Died On This Date (December 9, 2010) James Moody / Jazz Icon
themusicsover James Moody
March 26, 1925 – December 9, 2010
James Moody was an influential jazz saxophonist and flautist who is perhaps best remembered for his 1949 hit recording, “Moody’s Mood For Love.” Moody learned to play the sax at an early age, and after his discharge from the U.S. Navy in 1946, he landed himself a two-year gig playing with Dizzy Gillespie. Over the course of a career that spanned over an astonishing 60 years, Moody performed with the likes of Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Max Roach, and Kenny Barron to name a few. He recorded upwards of 50 albums for such respected labels as Blue Note, Vanguard, Prestige, and Mercury. In later years, he devoted much of his time and money to music education. In 2010, he received a Grammy nomination for his Moody 4B album. On December 9, 2010, James Moody died following nearly a yearlong struggle with pancreatic cancer. He was 85.
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Stanley Turrentine was one of contemporary jazz’s greatest saxophonists. Born into a musical family, Turrentine began playing in early R&B groups but soon switched to jazz where he became one of it’s stars during the ’50s and ’60s. He shifted to jazz fusion during the ’70s and then to a more soul sound during the ’80s. Over the course of his career, Turrentine played with such greats as 