a blind flaneur

The café opens a day early to celebrate the birthday of my friend Lou Bourgeois. He is 91 today. We share a fondness for Duke Ellington’s incomparable altoist, Johnny Hodges, so this week’s Mouffe is devoted to Johnny and dedicated to Lou. Several years ago I gave him a CD featuring duets by Hodges and Gerry Mulligan. Lou told me that when he played it, he and Elspeth stopped preparing dinner and danced in the kitchen. I think fondly of that image every time I hear Johnny’s sweet, suave tone.

Set 1: Isfahan. This clip comes from the Duke Ellington Jazz 65 show. Johnny Hodges is the featured soloist.

Set 2: You Need to Rock is a tribute to Johnny Hodges with a montage of vintage photos and album covers.

Set 3: Black Butterfly. Johnny Hodges takes the spotlight during a Duke Ellington concert in Berlin, 1969.