In his 1970 eulogy of saxophonist Johnny Hodges, fellow jazz legend Duke Ellington ended with the words, “never the world's most highly animated showman or greatest stage personality, but a tone so beautiful it sometimes brought tears to the eyes—this was Johnny Hodges. This is Johnny Hodges.” Hodges’s celebrated technique and silky tone marked him then, and still today, as one of the most important and influential saxophone players in the history of jazz. In Con Chapman’s first-ever biography of this musical giant, “Rabbit's Blues: The Life and Music of Johnny Hodges” details his place as one of the premier artists of the alto sax in jazz history, and his role as co-composer with Ellington. Join us for a discussion of the musical contributions of Johnny Hodges with Con Chapman in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.