| Moody 4B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 25, 2010 (2010-08-25) | |||
| Recorded | July 21, 2008–July 22, 2008 inNew York City | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 61:04 | |||
| Label | IPO | |||
| Producer | Michael Patterson | |||
| James Moody chronology | ||||
| ||||
Moody 4B is aninstrumental album released byjazz musicianJames Moody. The album was released in 2010 on IPO Recordings, Moody's fifth release on the label, and was produced by Michael Patterson, Bill Sorin was executive producer. It won the2011Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group.
Moody 4B was recorded in July 2008 inNew York City.[1] Work began one day after completion of Moody's 2009 releaseMoody 4A. He employed the same musicians for both recordings;pianistKenny Barron,bassistTodd Coolman, anddrummerLewis Nash with Moody ontenor sax. The album consists of reworks of seven selections from theGreat American Songbook[2] andjazz standards plus two originals composed by Barron, "Nikara's Song", and Coolman, "O.P. Update".[3]
This recording was a total pleasure because producer Bill Sorin let me be me, musically. So many of the previous producers of my albums wanted a "concept." Well, how about the concept being "Moody"? Bill is wonderful!!
In February 2011Moody 4B won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album by an Individual or Group.[4] Moody had previously recorded over fiftysolo albums and been nominated for several Grammies[5] but the win was his first.[4] The award was given two months after Moody died as a result ofpancreatic cancer.[5] The other nominees in the category werePositootly! byJohn Beasley,The New Song and Dance byThe Clayton Brothers,Historicity by theVijay Iyer Trio, andProvidencia byDanilo Pérez.[6] During the Grammy telecast Moody was featured along with other recently deceased musicians in a tribute montage.[7]
| Moody 4B | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [8] |
Michael G. Nastos ofAllmusic calledMoody 4B a "safe concession to mainstream jazz" and that Moody "has still got it". He called Moody's sax playing "polished and graceful" and hissidemen "too good and literate to be denied high accolades".[8]
All About Jazz published three reviews of the album by Warren Allen, Edward Blanco, and Dan Bilawsky. Allen called the album "a healthy dose of good swing by the best in the business". He called the two original numbers "sweet and catchy enough to fit seamlessly into the program" and closes by saying the recording "simply sounds like good jazz should".[3] Blanco closed his review with "At 85 years young, James Moody keeps churning out some of the best straight ahead jazz in the business."[9] Lastly, Bilawsky called the set "a fine edition to the catalog of one of the most enduring and important saxophonists in jazz".[10]
Andrea Canter called the album "a monster quartet outing" in Jazz Police, going on she wrote that "each musician shines although perhaps none more than the leader".[2]
