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james moody

alocispepraluger102

By alocispepraluger102
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BeBop Rookie

BeBop

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Ah, James Moody. Wonderful memories of a wonderful cat. Probably the nicest musician I've crossed paths (or horns) with. Wish I had some of that 70s stuff to listen to today: Never Again, Feelin' it Together. Or Running the Gamut (60s) or Flutin' the Blues (50s)

I do have an embarassing Moody/birthday story...but I'd better keep it to myself. And blame Leonard Feather for giving me the wrong date.

DukeCity Newbie

DukeCity

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Happy Birthday, Moody! :party:

The first time I met Moody was when I was in college in the early '80s. He was a guest artist at the school and I was his driver for a couple of days. At one point we were talking about the (at the time) new phenomenon of MTV and music videos. Moody was dubious about all the "dancing girls" and the production values in the videos used to cover the less-than-stellar music.

Moody: "It's like they got you standing over a turd, and they're trying to take your attention away from it!" :rofl:

Swinging Swede Newbie

Swinging Swede

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Saw him with the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band three years ago. He was still playing fairly well, singing and smiling. It boggles one's mind to think that he was there back in 1946 with the revolutionary Dizzy Gillespie big band. He's a rare survivor from the almost mythical early days of modern jazz.

HolyStitt Newbie

HolyStitt

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Happy birthday to a very kind and sweet gentlemen that has made some wonderful music. I might have to stop my Django groove and dig out some Moody to celebrate his birth.

I met him a few years back and I cherish the memories of how kind and patient he was with me. I have seen him play better and with more enthusiasm then cats that are half his age.

Has anyone noticed any out influences in his playing in the mid to late 1960s? One example that comes to mind off the top of my head is the beginning of Easy Living on the Prestige release Don't Look Away Now!

Chuck Nessa Mentor

Chuck Nessa

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First met him while a freshman in 1962 and he was very kind to a stoopid kid. Last spoke to him about 20 years ago, across a diner's counter. We were having breakfast. A fine gentleman and I am pleased he's still motivating. Go James.

JSngry Grand Master

JSngry

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Has anyone noticed any out influences in his playing in the mid to late 1960s? One example that comes to mind off the top of my head is the beginning of Easy Living on the Prestige release Don't Look Away Now!

Yeah, the guy's remained musically curious, open to new ideas, concepts, theoretical tools, etc. I started hearing him working with fourths a lot in the late 60s, and he just made it sound as natural as his old bebop repertoire. And he has become a master of the altered dominant.

Sorry if that goes over anybody's head, all I mean is that he continued to study harmony and grow in his understanding and application of it.

The two Muse albums, btw...sheer wonderfullness!

Infinite Love Points for James Moody!

Peter Friedman Grand Master

Peter Friedman

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I had the good fortune to see Moody many years ago when he was a member of Dizzy Gillespie's Quintet.

Have seen him a few times more recently as well. I always dug his tenor playing and thought he was underappreciated. Now that he has become an elder jazz statesmen, he has gained more recognition from jazz listener's.

Mark Stryker Collaborator

Mark Stryker

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When I last heard him in 2003 at the jazz festival here in Detroit, he was 78 and the life force was astounding. He did his shtick on "Moody's Mood" and "Bennie's From Heaven" and the yodeling, rapping and all the jokes -- still funny stuff no matter how many times you hear it. But when he played it was all biz. I recall a "Sonnymoon for Two" on tenor that was like a great tiger stalking his prey -- an edgy sound and a lot of contemporary dissonance (Jim's 100 percent right about his harmony). My favorite moment of the festival that year was watching Moody backstage before his set, cocking his ear to listen intently to a fine local octet as it played a lushly idiomatic version of "If You Could See Me Now." I remember thinking that here was a guy who played that tune 55 years ago with Tadd Dameron when the ink was still wet.

What a hero.

Edited by Mark Stryker
John Tapscott Experienced

John Tapscott

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James Moody - great entertainer, great musician. I'll always remember the one and only time I saw James live. This would have been the late 70's, I think, at Toronto's old Bourbon St. club where visiting soloists played with a Toronto rhythm seciton. Anyway, a jazz-loving friend and I turned up early for the first set one evening (we were both in our early-mid 20's). This friend had Moody's "Feeling It Together" album, and we really dug the version of Anthropology on that LP. So the musicians start gathering on the stand for the first set, doodling around, getting ready. I recall that James was warming up on alto. We were usually pretty shy about speaking to the musicians but James seemed approachable, and we were seated right in front, only a few feet away. We said hello and one of us asked if he could do "Anthropology."

"Sure", he says, "no problem, but where did you hear that?"

'On "Feelin' It Together"', we said.

I remember his reply, "Oh, you must be the one who bought the album.'"

Well, we figured he'd program the tune into the set somewhere or maybe use it as a set closer. Instead, he turned to the rhythm section, called "Anthropology" and kicked off a punishing tempo, before these guys were really warmed up or ready. The drummer, Claude Ranger, was particulary ticked off and it sure took him four or five choruses to really settle in. (Claude liked to smoke as he played and have an open beer at hand, neither of which were possible at that point, and I don't think he said a word to James the rest of the night). James, of course, sailed through it, and after the tune ended, just looked at us and grinned.

Edited by John Tapscott
papsrus Newbie

papsrus

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Had the pleasure or hearing him play a few weeks ago with Terence Blanchard. He played beautifully with that big old tenor hangin' down around his knees, and commanded the stage when he chose to. He had an instant rapport with the audience. Cracked a few corny jokes. It was great.

BillF Mentor

BillF

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Moody features as a sideman on two very contrasting albums in my collection. The first is the Howard McGhee Sextet's Moods With McGhee from 1947 with Milt Jackson, Hank Jones Ray Brown and J. C. Heard. It's a 10" LP on the French Guilde du Jazz label. The second is Tubby Hayes's Return Visit (i.e. to New York in 1962) on Fontana where the young British star is also joined by Roland Kirk, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes.

king ubu Apprentice

king ubu

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he liked jersey guys...

"never again" is one of my favorite organ albums.

I've got very little Moody, but that piques my attention. What is it?

MG

Hm, from what I know about your taste, you should like the Chess/Argo CD (expanded from the vinyl, hence get the CD!) "At the Jazz Workshop", which features his working unit in a smoking concert recording.

His band go back to those "little big band" working groups in earlier years, like Illinois Jacquet's, with a couple of horns and some music to please the crowds, yet always very well executed.

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