James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia. As he grew up in New Jersey, he … Read Full Bio ↴James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia. As he grew up in New Jersey, he was attracted to the saxophone after hearing George Holmes Tate, Don Byas, and Count Basie, and later also took up the flute. He joined the US Air Force in 1943 and played in the "negro band" on the segregated base.[1] Following his discharge from the military in 1946 he played be-bop with Dizzy Gillespie for two years. His colleague in the Gillespie group, pianist Kenny Barron would be an important musical collaborator in the coming decades.
In 1948 he recorded his first album, for Blue Note Records, the first of a long recording career playing both saxophone and flute. That same year he relocated to Europe, where he stayed for three years, saying he had been "scarred by racism" in the U.S.[1] His European work, including the first recording of "Moody's Mood for Love" saw him add the alto saxophone to his repertoire and helped to establish him as recording artist in his own right, and were part of the growth of European jazz. Then in 1952 he returned to the U.S. to a recording career with Prestige Records and others, playing flute and saxophone in bands that included musicians such as Pee Wee Moore and others. In the 1960s he rejoined Dizzy Gillespie. He later worked also with Mike Longo.
Even as an octogenarian, Moody travels and performs globally, both as a featured guest and as a leader of his own group, the James Moody Quartet (with pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Todd Coolman, and drummer Adam Nussbaum). Moody plays regularly with Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars and the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars Big Band and also often collaborates with former Gillespie alumnus, the trumpeter-composer-conductor Jon Faddis; Faddis and Moody worked in 2007 with the WDR Big Band in Cologne, Germany under the direction of Michael Abene.
On November 3, 2009, James Moody appeared live in an interview conducted in both Italian and English (Moody speaks Italian) with popular host and jazz aficionado Nick "The Nightfly" on Radio Monte Carlo's late-night "Monte Carlo Nights" program. The chat, at 11pm CET, featured an amiable Moody talking about his career. "Monte Carlo Nights" can be heard throughout Italy via the RMC network; the program originates from Milan, where Nick also works with the Blue Note jazz venue.
Moody plays exclusively on saxophones made by Keilwerth.

Body And Soul
James Moody And His Bop Men With Art Blakey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My heart is sad and lonely
For you I sigh, for you dear only
Why haven't you seen it
I'm all for you body and soul

I spend my days in longing
And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I tell you I mean it

I'm all for you body and soul

I can't believe it
It's hard to conceive it
That you'd turn away romance
Are you pretending
It looks like the ending
Unless I could have just one more chance to prove, dear

My life a wreck you're making
You know I'm yours for just the taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul

My life a wreck you're making

You know I'm yours for the very taking
I'd gladly surrender myself to you body and soul

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Body and Soul" by James Moody And His Bop Men With Art Blakey speak of unrequited love and the desperation it brings. The singer's heart is sad and lonely, and he longs for the attention and love of the person he desires. He is all for them, body and soul. The singer spends his days in longing and wonders why he is being wronged. He asks if they have seen his love and what he is willing to do for them.

The lyrics then take a turn as the singer questions whether the other person is pretending and if the ending of their romance is inevitable. He pleads for just one more chance to prove his love. The singer's life is a wreck because of his unrequited love, yet he still offers himself up to the other person, body and soul.

The lyrics of "Body and Soul" delve deep into the pain and desperation that comes with unreturned love. Ultimately, the singer is willing to do anything and everything to win the heart of the person he desires.

Line by Line Meaning

My heart is sad and lonely
My heart is heavy with sadness and loneliness

For you I sigh, for you dear only
I yearn for you and only you

Why haven't you seen it
Why haven't you noticed my love for you

I'm all for you body and soul
I'm completely devoted to you in every way

I spend my days in longing
I spend my days filled with longing and desire

And wondering why it's me you're wronging
I wonder why you're treating me poorly when all I want is your love

I tell you I mean it
I'm serious when I say this

I'm all for you body and soul
I'm completely devoted to you in every way

I can't believe it
I'm having a hard time believing

It's hard to conceive it
It's difficult for me to imagine

That you'd turn away romance
That you would reject my love