Johnny Hodges and Wild Bill Davis | Wings & Things

Wings & Things is an album by American jazz saxophonist Johnny Hodges and organist Wild Bill Davis featuring performances recorded in 1965 and released on the Verve label.

Wings and Things Review

 

by Scott Yanow

Altoist Johnny Hodges and organist Wild Bill Davis made quite a few records together during the 1960s, although each of their efforts had slightly different personnel. In the case of this long out-of-print Verve LP, they are assisted by trombonist Lawrence Brown, guitarist Grant Green, bassist Richard Davis, drummer Ben Dixon and, on three numbers, pianist Hank Jones. With the exception of "Take the 'A' Train" and the two ballads "The Nearness of You" and "Peg O' My Heart," the material (including three Hodges originals and Duke Ellington's "Imbo") is quite obscure. The group always swings, and it is interesting to hear Hodges in this setting; pity that this LP's music has not yet been reissued on CD.

Johnny Hodges

Wild Bill Davis

Wings & Things

A1 "Wings and Things" - 7:10 A2 "The Nearness of You" (Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington) - 3:08 A3 "Imbo (Limbo Jazz)" (Duke Ellington) - 3:52 A4 "Take the "A" Train" (Billy Strayhorn) - 4:00 B1 "Spotted Dog" - 7:20 B2 "Casanova" (Wild Bill Davis) - 2:43 B3 "Dow De Dow Dow Dow" (Ellington, Hodges) - 3:22 B4 "Peg o' My Heart" (Alfred Bryan, Fred Fisher) - 3:26

Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone Wild Bill Davis - organ (tracks 1 & 5-8) Lawrence Brown - trombone (tracks 1 & 3-8) Grant Green - guitar (tracks 1 & 3-8) Hank Jones - piano (tracks 2-4) Richard Davis - double bass Ben Dixon - drums

Recorded

July 26 & 27, 1965

Studio Van Gelder Studio

Englewood Cliffs, NJ