Moe Koffman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Morris Koffman (1928-12-28)28 December 1928 |
| Died | 28 March 2001(2001-03-28) (aged 72) Orangeville, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument(s) | Saxophone, flute |
| Labels | Anthem,GRT,Jubilee,Kama Sutra,United Artists |
Morris "Moe"Koffman,OC (28 December 1928 – 28 March 2001) was a Canadian jazz saxophonist and flautist, as well as composer and arranger. During a career spanning from the 1950s into the 2000s, Koffman was one of Canada's most prolific musicians, working variously in clubs and sessions and releasing 30 albums.[1] With his 1957 recordCool and Hot Sax on the New York-based Jubilee label, Koffman became one of the first Canadian jazz musicians to record a full-length album. Koffman was also a long-time member ofRob McConnell's Boss Brass.
His most famous pieces, "Curried Soul" and "Koff Drops", have been the theme music for theCBC Radio One show,As It Happens, for over 50 years.
Koffman was born inToronto to Jewish immigrants from Poland. His parents operated a variety store.[2] At the age of nine he began his musical studies in his native city, studying violin.[3] He studied withGordon Delamont, and later attended theToronto Conservatory of Music, now theRoyal Conservatory of Music of Toronto, where he was a student ofSamuel Dolin.
Koffman dropped out of school when he found work performing in dance bands. In 1950, he moved to the United States, where he played withbig bands including those ofSonny Dunham andJimmy Dorsey.[4] In 1955, he returned to Toronto where he formed a quartet and later a quintet. He recordedSwinging Shepherd Blues in 1957 which helped establish his reputation as a flautist. "Swinging Shepherd Blues" was a hit inCanada, reaching #4, the United States, reaching #38 on theBillboard pop chart, and #23 on theUK Singles Chart.[5][6][7]
Koffman was inspired byRahsaan Roland Kirk to play multiple instruments at once; and had a modified set of straps to hold a tenor and an alto saxophone so that he could put forward incredible chords and improvise at the same time. One of the more famous session musicians in Toronto, he appeared in countless commercials, background music, and film and TV soundtracks. Most work on bass flute in Canadian soundtracks from 1950 to 1990 in Toronto sessions was done by Koffman on this rare instrument. Koffman was also an exponent ofcircular breathing techniques for his large volumes of sound, and joined fellow CanadianMaynard Ferguson and new age multi-instrumentalist musician Ron Allen in this talent.
During the 1970s, Koffman recorded several albums with arrangements of works by classical composers includingBach,Mozart andVivaldi. The albums were released by GRT Canada[8] and later by Universal. He also was a guest performer with a number of symphony orchestras across Canada.
He performed withDizzy Gillespie andPeter Appleyard during the 1980s, as well as continuing to front the Moe Koffman Quintet.[9] He often performed withRob McConnell'sBoss Brass. From 1956 to 1990, Koffman booked performers forGeorge's Spaghetti House in Toronto, where he performed weekly.[10][11] His compositions "Curried Soul" and "Koff Drops" have been used as the opening and closing themes respectively for theCBC radio showAs It Happens since 1972.[12][13]
He was appointed to theOrder of Canada in 1993 and inducted into theCanadian Music Hall of Fame in 1997.
By May 1970, Koffman's album,Moe's Curried Soul was out on theRevolver label. It entered the RPM100 album chart at #100 on the week ending May 9.[14] It peaked at #90 on the week ending June 13.[15][16]
Koffman recorded the single "City Motions" withThe Longo Brothers. It charted in the CanCon Top 10 Adult Contemporary chart for a number of weeks in 1984.[17][18][19]
Koffman was diagnosed withnon-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2000, and died of cancer inOrangeville, Ontario in 2001 at the age of 72.[20]
In 2002, Moe Koffman was a MasterWorks honouree by theAudio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada.Some of Koffman's music forDuke Street Records was unreleased at the time of his death.Music for the Night was released and re-issued in 2007, andDevil's Brew was re-issued in 2009.
| Act | Release | Catalogue | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moe Koffman Quartette Moe Koffman Septette | "The Swingin' Shepherd Blues" / "Hambourg Bound" | Quality K1690 | 1957 | |
| Moe Koffman Quartet | "Little Pixie" / "Koko-Mamey" | Jubilee 45-5324 | 1958 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Keep Walkin' Little Flock" / "Wishbone" | Zirkon 1057 | 1961 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Swingin' Shepherd Blues Twist" | United Artists UA 2100 | 1962 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Jazz Merengue" / "Growing Up" | United Artists UA 2118 | 1962 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Soul Brothers" / "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | Jubilee J-5485X | 1964 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Flootenanny" / "Coffee House" | Sparton 4-1243-R | 1964 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Bulldog Walk" / "Big Bad Irving" | Atco ATCO. 6382 | 1965 | |
| Moe Koffman | "Night Love (Nacht Liebe)" / "Senor Acapulco" | Columbia C4-2727 | 1967 | [21][citation needed] |
| The Longo Brothers Featuring Moe Koffman | "City Motions" / "If the Feeling's Not Right" | People City Music PCM 823 | 1984 | [22][17][18] |
LPs:
With theRon Collier Orchestra featuringDuke Ellington
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