Gerry Mulligan & Johnny Hodges – Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges – Vinyl LP

High Quality, Reissue

The 1959 record Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges, a collaboration between the two great jazz saxophonists, has been reissued as the latest release from Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series.

Recorded on November 17th, 1959, Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges has been heralded as one of Mulligan’s best collaborations with fellow instrumentalists. On this date, the two saxophonists were joined by a solid rhythm section of Claude Williamson (piano), Buddy Clark (bass), and Mel Lewis (drums).

The tracklist pulls from both artist’s repertoires, featuring three originals each from Mulligan and Hodges. The two complement the other throughout with the exception of Mulligan’s “What’s the Rush,” where the baritonist sits out altogether in favor of Hodges’ alto taking the spotlight.

Gerry Mulligan Meets Johnny Hodges is the second Hodges collaboration to be reissued by Verve. Earlier this year, Acoustic Sounds re-released Side By Side, one of two 1959 LPs he recorded with Duke Ellington.

The Acoustic Sounds series has been ongoing since 2020, reissuing a vast collection of records from Verve/UMe’s rich archive. Artists featured have included icons such as Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fiztgerald, Nina Simone, and many more.

Side A
1 Bunny
2 What’s The Rush
3 Back Beat

Side B
1 18 Carrots For Rabbit
2 Shady Side