DUKE ELLINGTON / JOHNNY HODGES / COLEMAN HAWKINS / COUNT BASIE - Three Classic Albums Plus (Back To Back / Side By Side / Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins) (2 CDs)

“Back to Back”; “ Side By Side”; “Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins” plus 5 out takes from“The Count Meets The Duke”Take a look at the cover of our first selection revealing the hidden qualities of stereo sound “Back To Back” and you will get an idea of what to expect here! “Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues”, something the pair have been doing since 1928 when Johnny first joined the Ellington band. The two great men are joined by blues rooted performers Harry Edison on trumpet and Les Spann on guitar, plus Jo Jones on drums, Al Hall and Sam Jones on bass. It’s those two again, this time they are “Side By Side”, Duke Ellington is once again joined by long time musical associate Johnny Hodges amongst others for a near reprise of “Back to Back “ “one of the most thoroughly relaxed conversational jazz albums in many months”. Here’s another summit meeting of the greats of jazz for our next selection “Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins”. This was a meeting twenty years in