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James Moody (saxophonist)

December 07, 2023

James Moody (March 26, 1925[1] – December 9, 2010)[2] was an American jazz saxophone and flute player and very occasional vocalist, playing predominantly in the bebop and hard bop styles. The annual James Moody Jazz Festival is held in Newark, New Jersey.

James Moody
James Moody with Todd Coolman at a jazz festival
Background information
Born(1925-03-26)March 26, 1925
Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
DiedDecember 9, 2010(2010-12-09) (aged 85)
San Diego, California, U.S.
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician
Instrument(s)Saxophone, flute
Years active1947–2010
LabelsNovus, Prestige
Websitewww.jamesmoody.com

Moody had an unexpected hit with "Moody's Mood for Love," a 1952 song written by Eddie Jefferson that used as its melody an improvised solo that Moody had played on a 1949 recording of "I'm in the Mood for Love." Moody adopted the song as his own, recording it with Jefferson on his 1956 album Moody's Mood for Love and performing the song regularly in concert, often singing the vocals himself.

Early life edit

James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia, United States,[1] and was raised by his (single) mother, Ruby Hann Moody Watters.[3] He had a brother, Louis.[4] Growing up in Newark, New Jersey,[5] he was attracted to the saxophone after hearing the likes of Buddy Tate, Don Byas, and various saxophonists who played with Count Basie. He began playing music at the age of sixteen, after his uncle gave him an alto saxophone, before switching to the tenor saxophone a few years later.

Career edit

Moody joined the US Army Air Corps in 1943, where he received his first musical training and played in the "negro band" at the segregated Greensboro Training Center.[6][7] Following his discharge from the military in 1946, he joined the Dizzy Gillespie big band, staying until 1948.[2] Moody later played with Gillespie in 1964, where his colleagues in the Gillespie group, pianist Kenny Barron and guitarist Les Spann, would be musical collaborators in the coming decades.

In 1948, he recorded for Blue Note, his first session in a long recording career playing both saxophone and flute. That same year he relocated to Europe, where he stayed for three years, saying he had been "scarred by racism" in the U.S.[7] His European work, including the first recording of "Moody's Mood for Love", which became a hit in 1952,[8] saw him add the alto saxophone to his repertoire and helped to establish him as recording artist in his own right, and formed part of the growth of European jazz. Then in 1952, he returned to the U.S. to a recording career with Prestige Records and others, playing flute and saxophone in bands that included musicians such as Pee Wee Moore and others.

Moody and his Orchestra performed for the eleventh famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin, Sr. on July 24, 1955. Also featured Big Jay McNeely, Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra, The Medallions and The Penguins.[9]

In the 1960s, he rejoined Dizzy Gillespie. He later worked also with Mike Longo.[10]

In 1997, Moody appeared as William Glover, the law firm's porter, in Clint Eastwood's movie adaptation of John Berendt's novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.[11][2]

In a 1998 interview with Bob Bernotas, Moody stated that he believed jazz has definite spiritual resonance.[10]

The James Moody Quartet (with pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Todd Coolman, and drummer Adam Nussbaum) was Moody's vehicle later in his career. Moody played regularly with Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band and also often collaborated with former Gillespie alumnus, the trumpeter-composer-conductor Jon Faddis; Faddis and Moody worked in 2007 with the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany under the direction of Michael Abene. And along with Faddis, toured in 1986 with the Philip Morris Superband hosting artists like Hammond organist Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, Grady Tate and Barbara Morrison. Included in this line-up were Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Washington, Slide Hampton and Monty Alexander on a four-country, 14-city one-month tour of 18 concerts, notably in Australia, Canada, Japan and the Philippines, starting on September 3, 1986, with its first concert in Perth, Australia. The Philip Morris Superband concept started a year previous in 1985.

Awards and honors edit

Two months after his death, Moody won the Grammy Award posthumously for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his album Moody 4B.

The New Jersey Performing Arts Center hosts the James Moody Jazz Festival.[12][13]

Personal life edit

Moody was married three times; the first two ended in divorce. His third marriage was to the former Linda Petersen McGowan, whom he married in 1989. He had a daughter, Michelle Moody Bagdanove, and through Linda, three step-sons, Regan, Danny and Patrick McGowan.[4] Moody and his wife resided in San Diego.

He was an active member of the Baháʼí Faith.[10] In 2005, the Moodys established the Moody Scholarship Fund[14] at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College-State University of New York (SUNY Purchase). Moody was awarded an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 1998 and often participated in educational programming and outreach, including with the International Association for Jazz Education, or IAJE.

Moody was fluent in Italian.

