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Christy Bennett
Dolce Casa Cafe
May 17th 2012
4947 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, Ill 60625
Cost: $Free
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James Moody (1925-2010)
James Moody (1925-2010)
Date Posted: January 06 2011
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James Moody (1925-2010)
After a ten-month battle with pancreatic cancer, James Moody passed away on December 9. “Moody,” as everyone in the jazz world affectionately referred to him, was one of the giants of jazz saxophone. In 1946 after getting out of the army Moody joining the Dizzy Gillespie Bebop Big Band, which began a collaborative relationship and friendship that lasted for decades.
Being part of Gillespie’s band also helped a wide audience of jazz fans to become familiar with James Moody and his sound. In 1949 he recorded a solo on the song “I’m in the Mood for Love,” which became quickly became a hit and was known as “Moody’s Mood for Love.” In 1954 Eddie Jefferson wrote lyrics, causing the song to grow in popularity. Such artists as Van Morrison, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Tito Puente, Kermit Ruffins and many others have done versions of the song.
Whether Moody was playing the soprano, alto, tenor, or flute, he did it with deep resonance and wit. Moody had a healthy respect for tradition, but took great delight in discovering new musical paths, which made him one of the most consistently expressive and enduring figures in modern jazz.
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