James Moody — Jazz Legend Remembered
It was an all-star band. In 1946 Dizzy Gillespie's bebop big band included (among others) Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson and James Moody. Of those five, they're all gone now, as of December 9, 2010. Moody died in San Diego of pancreatic cancer after deciding against chemotherapy.
Known by his friends simply as “Moody”, he joined Gillespie's band after a stint in the U.S. Air Force in World War II. Over the years he established himself on both tenor and alto saxophones as well as the flute. He always referred to himself as a “flute holder” downplaying his skills with that instrument. Whether playing in big bands or small groups, Moody's list of collaborations is long and impressive.
The National Endowment for the Arts named him a Jazz Master in 1998. We recently reviewed his last album, “Moody 4B” which earned a Grammy nomination. He was a die-hard jazz fan with a devotion for music. He once said, “..rhythm isn't music. Music is harmony, melody, and rhythm combined, together.” He had little regard for rap or rock and roll and agreed with Buddy Rich's comment, “All that music, rock and roll and that stuff, is played by morons for imbeciles."
One of the last of Moody's contemporaries, Sonny Rollins, turned 80 last year and speaks highly of his friend in the following clip. James Moody was eighty-five.
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