James Moody is regarded as one of the greatest exponents of jazz with exuberant saxophone solos that influenced many other artists. He was lauded for a long list of well-regarded performances around the world along with popular recordings and his devotion to education in the art of jazz. His 1949 instrumental interpretation of the Jimmy McHugh tune 'I'm in the Mood for Love', known as 'Moody's Mood for Love' is hailed as a classic of the form and in 2001 it entered the Grammy Awards Hall of Fame.
Born in Georgia, Moody grew up in New Jersey where he learned to play the saxophone after hearing the Count Basie Band and when he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943, he played in a segregated band with other African-American musicians. In 1946, after he'd completed his military service, he played for the first time with his future long-time collaborators Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano and Les Spann on guitar. The bebop line-up also included Thelonious Monk on piano, Milt Jackson on vibraphone and Chana Pozo on drums.
Moody made his first recordings in 1948 and moved to Paris where he remained for three years. He was on tour in Sweden when he recorded his improvised his version of 'I'm in the Mood for Love', which helped to make him, in the eyes of many jazz fans, the quintessential saxophone player. Back in America in the early 1950s, he made more records and played alongside artists such as Pee Wee Moore before hooking up again with Gillespie in the '60s. He played in many bands alongside great stars such as organist Jimmy Smith, trumpeter Jon Faddis, guitarist Kenny Burrell, drummer Grady Tate, saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and trombonist Slide Hampton. He recorded albums with several ensembles including James Moody and his Band, James Moody and his Swedish Crowns and the James Moody Quartet with Renee Rosnes on piano, Todd Coolman on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums.
In the 1970s, alternating on alto, tenor and soprano saxophone as well as the flute, Moody joined the resident ensemble of the Las Vegas Hilton Orchestra behind solo stars including Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell and Liberace. He was honoured by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1998 and the Kennedy Center in 2007. Moody continued to perform around the world, singing as well as playing, and making records well into the 21st century. With pieces written especially for him by artists such as Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, his 2004 album 'James Moody: Homage', his first release in six years, was praised as a masterful demonstration of his art by a septuagenarian. His last performance was in January 2010 and he died of pancreatic cancer in December that year aged 85.
