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America's Music: Jazz In Newark
by David A. Orthmann
America's Music: Jazz In Newark Barbara J. Kukla 324 pages ISBN: #978-0-9768130-3-3 Swing City Press 2014 Every jazz fan has a story about how the music became an important part of their life. For some the point of entry was taking up a musical instrument. Others fell under the music's spell after hearing a family member's or neighbor's jazz records. And there are those whose exposure to sounds intended as an aphrodisiac ...
Continue ReadingMoody's Mood Was Always Happy
by Jack Bowers
James Moody, whose noble spirit and radiant personality were as impressive as his exploits on saxophone and flute for more than six decades, died December 9, 2010 from pancreatic cancer at his home in San Diego. He was 85 years old. To anyone who was lucky enough to meet him, the Moody hug was unforgettable: a warm, good-natured embrace accompanied by a smile as wide as the horizon. Moody's personality was the same: friendly, outgoing, overflowing with ...
Continue ReadingJames Moody: Moody 4B
by Edward Blanco
A stellar follow up to Moody 4A (IPO, 2009), saxophone icon James Moody presents the sequel Moody 4B, actually recorded the day after the first session with the same blue chip quartet. Legendary pianist Kenny Barron, renowned bassist Todd Coolman and versatile drummer Lewis Nash all lend their collective musical energy for this second date. Much like the first album, 4B introduces a couple of original tunes mixed in with a select number of standards from the Great American Songbook ...
Continue ReadingJames Moody: Moody 4B
by Dan Bilawsky
James Moody's 4B is a companion-piece--or continuation-of-sorts--of 2009's 4A. The two albums, while released a year apart, were recorded on back-to-back days in 2008. While the “B" status might lead to the conclusion that this is a consolation prize of an album, that's is hardly the case. Moody and his superb quartet, featuring fellow Dizzy Gillespie-alumnus Kenny Barron on piano, Todd Coolman on bass and Lewis Nash on drums, lend their expert skills to original material, jazz classics and Great ...
Continue ReadingJames Moody: Moody 4B
by Warren Allen
Each year since 1950, James Moody has played a concert at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 2010, the annual visit will be a little sweeter as Moody celebrates his 85th birthday, with a slice of cake on Seventh Avenue and a concert of greats. No doubt, the sprightly sax (and flute) master behind such classic tunes as “Moody's Mood for Love" is still playing strong. Moody 4A (IPO, 2009) featured a killer quartet with longtime partner in crime, pianist ...
Continue ReadingJames Moody: Moody 4A
by AAJ Italy Staff
Come Jimmy Heath, di cui abbiamo di recente scritto (clicca qui per la recensione di Endurance degli Heath Brothers), James Moody è il longevo testimone di un'epoca in cui la cultura africana-americana, con il be-bop, ha realizzato un'ennesima rivoluzione musicale. Potrebbe sembrare piaggeria passatista notare come questi “grandi vecchi" abbiano ancora molto da dire, per quanto lo dicano con un linguaggio ormai compiutamente metabolizzato e, perciò, non più in grado di sorprenderci. Chi ci sorprende, dunque, sono i musicisti come ...
Continue ReadingJames Moody: 4A
by Edward Blanco
Saxophonist James Moody has been an important fixture in the jazz world since the late 1940s, when he emerged and gained notice as a member of the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra. Now, a robust 84 years young, Moody offers 4A, the first release from a two-day recording session which took place in July of 2008 with the inevitable 4B to follow. Still going strong, as his sharp solos demonstrate, his suave tenor voice glides over the melodies slightly more gently than ...
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