Moody was drafted into the segregated US Army Air Corp, where he played in the “Negro” band and honed his skills as a saxophonist. It was during the 1940’s and 1950’s that Moody’s career began to take off. He became known for his virtuosic playing and his ability to play in a wide range of styles, from swing and bebop to Latin jazz and beyond. His fluid, soulful playing and his distinctive sound made him a jazz legend.
In 1949, in Stockholm, Sweden Moody recorded his first album as a bandleader, “James Moody and His Modernists,” which featured the iconic track “Moody’s Mood for Love.” The song was based on the chord changes of “I’m in the Mood for Love” and featured Moody’s improvisation of the melody. It became a global hit. Eddie Jefferson wrote lyrics which King Pleasure recorded and it went on to be referred to by many as “The Jazz National Anthem,” and was covered by countless musicians over the years, including Amy Winehouse, Van Morrison, Take 6 and Queen Latifa to name just a few. During an interview Moody once said, “If I don’t do that song, I may as well not show up.” In 2001 “Moody’s Mood for Love” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, honoring recordings with historical significance.
Moody became known for his masterful improvisational skills at the flute, an instrument that was not commonly used in jazz at the time. Moody’s flute playing was characterized by its warmth, lyricism, and soulfulness. Two months after receiving his flute he recorded “Flute’n The Blues.”
In the 1960’s, Moody became a member of The Dizzy Gillespie Quintet. The group’s performances and recordings are still considered to be some of the most important and influential in the history of jazz. Moody’s playing was marked by his ability to seamlessly blend distinctive styles and to infuse his playing with his own unique personality and humor. Dizzy once said, “Playing with James Moody is like playing with a continuation of myself.”