Arthur W. Hodes (born 14 November 1904 in Nikolaev, Russian Empire; died 4 March 1993 in Harvey, Illinois) was a Russian-born American jazz and blues pianist, regarded by many critics as the greatest white blues pianist. His family settled in Chicago when he was a few months old, and his career began in the city's clubs. He gained wider attention after moving to New York City in 1938, where he played with Sidney Bechet, Joe Marsala and Mezz Mezzrow. In the 1940s he founded his own band, associated with Chicago, and played mostly in that area for the next forty years. He also edited the magazine The Jazz Record for five years in that decade. In the late 1960s he starred in a series of television shows on Chicago-style jazz called Jazz Alley, appearing with musicians such as Pee Wee Russell and Jimmy McPartland. His recordings as a leader include Bucket’s Got a Hole in It (1968), Up in Volly’s Room (1972), South Side Memories (1983) and Pagin’ Mr. Jelly (1988). He toured the UK in 1987, recording with drummer John Petters, and appeared at the Cork Jazz Festival in 1988. In 1998 he was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