Death edit

On November 2, 2010, Moody's wife announced on his behalf that he had pancreatic cancer, and had chosen not to have it treated aggressively. After palliative care, Moody died in San Diego, on December 9, 2010, from complications resulting from the cancer.[2]

Discography edit

As leader edit

As sideman edit

With Art Farmer

With Gil Fuller

With Dizzy Gillespie

With The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars

  • Dizzy's World directed by Jon Faddis (Shanachie, 1999)
  • Things to Come (Telarc, 2001)

With The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band

  • Dizzy's Business (MCG Jazz, 2006)
  • I'm Be Boppin' Too (Half Note, 2009)

With Dexter Gordon

With Milt Jackson

With Elvin Jones

With Quincy Jones

With Charles Mingus

With Max Roach

  • New Sounds: Max Roach Quintet/Art Blakey's Band (Blue Note, 1952)

With Lalo Schifrin

With Bobby Timmons

With Cedar Walton

With Tubby Hayes

  • Return Visit! (Fontana, 1962) Credited as "Jimmy Gloomy"

With Roberta Gambarini

  • Easy To Love (Groovin' High/Kindred Rhythm, 2006) Moody plays tenor sax and sings with Roberta on "Lover Man" and "Centerpiece".
  • So In Love (Groovin' High/EmArcy/UMe, 2009)

References edit

  1. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 1739/40. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ a b c d George Varga, Obituary Sign on San Diego (December 9, 2010). Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  3. ^ John Fordham, "James Moody obituary", The Guardian, December 10, 2010.
  4. ^ a b Peter Keepnews, "James Moody, Jazz Saxophonist, Dies at 85", The New York Times (December 10, 2010). Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  5. ^ , The Star-Ledger, September 28, 2003, backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 27, 2008. Accessed September 15, 2017. "James Moody -- Moody, the remarkable San Diego, Calif.-based saxophonist, flutist and vocalist, was raised in Newark, and did a good deal of early playing there."
  6. ^ James Moody Biography, '[musicianguide.com. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Moody's Mood for Bop by Patrick Ambrose The Morning News
  8. ^ Allmusic biography
  9. ^ “11th Cavalcade of Jazz – Wrigley Field July 24” Article Los Angeles Sentinel June 30, 1955.
  10. ^ a b c Bob Bernotas, Interview with James Moody 2007-01-07 at the Wayback Machine MelMartin.com (1999) Retrieved March 26, 2011.
  11. ^ James Moody - National Endowment for the Arts
  12. ^ . NJPAC. Archived from the original on 2012-09-13. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
  13. ^ Tammy La Gorce, "A Week of Jazz and Remembrance", The New York Times, October 5, 2012.
  14. ^ "The James Moody Scholarship at Purchase College" 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, Purchase College-State University of New York. Retrieved March 26, 2011.

External links edit

  • jamesmoody.com, official website
  • Biography of Moody University of Pittsburgh-Jazz at Pitt
  • Jazz Conversations with Eric Jackson: James Moody from
  • James Moody's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
  • NAMM Oral History Interview with James Moody April 8, 2002

