Art Hodes

Arthur W. Hodes (November 14, 1904, Russian Empire – March 4, 1993, Harvey, Illinois), known professionally as Art Hodes, was an American jazz pianist.

Biography
Hodes was born in Ukraine. His family settled in Chicago, Illinois when he was a few months old. His career began in Chicago clubs, but he did not gain wider attention until moving to New York City in 1938. In that city he played with Sidney Bechet, Joe Marsala, and Mezz Mezzrow.

Later Hodes founded his own band in the 1940s and it would be associated with his home town of Chicago. He and his band played mostly in that area for the next forty years.

In the late 1960s Hodes starred in a series of TV shows on Chicago style jazz called "Jazz Alley". Here he appeared with greats like Pee Wee Russell and Jimmy McPartland. He also wrote for jazz magazines like Jazz Record. He remained an educator and writer in jazz. During this period of his life and into the 1970s Hodes resided in south suburban Park Forest, Illinois.

He toured the UK in 1987 recording with drummer John Petters. In 1988 he returned to appear at the Cork jazz Festival with Petters and Wild Bill Davison. A tour, the Legends of American Dixieland, followed in May 1989 with the same line-up.

Other musicians he played and recorded with included Louis Armstrong, Wingy Manone, Gene Krupa, Muggsy Spanier, Joe Marsala, Mezz Mezzrow, Sidney Bechet, Albert Nicholas, Wild Bill Davison, and Vic Dickenson.

In 1998, he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.

Quotation
"Bebop? Avant-garde? Yeah, I heard of them. I also heard of these kids called the Bright Brothers – Wright Brothers? – who claim they can make you fly. It'll never catch on, none of it."

- Art Hodes (1981)

Discography

 * The Jazz Record Story (Jazzology, 1943–46)
 * Tribute to the Greats (Delmark, 1976–78) solo
 * Pagin' Mr. jelly (Candid, 1988)
 * Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (Candid, 1988)
 * Art Hodes Blue Five and Six (Jazzology, 1987)
 * South Side Memories (Sackville 3032)
 * Blues in the Night (Sackville 3039)
 * Together Again with Wild Bill Davison & John Petters (CMJ)
 * Sensation - with John Petters & Trevor Whiting (CMJ)
 * Coalition - with Wild Bill Davison & John Petters(Jazzology
 * The Duets (Solo Arts, 2000)