Art Hodes & Milt Hinton - Just The Two Of Us (1981) [vinyl>flac]

Art Hodes, jazz pianist, who played with such greats as Louis Armstrong and Benny Goodman and in the 1940s had his own record label, radio show and magazine. Born in Nikoliev, the Ukraine, Hodes came to Chicago as an infant and spent most of his life performing there. But during the 1940s, he lived in New York, presenting a weekly radio program for WNYC, founding his own record label, JazzRecord, and editing a critically acclaimed magazine of the same title. He also organized and led his own bands. Hodes was host of a television series called "Jazz Alley" in the 1960s, taught at the Lake Forest Conservatory, and throughout his career did much to popularize traditional jazz styles.

"Throughout his long career, Art Hodes was a fighter for traditional jazz, whether through his distinctive piano playing, his writings (which included many articles and liner notes), or his work on radio and educational television. Renowned for the feeling he put into blues, Hodes was particularly effective on up-tempo tunes, where his on-the-beat chordings from his left hand could be quite exciting. Born in Russia, he came to America with his family when he was six months old and grew up in Chicago. Hodes had the opportunity to witness Chicago jazz during its prime years in the 1920s, and he learned from other pianists. In 1928, he made his recording debut with Wingy Manone, but spent most of the 1930s in obscurity in Chicago until he moved to New York in 1938. He played with Joe Marsala and Mezz Mezzrow before forming his own band in 1941. Hodes recorded for Solo Art, his Jazz Record label, Signature, Decca, and Black & White during 1939-1942, but he made more of an impression with his heated Dixieland recordings for Blue Note during 1944-1945 (all of which have been reissued on a Mosaic box set). During 1943-1947, Hodes edited the important magazine the Jazz Record, had a radio show, and became involved in the moldy fig versus bebop wars with Leonard Feather and Barry Ulanov; jazz on a whole lost to the latter. In 1950, he returned to Chicago, where he remained active locally and made occasional records. Hodes hosted a television series, Jazz Alley, for a time in the 1960s, wrote for Downbeat, and was a jazz educator. Art Hodes recorded frequently during the 1970s and '80s, and was widely recognized as one of the last survivors of Chicago jazz. His later recordings were for such labels as Audiophile, Jazzology, Delmark, Storyville, Euphonic, Muse, Parkwood, Candid, and Music & Arts. ~ Scott Yanow"

01 - Willow Weep For Me
02 - Winin'
03 - I Would Do Most Anything
04 - Low Down N' Below
05 - Bye & Bye
06 - Down Home Blues
07 - Randolph Street Blues
08 - Here Comes Cow Cow
09 - Miss Otis Regrets
10 - Milt Jumps

Art Hodes (p) Milt Hinton (b)
The Cabbage Patch, Nyc, August 26, 1981