239:. According to Hendricks, he had been writing "unpopular" songs for some time, but when he heard the recording and realized that it was a saxophone solo with words he decided to change his approach to songwriting. "I didn't have to stop at 32 bars. Now I could write lyrics for all the parts in the orchestra." He went on to collaborate with the singer and arranger Dave Lambert and the singer Annie Ross to form the vocalese group
151:, and added the song to his repertoire. Jefferson's lyrics include the piano solo, which is sung from the point of view of a woman ("What is all this talk about loving me, my sweet?"). It also references Moody himself at the end of the song ("James Moody, you can come on in and you can blow now if you want to").
136:, who was part of the backing band. Moody, who normally played the tenor saxophone, used a borrowed alto saxophone for the recording. He later admitted that he played an excess number of notes, not because he was improvising, but because he was trying to find the correct keys on the unfamiliar instrument.
174:, who wrote the music for "I'm in the Mood for Love", sued for copyright infringement and won a partial victory in court. He and Moody eventually agreed to share the proceeds on sales of any versions of the tune.
155:
heard
Jefferson perform it in a jazz club and asked permission to reproduce it. Pleasure's recording, released in 1952, gave the song its now-common title of "Moody's Mood for Love". It included
741:
99:". The song is structured as a duet, with a man proclaiming his love for a woman, and the woman (in the part of the melody corresponding to the piano solo) responding in kind.
488:
736:
114:
jazz singing style. It has since been covered by many artists. Moody himself adopted the song as his own, recording it with
Jefferson on the 1956 album
177:
Moody embraced the song, and later hired
Jefferson to come on the road with him. Jefferson also appeared on a number of Moody's subsequent albums:
481:
598:
474:
626:
549:
203:
116:
20:
658:
231:
song, it helped bring that music form to a much wider audience. Most notably, it helped start the career of vocalese pioneer
731:
240:
605:
128:
James Moody created his improvised solo in 1949 on a visit to Sweden. Moody's playing clearly shows the influence of
96:
612:
556:
497:
88:
54:
40:
570:
209:
619:
435:
354:
633:
528:
185:
542:
197:
683:
418:
299:
215:
726:
563:
577:
247:
235:. Hendricks was sitting in a café when the King Pleasure recording of "Moody's Mood" came on the
401:
322:
591:
514:
164:
160:
690:
251:
144:
80:
68:
156:
133:
132:. The recording includes, in the middle, an eight-bar improvisation by Swedish pianist
129:
107:
92:
720:
521:
254:
played the King
Pleasure recording of the song every night at the end of his show on
232:
179:
152:
103:
171:
384:
276:
584:
535:
191:
663:
640:
228:
148:
111:
62:
48:
255:
236:
402:"King Pleasure: Moody's Mood For Love (aka I'm In The Mood For Love)"
323:"King Pleasure: Moody's Mood For Love (aka I'm In The Mood For Love)"
102:
The song gained widespread popularity after being recorded by singer
140:
84:
36:
470:
466:
460:
147:
wrote lyrics to this improvised melody, a practice known as
163:. The recording, King Pleasure's first, was a hit for the
83:, whose melody is derived from an improvised solo by
700:
673:
650:
504:
227:Although "Moody's Mood for Love" was not the first
60:
46:
35:
30:
742:Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male
170:Following King Pleasure's successful recording,
120:and often singing the song himself in concert.
159:singing the female part, and a band headed by
482:
8:
91:(and a brief solo in the middle by pianist
489:
475:
467:
27:
343:Billboard magazine, May 24 1952, page 36
95:) on a 1949 recording of the 1935 song "
436:"James Moody: Playing with the Changes"
355:"James Moody: Playing with the Changes"
267:
34:
139:At some point in the next few years,
7:
737:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients
110:. The song helped to popularize the
14:
419:"I'm in the Mood for Love (1935)"
300:"I'm in the Mood for Love (1935)"
106:, with the woman's part sung by
19:For the James Moody album, see
434:Milkowski, Bill (March 2004).
353:Milkowski, Bill (March 2004).
1:
241:Lambert, Hendricks & Ross
21:Moody's Mood for Love (album)
246:In the 1970s, New York City
606:Moody and the Brass Figures
758:
613:The Blues and Other Colors
385:"I'm in the Mood For Love"
277:"I'm in the Mood For Love"
18:
557:Last Train from Overbrook
97:I'm in the Mood for Love
77:"Moody's Mood for Love"
31:"Moody's Mood for Love"
707:Moody's Mood for Love
571:Hey! It's James Moody
550:Moody's Mood for Love
461:James Moody's website
210:Hey! It's James Moody
204:Moody's Mood for Love
117:Moody's Mood for Love
732:1940s jazz standards
620:Don't Look Away Now!
634:Feelin' It Together
529:James Moody's Moods
463:Accessed 2009-04-03
421:. JazzStandards.com
302:. JazzStandards.com
186:James Moody's Moods
578:Moody with Strings
543:Flute 'n the Blues
248:urban contemporary
198:Flute 'n the Blues
79:is a 1952 song by
714:
713:
684:Cookin' the Blues
515:Wail, Moody, Wail
383:Luebbert, David.
275:Luebbert, David.
