Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues

Back to Back: Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges Play the Blues is a 1960 small-group session that foregrounds blues-based material performed by pianist Duke Ellington and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges. The album emphasizes Hodges' warm, lyrical alto tone and Ellington's economical, complementary piano playing, with relaxed swing and expressive phrasing that highlight the blues tradition in concise performances. It serves as an intimate showcase of the long musical rapport between Ellington and Hodges outside a big-band context.