5, 1972), better known as Mezz Mezzrow, was an American jazz clarinetist and saxophonist from Chicago, Illinois. He is remembered for organizing and financing recording sessions with Tommy Ladnier ...

. Later, Hodes founded his own band in the 1940s and it would be associated with his hometown of Chicago. He and his band played mostly in that area for the next forty years. In the late 1960s, Hodes starred in a series of TV shows on Chicago style jazz called ''Jazz Alley'', where he appeared with musicians such as

Pee Wee Russell Charles Ellsworth "Pee Wee" Russell (March 27, 1906 – February 15, 1969), was an American jazz musician. Early in his career he played clarinet and saxophones, but he eventually focused solely on clarinet. With a highly individualistic and sp ...

and

Jimmy McPartland James Dugald "Jimmy" McPartland (March 15, 1907 – March 13, 1991) was an American cornetist. He worked with Eddie Condon, Art Hodes, Gene Krupa, Benny Goodman, Jack Teagarden, and Tommy Dorsey, often leading his own bands. He was married to pi ...

. Episodes of the show have been released on DVD. Hodes was editor of the magazine, ''The Jazz Record'', for five years in the 1940s. He remained an educator and writer in jazz. During this period of his life and into the 1970s, Hodes resided in south suburban

Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, with a small southern portion in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village was originally designed as a planned community for veterans returning from World War II ...

. He toured the UK in 1987, recording with drummer John Petters. In 1988, he visited Ireland to appear at the Cork Jazz Festival with Petters and

Wild Bill Davison William Edward Davison (January 5, 1906 – November 14, 1989), nicknamed "Wild Bill", was an American jazz cornetist. He emerged in the 1920s through his work playing alongside Muggsy Spanier and Frank Teschemacher in a cover band where they ...

. A tour, the Legends of American Dixieland, followed in May 1989 with the same line-up. Other musicians he played and recorded with included Louis Armstrong,

Wingy Manone Joseph Matthews "Wingy" Manone (February 13, 1900 – July 9, 1982) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, singer, and bandleader. His recordings included " Tar Paper Stomp", "Nickel in the Slot", "Downright Disgusted Blues", "There'll Come a ...

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

Muggsy Spanier Francis Joseph "Muggsy" Spanier (November 9, 1901 – February 12, 1967) was an American jazz cornetist based in Chicago. He was a member of the Bucktown Five, pioneers of the "Chicago style" that straddled traditional Dixieland jazz and swin ...

Albert Nicholas Albert Nicholas (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973) was an American jazz clarinet player. Career Nicholas's primary instrument was the clarinet, which he studied with Lorenzo Tio in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Late ...

, Barney Bigard, and

Vic Dickenson Victor Dickenson (August 6, 1906 – November 16, 1984) was an American jazz trombonist. His career began in the 1920s and continued through musical partnerships with Count Basie (1940–41), Sidney Bechet (1941), and Earl Hines. Life and car ...

. In 1998, he was inducted into the

Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame The Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame is part of a US-based non-profit organization (The Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame Foundation) that began operations in 1978 and continues to the present (2022) in San Diego County, California. David Larkin is cur ...

Ethan Iverson Ethan Iverson (born February 11, 1973) is a pianist, composer, and critic best known for his work in the avant-garde jazz trio The Bad Plus with bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King. Biography Iverson was born in Menomonie, Wisconsin. ...

wrote an article on Hodes, "Selections from the Gutter", which includes a transcription of Hodes's first 78, "Ross Tavern Boogie". Hodes died in March 1993, in

Harvey, Illinois Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,324 at the 2020 census. Harvey is bordered by the villages of Dixmoor and Riverdale to the north; Dolton, Phoenix, and South Holland to the east; East Hazel C ...

, at the age of 88.

Quotation

Discography

As leader/co-leader

Compilations

* ''Vintage Art Hodes'' (

Jazzology Jazzology Records is an American jazz record company and label. It is part of the Jazzology group of labels owned and operated by the George H. Buck Jr. Jazz Foundation. Jazzology Records was founded in 1949 by George H. Buck, Jr. That year he ...

, 1930–50) * ''Sessions at Blue Note'' (1944) * ''The Jazz Record Story'' (Jazzology, 1943–46) * ''The Duets'' (Solo Art, 1969–77) * ''The Parkwood Creative Concept Sessions, Volume I'' (Parkwood, 1987–89)

References

External links

Selections From the Gutter (Art Hodes)
"Selections from the Gutter," article by Ethan Iverson {{DEFAULTSORT:Hodes, Arthur 1904 births 1993 deaths Jazz musicians from Illinois Musicians from Chicago 20th-century American pianists 20th-century American male musicians American jazz pianists American male pianists American male jazz musicians Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States Blue Note Records artists Candid Records artists Delmark Records artists Muse Records artists Sackville Records artists Jazzology Records artists Mercury Records artists