216:Cookin' the Blues
74:
73:
749:
599:Comin' On Strong
491:
484:
477:
468:
450:
448:
446:
430:
428:
426:
413:
411:
409:
396:
394:
392:
370:
369:
367:
365:
350:
344:
341:
335:
334:
332:
330:
318:
312:
311:
309:
307:
295:
289:
288:
286:
284:
272:
161:Teacho Wiltshire
65:
51:
28:
757:
756:
752:
751:
750:
748:
747:
746:
717:
716:
715:
710:
696:
691:Chicago Concert
675:
669:
646:
506:
500:
495:
457:
444:
442:
433:
424:
422:
416:
407:
405:
399:
390:
388:
382:
379:
374:
373:
363:
361:
352:
351:
347:
342:
338:
328:
326:
320:
319:
315:
305:
303:
297:
296:
292:
282:
280:
274:
273:
269:
264:
252:Frankie Crocker
225:
145:Eddie Jefferson
126:
81:Eddie Jefferson
69:Eddie Jefferson
61:
47:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
755:
753:
745:
744:
739:
734:
729:
719:
718:
712:
711:
704:
702:
698:
697:
695:
694:
687:
679:
677:
671:
670:
668:
667:
654:
652:
651:Collaborations
648:
647:
645:
644:
637:
630:
623:
616:
609:
602:
595:
588:
581:
574:
567:
560:
553:
546:
539:
532:
525:
518:
510:
508:
502:
501:
496:
494:
493:
486:
479:
471:
465:
464:
456:
455:External links
453:
452:
451:
431:
414:
397:
378:
375:
372:
371:
345:
336:
313:
290:
266:
265:
263:
260:
224:
221:
157:Blossom Dearie
134:Thore Swanerud
130:Charlie Parker
125:
122:
108:Blossom Dearie
93:Thore Swanerud
72:
71:
66:
58:
57:
52:
44:
43:
33:
32:
16:1952 jazz song
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
754:
743:
740:
738:
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
724:
722:
708:
703:
699:
693:
692:
688:
686:
685:
681:
680:
678:
672:
665:
661:
660:
656:
655:
653:
649:
643:
642:
638:
636:
635:
631:
629:
628:
624:
622:
621:
617:
615:
614:
610:
608:
607:
603:
601:
600:
596:
594:
593:
589:
587:
586:
582:
580:
579:
575:
573:
572:
568:
566:
565:
561:
559:
558:
554:
552:
551:
547:
545:
544:
540:
538:
537:
533:
531:
530:
526:
524:
523:
519:
517:
516:
512:
511:
509:
503:
499:
492:
487:
485:
480:
478:
473:
472:
469:
462:
459:
458:
454:
441:
437:
432:
420:
417:Tyle, Chris.
415:
403:
400:Kurtz, Alan.
398:
387:. SongTrellis
386:
381:
380:
376:
360:
356:
349:
346:
340:
337:
324:
321:Kurtz, Alan.
317:
314:
301:
298:Tyle, Chris.
294:
291:
279:. SongTrellis
278:
271:
268:
261:
259:
257:
253:
249:
244:
242:
238:
234:
233:Jon Hendricks
230:
222:
220:
218:
217:
212:
211:
206:
205:
200:
199:
194:
193:
188:
187:
182:
181:
175:
173:
168:
166:
162:
158:
154:
153:King Pleasure
150:
146:
142:
137:
135:
131:
123:
121:
119:
118:
113:
109:
105:
104:King Pleasure
100:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
70:
67:
64:
59:
56:
53:
50:
45:
42:
38:
29:
26:
22:
706:
701:Compositions
689:
682:
659:Night Flight
657:
639:
632:
627:Never Again!
625:
618:
611:
604:
597:
590:
583:
576:
569:
562:
555:
548:
541:
534:
527:
520:
513:
443:. Retrieved
439:
423:. Retrieved
406:. Retrieved
389:. Retrieved
362:. Retrieved
358:
348:
339:
327:. Retrieved
316:
304:. Retrieved
293:
281:. Retrieved
270:
245:
226:
214:
213:(1959), and
208:
202:
201:(all 1956),
196:
190:
184:
178:
176:
172:Jimmy McHugh
169:
138:
127:
115:
101:
87:saxophonist
76:
75:
25:
585:Another Bag
564:James Moody
536:Hi Fi Party
498:James Moody
192:Hi Fi Party
89:James Moody
63:Lyricist(s)
55:James Moody
49:Composer(s)
41:James Moody
727:1949 songs
721:Categories
676:recordings
664:Gil Fuller
404:. Jazz.com
377:References
325:. Jazz.com
592:Great Day
440:JazzTimes
359:JazzTimes
250:radio DJ
223:Influence
641:Moody 4B
445:April 3,
425:April 3,
408:April 3,
391:April 3,
364:April 3,
329:April 3,
306:April 3,
283:April 3,
229:vocalese
219:(1964).
207:(1957),
183:(1954),
165:Prestige
149:vocalese
112:vocalese
256:WBLS-FM
237:jukebox
167:label.
143:singer
124:History
662:(with
507:albums
505:Studio
522:Moody
262:Notes
180:Moody
674:Live
447:2009
427:2009
410:2009
393:2009
366:2009
331:2009
308:2009
285:2009
141:jazz
85:jazz
37:Song
39:by
723::
438:.
357:.
258:.
243:.
195:,
189:,
709:"
705:"
666:)
490:e
483:t
476:v
449:.
429:.
412:.
395:.
368:.
333:.
310:.
287:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.