| Jazz |
James Moody – A Centennial Celebration in Sound
James Moody, the late jazz legend who left us in 2010, endures as one of the towering figures of 20th-century jazz. His long-time collaborator and friend Dizzy Gillespie once said, “Playing with James Moody is like playing with an extension of myself.”
This concert opens with “Benny’s From Heaven”, a joyful number that features Moody’s voice a rare treat and immediately sets the tone for the evening. The joy he radiated on stage is palpable here, made all the more delightful by the exceptional sound quality of the recording.
The story behind this album begins in March 2005, during an unforgettable week of music at New York’s Blue Note, held in honor of Moody’s 80th birthday. 80 Years Young captures the grand finale of those celebrations, now released for the first time to mark the centenary of his birth. That evening, the Blue Note pulsed with life jazz legends, sports icons, TV personalities, all gathered in one place, united by love, admiration, and deep respect for a giant of American culture.
A composer, saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist, James Moody was a rare polymath whose mastery in each domain never ceased to astonish. In 1949, he recorded his first album as a leader in Stockholm, James Moody and His Modernists, featuring the timeless “Moody’s Mood for Love.” Built upon the harmonic structure of “I’m in the Mood for Love,” Moody’s melodic improvisation became the foundation for a vocalese masterpiece. Eddie Jefferson penned the lyrics; King Pleasure’s interpretation turned it into what many came to call “the national anthem of jazz.” Over the years, the piece was revisited by artists ranging from Amy Winehouse and Van Morrison to Take 6 and Queen Latifah. “If I don’t play that song,” Moody once said with a smile, “I may as well not show up.” In 2001, Moody’s Mood for Love was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, a well-earned recognition of its enduring historical significance.
After an 18-second introduction, the concert hits its stride. The set flows seamlessly from lighthearted moments to deep musical intensity. Despite his age, Moody’s playing remains as sharp, grooving, and emotionally resonant as evera living testament to the enduring brilliance of a bebop master. And yes, we are treated to “Moody’s Mood for Love,” performed with the same passion, tenderness, and delight that made it a classic. There’s something almost poetic in the way he delivers it then, in typical Moody fashion, he slips in a playful mini-rap, a reminder of his gift for connecting across generations. Longevity in music, after all, requires not only mastery but also an open spirit.
A brief detour into cinema came in 1997, when Clint Eastwood himself a jazz aficionado cast Moody as Mr. Glover in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Eastwood’s son, a brilliant jazz bassist in his own right, shares the family passion. Moody’s appearance in the film, which came out in 1998, remains a must-see moment a cinematic cameo that doubles as a musical archive for younger generations.
A truly beautiful album, 80 Years Young is more than just a live recording it’s a celebration. To hear James Moody surrounded by fellow jazz luminaries is to be reminded why this music matters.
And once again, we tip our hat to the label, whose commitment to quality not only highlights today’s top talent but also unearths gems like this one precious treasures from jazz’s ever-unfolding history.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor for All About Jazz
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, April 16th 2025
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Musicians:
James Moody – tenor saxophone, flute, voice
David Hazeltine – piano
Todd Coolman – bass
Adam Nussbaum – drums
Jon Faddis – trumpet
Paquito D’Rivera – clarinet, alto saxophone
Slide Hampton – trombone
Randy Brecker – flugelhorn
Cedar Walton – piano
George Wein – MC
Roberta Gambarini – voice
Satoshi Inoue – guitar
Titles: Introduction – George Wein, Benny’s from Heaven, Cherokee, Moody’s Mood for Love/ The Television Rap, Moody Speaks, Birks’ Works , Bebop, Happy Birthday, Ow Centerpiece/ Every Day I Have the Blues, Darben, the Redd Foxx, Polka Dots and Moonbeams, St. Thomas.