I play a lot of jazz. I listen to a lot of jazz, but I hadn't thought about James Moody for a good while. I last saw him gigging with Jimmy Smith here in San Jose at a local jazz festival outside. It was one of the first things we walked upon in the morning and my poor wife had to spend the whole day by herself. I never moved all day. So Awesome the way these dudes just challenged each other in their playing and handing it back and forth. I will never forget that day. I went home and played on my gear for the rest of the night and in fact recorded a couple of neato thingos.
Anyway if you want to know all that there is tol know about James check out this extensive interview. http://www.melmartin.com/html_pages/Interviews/moody.html
It is all there.
Best to all and happy St Pats day to all
Bebop

BeBop ... I thank you for that and I am sure captainRuss will too ...
Happy St. Pat's day to you also, and I hope you're feeling better ...
t.

[This message has been edited by tony mads usa (edited 03-17-2006).]

Thanks so much, BeBop. That interview is wonderful, but, sadly, only players who have fought the Jazz "fight" can really appreciate it.

I appreciate the fact that you started a new thread to call attention to the deep connection and sense of joy jazz fans and players share. The feelings are so deep. The lives of some of the "giants" were so tragic.
James is a "giant" among "greats".

Jazz, for some of us, is the ultimate art. It changes lives. It's sad that so many people will never see what players and fans see and share.

Thanks, man, for sharing...


Russ



[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 03-17-2006).]

Amen! ....and then there were three.

chas

er,....four (lately I can't count past ten unless my fly is open).


chas

On the darker side of jazz ... have any of you read the autobiography of Art Pepper - "Straight Life" ? ... One of the darkest books I've ever read about someone's life, but when I read it several years ago I couldn't put it down ... Written by his wife Laura, it really is 'brutally honest' ... according to the book, when he recorded what is regarded as his best recording ever ( I think it was "Body and Soul", but someone can correct me if I'm wrong), his wife and agent had so 'sober' him up to get him to the session ... supposedly, during the recording of the song, he asked one of the other players what key they were playing in !!! ... He had one of the top jazz albums and he was robbing gas stations for drug money ... what a shame ...
t.

Sad story, Tony. Same with Chet Baker, Charlie Parker, and so many others; however, this dark side isn't limited to jazz. Elvis, Jimmi, Janet, Kurt, and the list goes on, were not jazz players. Let's just call it the dark side of music.

chas

The sad truth is, many jaz greats couldn't face the fact that they had played themselves out of a job. The options are to sellout and play crap (in their minds) or starve to death. Some blame the public for not appreciating their suprior talent (jazz apprecition is an acquired taste).

Many died early from a variety of illnesses (drugs, alcohol,etc.) but in the end, thy died of broken dreams and a massive sense of fruatration).

I had a superior saxophone player here in Lexington come to me broke, divorced and crying once saying he wished he never even saw a G**D*****saxophone.

How sad! James Moody, for all his successes, probably made about as much as a successful local car salesman in his lifetime.


You're right, people like Chet Baker and many others were pathetic and not very nice people. The definitive book on jazz is Reading Jazz, edited by Rebert Gottlieb, published by Pantheon Books. It contains a lot of biographical writing by the artists.

What a tragedy an art form so beautiful has such a dark side.


Russ

AMEN ...

To paraphrase Gary (travelin' easy), being a musician ain't for wimps ...

The one thing my father-in-law (may he rest in peace) told my wife was "you have our blessing, but remember, he's a musician !!!"

As I have said here on other occasions, I was with a band in NY for 26 years ... same guys, from high school ... One is now in his early 70's, the rest of us mid 60's ... what's kind of amazing is that we are each still married to our first wife ... and none of us ever had a drinking problem or did drugs ... Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of our contemporaries ...
t.

Way to go, Tony...me too! Of course, I was never brave enough or good enough to take the plunge and do jazz full-time. Plus, I always figured Annie and I have been together 40 years BECAUSE of the music business. If I'd been home every night, she'd have kicked my butt to the curb years ago.

Really enjoyed your input on this important topic so close to some of us...you included, obviously.

the best, always,


Russ

[This message has been edited by captain Russ (edited 03-20-2006).]