James Moody (composer)

{{Short description|Irish pianist and composer (1907–1995)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Use Hiberno-English|date=October 2019}}

James Moody (1907–1995) (not to be confused with American saxophonist James Moody) was a Belfast-born pianist, arranger and composer best known for his music for classical harmonica, including twenty-two works for harmonica and piano, three works for harmonica and strings, eight works for harmonica and orchestra, and some two dozen other works for instrumental combinations such as harmonica and harp, harmonica and string quartet, and harmonica ensemble. He also arranged a lot of other music for harmonica, for example Irish, Scottish, English, and Norwegian folk melodies.

Moody gained his first recognition as a pianist, and from the age of thirteen was earning a good living playing in cinemas for silent films in his native town Belfast. He also wrote arrangements for and played piano in the Belfast-based Philip Whiteway Ensemble.[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/c628747e7d564e4297812bbbaa41c115 Radio Times], Issue 665, 26 June 1936, p 49

In 1938 Moody moved to England, joining BBC Bristol as a piano soloist, accompanist, and arranger. Over the next forty years he became a household name on British radio due to such long-running musical programs as Stop Dancing (1935–41)[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/68d1a8790e274cfaa10d9b2ddfe3b18d Radio Times] Issue 741, 10 December 1937, p 66 Accent on Rhythm (1937–56),[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/e9db0d9c54574c05ace2ab238dac924f Radio Times] Issue 870, 31 May 1940, p 26 Workers' Playtime (between 1954 and 1958 with guitarist Bert Weedon and drummer Max Abrams),[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/fa699c0961b642d7975f54fefeae2fa4 Radio Times, Issue 1641, 24 April 1955, p. 22] and As You Were (1961–75).[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/0273e792850e4f4fb8738e94bb087207 Radio Times] Issue 1966, 3 July 1961, p 23 As accompanist and music director for many such variety shows, he came into contact with the famous harmonica soloist Tommy Reilly. This inspired him to teach himself to play the harmonica so that he could arrange and compose idiomatically for the instrument.[https://www.chandos.net/chanimages/Booklets/CH20143.pdf A Life in Music: Vintage Tommy Reilly]. Notes to Chandos 20143 (August 2019) by Sigmund Groven and David Reilly

Reilly and Moody recorded many scores for the harmonica under the pen names Dwight Barker and Max Martin, many of them recorded on 78 RPM records issued by Berry Music[https://www.discogs.com/artist/2013303-Dwight-Barker?anv=D.+Barker Conway Recorded Music Library: Hamonica] (1976). Conroy BMLP 160 Moody and Reilly worked together on the title music and score for the British comedy film The Navy Lark (based on the BBC radio series) in 1959.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0198814/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt IMDb] {{unreliable source?|date=October 2019}}[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evnt9akEWMU YouTube] Other works (mostly dating from the 1930s and 1940s) included the orchestral miniatures Bulgarian Wedding Dance[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoHytHteyvg YouTube] and Palm Beach Promenade,[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKD1TyZwe_g Chappell Recorded Music Library, Queen's Hall Light Orchestra, 1947] and piano compositions such as Boogie Caprice, [https://www.sheetmusicwarehouse.co.uk/piano-novelties/midsummer-madness-featuring-james-moody-piano-solo/ Midsummer Madness] and Parakeet in Paradise.Philip L Scowcroft: [http://www.musicweb-international.com/garlands/177.htm A 17th Garland of British Light Music Composers]

Moody's four movement Little Suite for harmonica and small orchestra (1960) was recorded by Reilly with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Marriner in 1977.[https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/tommy-reilly-academy-of-st-martin-in-the-fields-neville-marriner/works-for-harmonica-and-orchestra/ Works for Harmonica and Orchestra], Argo ZRG 856 (1977)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q1YpAvMlXY YouTube] More recently his Quintet for harmonica and string quartet, composed in 1972, has been recorded by the Italian harmonica player Gianluca Littera and the Quartetto Energie Nove.[http://www.musicweb-international.com/Classrev/2022/Dec/breath-harmonica-CDS7965.htm Dynamic CDS7965, reviewed at MusicWeb International]