December 07, 2023
james, moody, saxophonist, james, moody, march, 1925, december, 2010, american, jazz, saxophone, flute, player, very, occasional, vocalist, playing, predominantly, bebop, hard, styles, annual, james, moody, jazz, festival, held, newark, jersey, james, moodyjam. James Moody March 26 1925 1 December 9 2010 2 was an American jazz saxophone and flute player and very occasional vocalist playing predominantly in the bebop and hard bop styles The annual James Moody Jazz Festival is held in Newark New Jersey James MoodyJames Moody with Todd Coolman at a jazz festivalBackground informationBorn 1925 03 26 March 26 1925Savannah Georgia U S DiedDecember 9 2010 2010 12 09 aged 85 San Diego California U S GenresJazzOccupation s MusicianInstrument s Saxophone fluteYears active1947 2010LabelsNovus PrestigeWebsitewww wbr jamesmoody wbr com Moody had an unexpected hit with Moody s Mood for Love a 1952 song written by Eddie Jefferson that used as its melody an improvised solo that Moody had played on a 1949 recording of I m in the Mood for Love Moody adopted the song as his own recording it with Jefferson on his 1956 album Moody s Mood for Love and performing the song regularly in concert often singing the vocals himself Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Awards and honors 4 Personal life 5 Death 6 Discography 6 1 As leader 6 2 As sideman 7 References 8 External linksEarly life editJames Moody was born in Savannah Georgia United States 1 and was raised by his single mother Ruby Hann Moody Watters 3 He had a brother Louis 4 Growing up in Newark New Jersey 5 he was attracted to the saxophone after hearing the likes of Buddy Tate Don Byas and various saxophonists who played with Count Basie He began playing music at the age of sixteen after his uncle gave him an alto saxophone before switching to the tenor saxophone a few years later Career editMoody joined the US Army Air Corps in 1943 where he received his first musical training and played in the negro band at the segregated Greensboro Training Center 6 7 Following his discharge from the military in 1946 he joined the Dizzy Gillespie big band staying until 1948 2 Moody later played with Gillespie in 1964 where his colleagues in the Gillespie group pianist Kenny Barron and guitarist Les Spann would be musical collaborators in the coming decades In 1948 he recorded for Blue Note his first session in a long recording career playing both saxophone and flute That same year he relocated to Europe where he stayed for three years saying he had been scarred by racism in the U S 7 His European work including the first recording of Moody s Mood for Love which became a hit in 1952 8 saw him add the alto saxophone to his repertoire and helped to establish him as recording artist in his own right and formed part of the growth of European jazz Then in 1952 he returned to the U S to a recording career with Prestige Records and others playing flute and saxophone in bands that included musicians such as Pee Wee Moore and others Moody and his Orchestra performed for the eleventh famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert held at Wrigley Field in Los Angeles which was produced by Leon Hefflin Sr on July 24 1955 Also featured Big Jay McNeely Lionel Hampton and his Orchestra The Medallions and The Penguins 9 In the 1960s he rejoined Dizzy Gillespie He later worked also with Mike Longo 10 In 1997 Moody appeared as William Glover the law firm s porter in Clint Eastwood s movie adaptation of John Berendt s novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 11 2 In a 1998 interview with Bob Bernotas Moody stated that he believed jazz has definite spiritual resonance 10 The James Moody Quartet with pianist Renee Rosnes bassist Todd Coolman and drummer Adam Nussbaum was Moody s vehicle later in his career Moody played regularly with Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars and the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band and also often collaborated with former Gillespie alumnus the trumpeter composer conductor Jon Faddis Faddis and Moody worked in 2007 with the WDR Big Band in Cologne Germany under the direction of Michael Abene And along with Faddis toured in 1986 with the Philip Morris Superband hosting artists like Hammond organist Jimmy Smith Kenny Burrell Grady Tate and Barbara Morrison Included in this line up were Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen Jimmy Heath Kenny Washington Slide Hampton and Monty Alexander on a four country 14 city one month tour of 18 concerts notably in Australia Canada Japan and the Philippines starting on September 3 1986 with its first concert in Perth Australia The Philip Morris Superband concept started a year previous in 1985 Awards and honors editTwo months after his death Moody won the Grammy Award posthumously for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his album Moody 4B The New Jersey Performing Arts Center hosts the James Moody Jazz Festival 12 13 Personal life editMoody was married three times the first two ended in divorce His third marriage was to the former Linda Petersen McGowan whom he married in 1989 He had a daughter Michelle Moody Bagdanove and through Linda three step sons Regan Danny and Patrick McGowan 4 Moody and his wife resided in San Diego He was an active member of the Bahaʼi Faith 10 In 2005 the Moodys established the Moody Scholarship Fund 14 at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College State University of New York SUNY Purchase Moody was awarded an NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship in 1998 and often participated in educational programming and outreach including with the International Association for Jazz Education or IAJE Moody was fluent in Italian Death editOn November 2 2010 Moody s wife announced on his behalf that he had pancreatic cancer and had chosen not to have it treated aggressively After