James Moody - The Complete Argo Collection (2020)

Born in Savannah, Georgia, on March 25th 1925, future jazz-man James Moody was raised by his (single) mother, Ruby Hann Moody Watters, alongside his brother, Louis. Growing up in Newark, New Jersey, Moody was attracted to the saxophone after hearing George Holmes Tate, Don Byas, and various other saxophonists who played with Count Basie; he later also took up the flute. A hugely respected musician and arranger, Moody occasionally performed as a vocalist too. He played predominantly in the bebop and hard bop styles, during a lengthy career in jazz, which began in 1945 when he joined Dizzy Gillespie's band, and which continued until his death in 2010 at the age of 85, the same year he released his final album Moody 4B (IPO Records, 2010). In the early years of the third millennium, Moody was met with a resurgence of interest from acid-jazz aficionados, and later, after the sadly late Amy Winehouse championed Moody and performed a number of his tunes, including, most notably, a noble version the great man's arrangement of 'Moody's Mood For Love', his esteem grew greater still. This 4CD set features James Moody's entire recorded output for the Argo label, made between 1957 and 1964, the period during which the jazz maverick made his finest ever music and displayed his best playing. A perfect collection for those new to Moody's music, this collection will also be welcomed by those already versed, as a fine reminder of the best work of this most unique jazz player.