80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note, March 26, 2005

Twenty years ago, James Moody celebrated his 80th birthday with a roster of all-star guest artists at the Blue Note in a concert that has now been immortalized in 80 Years Young: Live at the Blue Note. Throughout his career Moody played with the elites of jazz and had an unexpected 1952 hit in "Moody's Mood for Love", written by singer Eddie Jefferson (and originally recorded with lyrics by King Pleasure and Blossom Dearie), based on an improvised solo that Moody played on a 1949 recording of "I'm in the Mood for Love". Moody was an institution in jazz from the late '40s into the 21st century, whether on tenor, flute, occasional alto, and with an eccentric, showman-like vocal style of yodeling, scatting and wordless sound-making. After World War II, he joined Dizzy Gillespie's Bebop Orchestra and began a lifelong friendship with the trumpeter. Moody toured Europe with the trumpeter and then stayed overseas for several years, working with Miles Davis, Max Roach and top European players.

To celebrate Moody twenty years on, as a benefit for the James Moody Scholarship, the Blue Note Jazz Festival presented James Moody 100th Birthday Celebration in a packed Sony Hall. Another all-star band, helmed by music director Renee Rosnes (piano), featured host Christian McBride and Todd Coolman (bass), Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis (trumpet), Elena Pinderhughes (flute), Terri Lyne Carrington and Adam Nussbaum (drums) and Paquito D'Rivera (tenor, clarinet). Vocalists included Madeleine Peyroux, Tyreek McDole and Roberta Gambarini. Some of these players were also at the 80th celebration: Coolman, Nussbaum, Brecker, D'Rivera, Faddis and Gambarini.

Unlike the glitzy, tightly-produced 100th birthday party, the 80th was a more intimate affair with George Wein as MC, as well as David Hazeltine and Cedar Walton (piano) and Slide Hampton (trombone) in addition to the aforementioned, with, of course, the birthday honoree himself. To hear him so preserved on his own "Moody's Mood for Love/The Television Rap" with his delightfully playful vocalese/scat/rap rendition is priceless, as is his always-hilarious "Benny's from Heaven", which after a boppish musical interlude, ends with a howling, hooting vocal by the birthday boy. Prime Moody is on offer with "Birk's Works", "Bebop" and "Ow". The standard, "Cherokee", taken at its fast uptempo clip features a facile Moody on flute sticking close to the melody. "Cherokee" was also featured at the concert, but the opener was a burner of Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia" with Faddis hitting signature high notes. Moody-wise, the band played "Darren The Redd Foxx", "Last Train from Overbrook", and of course, "Moody's Mood for Love", while McDole and Gambarini handled "Benny's from Heaven". In listening to the newly released 80 Years Young, a snippet of conversation: "Moody Speaks", drives home a point. A surprised Moody had no idea the gig was planned to be special; a following chorus of "Happy Birthday" is sweet. Moody celebrated at 100 in concert is a fitting tribute, but the nostalgic 80 Years Young: Live the Blue Note brings Moody close with a smile to the face.