Several times throughout his career, alto saxophone soloist Johnny Hodges opted to go solo, but each time returned to Duke Ellington's band. Critic Michael Ullman suggested that the blues classics chosen for this program might have been neutral territory, where Ellington's playing could take center stage and Hodges's irrepressible sensuality could run free. This is one of the finest small-group albums Ellington ever made—a perfectly integrated set of music that truly rocks the blues.
