Jazz Articles about James Moody

Moody's Mood at Blues Alley

by Erik R. Quick
October 22, 2005

James Moody Blues Alley October 2005 Washington, DC

In an era where vapid commercial conglomerates seemingly dictate the aural pabulum streaming through monolithically controlled media that would prove Terry Gilliam's dreary and expressionistic worldview as accurate, intelligent and well performed music is always welcomed. If, however, one is extremely fortunate, a musician is emerges through the mist to convince the listener that being alive is a grand experience indeed. James Moody has been sent ...

James Moody & Moody And The Brass Figures

by Andrew Rowan
June 9, 2005

What a perfect name: James Moody. His playing has that fire and fluency honed in the bebop and post-bop eras, but there is also a haunting sound that tells the listener that his music is about feeling as much as it is about musical notation.

James Moody James Moody Argo-Verve 1959/2004

The self-titled Argo session, bracketed by two booting blues, features Moody on all his horns: tenor and alto saxophones and flute. Released only ...

James Moody: Timeless

by Terrell Kent Holmes
March 10, 2005

In this era of disposable culture and accepted mediocrity, it's gratifying to applaud the life and accomplishments of someone who has managed to transcend evanescence. James Moody, sax master and flutist, one of America's most enduring and beloved musicians, turns 80 this month. Born in Savannah, GA, Moody started with the alto sax but fell in love with the tenor after hearing players like Buddy Tate and Don Byas. After a stint in the Air Force during World War II, ...

James Moody: Homage

by John Kelman
April 7, 2004

Here’s a lesson for all the young saxophone players out there who are so keen to focus on the past. Septuagenarian saxophonist James Moody, who was a fixture in Dizzy Gillespie’s band for many years, may have some reverence for his past, but his approach is resolutely about moving forward. His first record in six years, Homage , is a testament to that ethic, with a sound that is absolutely contemporary and all about keeping things vital.

Mixing the occasional ...

James Moody: The Teachers

by Charlie B. Dahan
November 1, 2002

Sanctuary/Castle Music’s latest reissue contains a collection of albums from James Moody in the early 1970’s. Both albums, The Teachers and Heritage Hum, were from Moody’s work on Perception Records that found him expressing himself politically with a funky / soulful groove. Evident in this collection is Moody’s virtuosity at his instrument and his ability to tell a story and convey his thoughts or emotion using his instrument as a vessel, all while keeping your attention with ...

James Moody & the Swedish All-Stars: Greatest Hits

by Derek Taylor
January 1, 2000

James Moody was a modernist. Even going so far as to describe one of his pioneering bop-grounded groups under that moniker his sound on saxophone was always concerned with realizing the cursive capabilities of the instrument. Realizing the growing audience for the still relatively new music overseas Moody did what many of his contemporaries would do in later decades. Jumping ship for the continent, he settled in Sweden for an extended sabbatical. His life their was one of comparative luxury ...

James Moody: The Blues And Other Colors

by AAJ Staff
June 1, 1998

When James Moody's name is mentioned, two words immediately come to mind: tenor sax. Thought Moody also has an attractive sound on the alto, the tenor is his primary voice. But neither the tenor nor the alto is heard on The Blues And Other Colors, which was recorded in 1968 and '69 and has been reissued for Fantasy's Original Jazz Classics (OJC) series. Instead, Moody embraces the flute and the soprano sax on this album, which combines jazz with elements ...