Frederick Hodges ! Hello, Beautiful

On a perfect June day in Napa Valley in 2002, with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, Frederick Hodges delivers a favorite song of mine (actually, I think it was my request), a perfect rendition of one of Maurice Chevalier's signature numbers from 1932, partly sung in the German idiom, as a tribute to the courageous Weimar German jazz artists of that era. There wasn't a dry eye in the house. There wasn't a wet eye, either, because few people were really listening. But we can watch it now and appreciate just what a great and memorable performance it was!
Frederick Hodges is one of the best international early jazz pianists in the world, and I'm happy to to have met him a few times.
This song is one one of my favorites since childhood, and I was greatly honored to have him perform it. To have Don Neely and the Royal Society Jazz orchestra made it all more wonderful.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Frederick
• Hodges
• Don
• Neely
• Royal
• Society
• jazz
• orchestra

[fecoki]

Wow,this is very good

This kind of music always make me smile :)

[Bobchai]

fecoki: happy you enjoy it! This is exactly what Germany was listening to for American music in the 1930s.

If you like this Weimar style music from a German perspective, go to anything by Max Raabe on Youtube. He's fantastic. As good as it gets.. Sometimes bizarre, but that's how it was and is.

[spoonido]

Hot tune. A shame about all the chatter in the beginning.

[Bobchai]

The band had just returned from a break, so the audience was still chatting away.

Thanks for the comment!

[Victrolaman1]

Bob ,we used to have these kinds of shows in our area(Lehigh Valley).I saw Spiegel Wilcox 3 times with the Vince Giordano Nighthawks and Marty Grosz.I liked it.

[Bobchai]

Victrolaman1: Growing up in nearby Bucks County, I used to see Paul Whiteman and Oscar Hammerstein on weekends, but only at the grocery store. For performances, it was always St. John Terrel's Music Circus in Lambertville, N.J. Louis Armstrong played there for several summers. The only trad. jazz guy I know in Bucks County is Leon Redbone. But I live in CA now, so that's all history to me.

[genia106]

My Darling,

I LOVE IT, the orchestra is Fabulous, I want to be there. Thank you so much for sending me this. You are a SWEETHEART!

Good Night and thank YOU HANDSOME!

SMOOCH! Genia

[tdub1941]

Better this time than last!

5 more stars!

RagJazzMonkey Tom

[genia106]

My Darling Bob,

I love it! I want to live in the Napa Valley.

Thank you so much for sending me this great video and SUPER SONG! :-)

[spoonido]

Sigh! If only I could get into a band like that! Or even a little like that! :o)