James Moody - Great Day
Released 1963
Recording and Session Information
James Moody, tenor saxophone, ,alto saxophone, flute; Tom McIntosh, arranger; including: Thad Jones, Johnny Coles, trumpet; Hubert Laws, flute; Hank Jones or Bernie Leighton, piano; Jim Hall, guitar; Richard Davis, bass; Mel Lewis, drums
A & R Recording Studios, New York, June 17/18 1963
12522 Malice towards none
12523 The search
12524 Blues impromptu
12525 Opalesque
12526 Let's try
12527 Great day
12528 One never knows
Track Listing
| Great Day | Tom McIntosh | June 17/18 1963 |
| The Search | Tom McIntosh | June 17/18 1963 |
| Let's Try | Tom McIntosh | June 17/18 1963 |
| One Never Knows | John Lewis | June 17/18 1963 |
| Opales'que | Dennis Sandoli | June 17/18 1963 |
| Blues Impromptu | James Moody | June 17/18 1963 |
| Malice Toward None | Tom McIntosh | June 17/18 1963 |
Liner Notes
JAMES MOODY is a name I first heard sixteen years ago. I heard him play in that same year in Philadelphia while he was with Dizzy Gillespie's first big band. I was immediately impressed and I still am! But rightly so because in the interim years he has been very restless and I've always contended that this restlessness is one of the basic ingredients for attaining progress.
During our infrequent meetings he would always express aspiration — he was always trying to perfect this or that. And this is as it should be because if an artist is perfectly satisfied with what he is doing, there is little room for improvement.
What has happened to Moody is what happens to most creative people who continue to grow. It's like boarding an elevator that never stops ascending. The higher one goes or the more progress he makes — the more area he can see or the more he is aware of the vast possibilities of his art. It's a chain reaction from within — discovering and exploring a possibility only reveals another so that one's purpose is always perpetual.
Years ago when I heard Charlie Parker say, "I'm working on some new things". I was rather surprised because I'd never thought of the "Giants" as having to improve or extend themselves further. But I soon discovered that this is true of all creators of art. What I'm leading up to is this — early in his career Moody was mainly self-taught, and can, truthfully say he has a tremendous amount of innate talent, but as the years went by he became more and more aware of his shortcomings. He also became aware of what had to be done to correct them. Eventually he began to study, concentrating on many areas of formal music. Many people say that since that time he's lost his soul, some say he's lost some or all of his natural abilities and I say — they're all wrong. I consider such statements as being postulatory and can only assume that these people are merely superficial and nearsighted and/or arrogant and incipient because all one has to do is LISTEN—REALLY LISTEN! Does a man become an outcast because he wants to improve himself? I'm sure that the listeners of this album will agree that his soul and
abilities are extant and better than ever.
This album marks a high point in Moody's career. He, without a doubt, proves himself musically affuent.
This album, too, represents a wonderful marriage of the performance of Moody and the writing of Tom McIntosh.
Mac, as he is called, is a soft-spoken, sincere young man. He is a graduate of the Julliard School of Music but seldom mentions it. In the few years I've known him I've discovered various things that he is striving for in his music. The foremost and most obvious is his predilection for strong melodic lines that actually outline a vertical harmonic structure, theme and development. harmonic color through a selection and blending of instruments according to their individual and over-all tinibre and getting away from the now commonplace 32-bar construction with its uninspiring and predictable sequence of chords.
His compositions are always a little unusual and offer the performer a challenge, however; this is always well worth the effort because of the pleasure it affords the performer as well as the listener. The beautiful things he writes don't just happen. They are well planned, constructed and then literally torn apart again and again so that when it is considered a finished product it is as good as he can possibly make it. He has said upon
occasion "I Think I write rather slowly", but many have assured him that the end result is the true barometer.
About the Music:
Tom McIntosh's "Great Day" the title tune of the album, exhibits a joyous feeling throughout with Moody's personal interjection of himself, and Tom's wonderful feeling for gospel music and jazz and his feeling for orchestral development. Johnny Coles, an extremely sensitive trumpet player, helps to make it even more savory with his lyrical, warn sound and pianist Hank Jones seems to be mellowing more and more — if that's at all possible. At the close of this track I'm sure one would feel the urge to say, "Yes! It's A Great Day".
When I first heard "The Search", I told Mac that the opening chord sounded like giant Boeing 707 taking off. It has an extremely big and majestic sound. The opening of the first chorus is written in 5/4 time which makes an interesting contrast for what is to follow. Seldom do you find a tenor player who plays alto with a true alto sound. Mac utilizes Moody's sound very well by giving him the melody and putting occasional harmonizing lines under him. Thad Jones enters with his unmistakable style and sound which leads into a short but inspiring piano solo by his brother, Hank. I might add that bassist Richard Davis maintains that jazz-solo feeling throughout with his clever rhythmic interjections.
On "Let's Try" Moody plays a relaxed melody and upon repeating it, he is joined by flutist Hubert Laws and the combined timbre makes it sparkle like a gem. When Moody goes into his solo it's as if a tiger has been unchained— dashing, dancing, dodging, darting, but all with a purpose and a direction. Again, Johnny Coles exemplifies his ability to bring something meaningful into an arrangement through his solos.
"One Never Knows" is a beautiful ballad by John Lewis which affords Moody a chance to reveal the warmer side of himself on flute. Guitarist Jim Hall plays an important part on this track. Mac uses him, as well as other instruments, to play little musical gems and add splashes of color. Moody asks his flute to sing — and it does — remarkably well.
"Opalesqve" is an original written by Dennis Sandoli. Dennis is a true genius, not only in music but in art and poetry as well. He wrote film scores in Hollywood while still only a young teenager. The feeling on this track is not meant to be one of extended form or development, but rather a workshop feeling wherein the soloists can feel completely free without the periphery of orchestration. Bernie Leighton, piano, Mel Lewis, drums and Richard Davis, bass, make up the rhythm section which help Moody attain this freedom. as do Johnny Coles and Jim Hall.
"Blues Impromptu" was conceived in the mind of Moody. He told Mac the day Sefore the recording session, "I'll do a blues but I don't know what I'm going to play yet, so just write an out chorus to be on the safe side". This idea worked out with excellent results because Moody and Jim build their solos directly into the written, out chorus which makes for a wonderful and effective climax. Richard Davis creates most interesting and unusual bass line.
The introduction to "Malice Toward None" is opened by Richard Davis bowing, very beautifully, the melody which is transferred to Jim Hall and by use of a deceptive cadence modulates from that key to a new one as Moody enters on tenor. There is a kind gentleness about this composition and Moody's interpretation of the melody seems to evince pathos especially when the flute joins him. His solo is soulful and sometimes interspersed with double-time figures. This is a well thought out arrangement which allows Moody plenty of room to develop his ideas.
This album could very well be Moody's "epoch" because it definitely represents new development and indicates that he's taking giant steps forward. He's rather short in stature physically but musically he is a giant. After all, a giant is what a man IS — Moody is a GIANT! GREAT DAY!
Benny Golson
