James Moody Hifi Party

Back in New York after three years spent gigging and recording in Europe, a mature and rejuvenated James Moody resumed the endless North American scuffle to get by as a contemporary jazz musician. Volume five in the Classics James Moody chronology presents 16 rare Mercury recordings made between October 1951 and June 1953, followed by eight Prestige titles from January and April, 1954. The first four tracks feature baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne; high points include the rowdy, bristling "Moody's Home" and "Wiggle Waggle," an R&B rocker that sounds like something right up out of the King record catalog. Beginning with the material recorded on May 21, 1952, Moody is heard leading a group largely composed of players who, like him, had worked in Dizzy Gillespie's big band. Two of these individuals – trumpeter Dave Burns and baritone saxophonist Numa "Pee Wee" Moore – show up regularly in the front line of Moody's excellent recording ensembles between 1952 and 1955.

James Moody was an institution in jazz from the late '40s into the 21st century, whether on tenor, flute, occasional alto, or yodeling his way through his "Moody's Mood for Love." After serving in the Air Force (1943-1946), he joined Dizzy Gillespie's bebop orchestra and began a lifelong friendship with the trumpeter. Moody toured Europe with Gillespie and then stayed overseas for several years, working with Miles Davis, Max Roach, and top European players. His 1949 recording of "I'm in the Mood for Love" became a hit in 1952 under the title of "Moody's Mood for Love" with classic vocalese lyrics written by Eddie Jefferson and a best-selling recording by King Pleasure…

In need of rest and recuperation after suffering under the twin scourges of alcoholism and Benzedrine addiction, saxophonist James Moody backed away from the scene in 1948 and took off to stay with his uncle in Paris for a couple of weeks, only to remain overseas for three years, making great jazz records with some of Europe's finest young players. Volume four in the Classics James Moody chronology assembles all of the recordings he made for the Metronome and Vogue labels in Stockholm and Paris between January 24 and July 27, 1951. The opening tracks, culled from the Swedish portion of the survey, are greatly enhanced by the presence of baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, a marvelous improviser whose tonalities blend beautifully with Moody's tenor…

April in Paris, 1950. James Moody is making records with a band led by trumpeter Ernie Royal. While two originals by Royal are based on textbook bop themes, Moody's own "Date With Kate" shows greater depth of invention. "Mean to Me" prances at a healthy clip and "Embraceable You" is presented as a slow-dance delicacy. Jumping to July of 1950, Moody leads his own "Boptet" through four remarkable exercises in modernity. Marshall "Red" Allen, who subsequently worked for decades with Sun Ra, is heard in Moody's band playing alto saxophone. These must be Allen's earliest appearances on record. "Delooney" surges ahead with peculiar chords that do in fact slightly resemble what Ra's Arkestra would be playing by 1957…

James Moody’s first Argo album revealed not only his remarkable abilities as a jazz flutist, but also sold gratifyingly, proving, we guess, that you have the same admiration for him that we do. So this is the second of what will undoubtedly become a series of Moody portraits in vinylite.
Moody’s abrupt emergence as a flutist of great ability should come as no surprise to those familiar with his career. Since his initial national exposure as tenor soloist with Dizzy Gillespie’s big band in 1947, through his prolonged stay in Europe from 1948-51, where he influenced and spurred into action many overseas jazzmen and became equally known for his alto work, right up to the present time, as leader of his own group, his distinctive style and fluent technique on the saxes have made him notable…

For this Milestone LP James Moody leaves his alto at home and mostly sticks to tenor (although he switches to flute on "Cherokee"). Five of the nine selections feature Moody with a five-piece brass section (three trumpets, one trombone and a tuba) and a top-notch rhythm section consisting of pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Mel Lewis. Tom McIntosh's arrangements are functional but unexciting, with only "Au Privave" catching much fire. Best are the four other numbers which showcase the tenorman with only the rhythm section. Not content to be a mere bebop revivalist, Moody is heard throughout pushing himself, and there are some good moments from Barron too.

These earliest sessions recorded by saxophonist James Moody under his own leadership, follow his initial years with Dizzy Gillespie, an association that would be maintained off and on throughout Dizzy's life. The disc starts in chronological order with eight sides recorded for Blue Note in October 1948. Arranged by composer Gil Fuller and backed by Moody's Modernists, which were, in essence, musicians comprised of Dizzy Gillespie's band including baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, alto saxophonist Ernie Henry, Chano Pozo, and Art Blakey. These sessions were recorded in New York before Moody left for Europe, not to return to the states until years later. The remaining 14 tracks find him jamming with European musicians and fellow American expatriates including fellow tenor saxophonist Don Byas, mixing bebop and standards recorded in Zurich, Paris, Lausanne, and Stockholm for Vogue, Blue Star, and Prestige.

James Moody's mid-'50s band was a septet featuring four horns including the leader's tenor and alto. The bop-based group had plenty of spirit (as best shown here on the 14-minute title cut) if not necessarily a strong personality of its own. This CD (a straight reissue of the original LP plus two additional titles from the same session) is accessible, melodic and swinging; trumpeter Dave Burns is the best soloist among the sidemen.

Fly Me to the Moon compiles a pair of tenor saxophonist James Moody's mid-'60s sessions for the Argo label. The 1962 date "Another Bag" vaults Moody far past his bop roots. Another in a series of collaborations with arranger and composer Tom McIntosh, its rich, deep sound is both fiercely cerebral and nakedly emotional. Paired with a superb group including pianist Kenny Barron, trumpeter Paul Serrano, trombonist John Avant, bassist Ernest Outlaw and drummer Marshall Thompson, Moody creates a thoughtful interpretation of the emerging soul-jazz idiom that is both consciously hip yet surprisingly introspective; the music is both angular and accessible, bolstered by a clutch of clever, dynamic McIntosh melodies…