palliative care Moody died in San Diego on December 9 2010 from complications resulting from the cancer 2 Discography editAs leader edit 1949 James Moody s Greatest Hits with The Swedish All Stars Prestige 1966 1951 More of James Moody s Greatest Hits with The Swedish All Stars Prestige 1967 1952 James Moody and his Modernists Blue Note 1952 James Moody with Strings Blue Note Conducted by Andre Hodeir originally Moody s Mood Vogue France 1954 Moody Prestige 1954 55 James Moody s Moods Prestige 1955 Hi Fi Party Prestige 1955 Wail Moody Wail Prestige 1956 Flute n the Blues Argo 1956 Moody s Mood for Love Argo 1958 Last Train from Overbrook Argo 1959 James Moody Argo 1960 Hey It s James Moody Argo 1960 61 Moody with Strings Argo 1961 Cookin the Blues Argo 1962 Another Bag Argo 1963 Great Day Argo 1963 Comin On Strong Argo 1964 Running the Gamut Scepter 1966 Moody and the Brass Figures Milestone 1968 69 The Blues and Other Colors Milestone 1969 Don t Look Away Now Prestige 1970 Teachers Perception 1971 Heritage Hum Perception 1971 Chicago Concert Prestige with Gene Ammons 1972 Never Again Muse 1973 Feelin It Together Muse 1973 Sax and Flute Man Paula 1976 Timeless Aura Vanguard 1976 Sun Journey Vanguard 1977 Beyond this World Vanguard 1986 Something Special Novus 1989 Sweet and Lovely Novus 1991 Moving Forward Novus 1991 Honey Novus 1995 Moody s Party Live at the Blue Note Telarc 1996 Young at Heart Warner Bros 1997 Moody Plays Mancini Warner Bros 1997 Warner Jams Vol 2 The Two Tenors with Mark Turner Larry Goldings Warner Bros 1998 At the Jazz Workshop GRP AllMusic 2003 Homage Savoy 2005 The World Is a Ghetto Fuel 2000 2008 Our Delight with Hank Jones IPO 2009 Moody 4A IPO 2010 Moody 4B IPO As sideman edit With Art Farmer New York Jazz Sextet Group Therapy Scepter 1966 With Gil Fuller Night Flight Pacific Jazz 1965 all titles released on CD reissue of Gil Fuller amp the Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra featuring Dizzy GillespieWith Dizzy Gillespie The Complete RCA Victor Recordings Bluebird 1937 1949 1995 Big Band in Concert GNP Crescendo 1948 The New Continent Limelight 1962 Something Old Something New Philips 1963 Dizzy Gillespie and the Double Six of Paris Philips 1964 Dizzy Goes Hollywood Philips 1964 The Cool World Philips 1964 Jambo Caribe Limelight 1964 I We Had a Ball Limelight 1965 1 track The Melody Lingers On Limelight 1966 Swing Low Sweet Cadillac Impulse 1967 The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band MPS 1968 The Real Thing Perception 1969 Musician Composer Raconteur Pablo 1981 Live at the Royal Festival Hall Enja 1989 With The Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Stars Dizzy s World directed by Jon Faddis Shanachie 1999 Things to Come Telarc 2001 With The Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band Dizzy s Business MCG Jazz 2006 I m Be Boppin Too Half Note 2009 With Dexter Gordon The Tower of Power Prestige 1969 More Power Prestige 1969 With Milt Jackson Big Bags Riverside 1962 Milt Jackson at the Museum of Modern Art Limelight 1965 Milt Jackson and the Hip String Quartet Verve 1968 With Elvin Jones Summit Meeting Vanguard 1976 with Clark Terry Bunky Green and Roland PrinceWith Quincy Jones I We Had a Ball Limelight 1965 Quincy Plays for Pussycats Mercury 1959 65 1965 With Charles Mingus Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert Columbia 1972 With Max Roach New Sounds Max Roach Quintet Art Blakey s Band Blue Note 1952 With Lalo Schifrin Once a Thief and Other Themes Verve 1965 With Bobby Timmons Got to Get It Milestone 1967 With Cedar Walton Soul Cycle Prestige 1969 With Tubby Hayes Return Visit Fontana 1962 Credited as Jimmy Gloomy With Roberta Gambarini Easy To Love Groovin High Kindred Rhythm 2006 Moody plays tenor sax and sings with Roberta on Lover Man and Centerpiece So In Love Groovin High EmArcy UMe 2009 References edit a b Colin Larkin ed 1992 The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music First ed Guinness Publishing pp 1739 40 ISBN 0 85112 939 0 a b c d George Varga Obituary Sign on San Diego December 9 2010 Retrieved March 26 2011 John Fordham James Moody obituary The Guardian December 10 2010 a b Peter Keepnews James Moody Jazz Saxophonist Dies at 85 The New York Times December 10 2010 Retrieved March 26 2011 The State of Jazz Meet 40 More Jersey Greats The Star Ledger September 28 2003 backed up by the Internet Archive as of September 27 2008 Accessed September 15 2017 James Moody Moody the remarkable San Diego Calif based saxophonist flutist and vocalist was raised in Newark and did a good deal of early playing there James Moody Biography musicianguide com Retrieved April 17 2022 a b Moody s Mood for Bop by Patrick Ambrose The Morning News Allmusic biography 11th Cavalcade of Jazz Wrigley Field July 24 Article Los Angeles Sentinel June 30 1955 a b c Bob Bernotas Interview with James Moody Archived 2007 01 07 at the Wayback Machine MelMartin com 1999 Retrieved March 26 2011 James Moody National Endowment for the Arts TD Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival NJPAC Archived from the original on 2012 09 13 Retrieved 2012 10 08 Tammy La Gorce A Week of Jazz and Remembrance The New York Times October 5 2012 The James Moody Scholarship at Purchase College Archived 2011 09 28 at the Wayback Machine Purchase College State University of New York Retrieved March 26 2011 External links editBiography of Moody jamesmoody com official website Biography of Moody University of Pittsburgh Jazz at Pitt Jazz Conversations with Eric Jackson James Moody from WGBH Radio Boston James Moody s oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project NAMM Oral History Interview with James Moody April 8 2002 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title James Moody saxophonist amp oldid 1188423758, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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