James Moody

A graduate of East Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, James Moody took up the alto saxophone at the age of sixteen, and after serving in the U.S. Air Force Band, he joined Dizzy Gillespie and was associated with him and with Milt Jackson throughout the '40's; at the end of the decade he moved to Sweden where he became known for his "Moody's Mood for Love", his take on the standard "I'm In The Mood For Love". He continued his association with Gillespie, and also headlined his own band. In 1985, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance on Manhattan Transfer's "Vocalese" album. A jazz stalwart for several decades, Moody is still active in the field, and is proficient on tenor, alto and soprano sax as well as the flute.