Photo by: Chuck Stewart Argo Records. 1957.

“I’m in the the Mood for Love” features Eddie Jefferson doing vocals and James Moody, tenor and alto flute; Jimmy Boyd, piano; Clarence Johnston, drums; Johnny Lathem, bass; Tate Housten, baritone; Johnny Coles, trumpet. This is Moody’s second lp as a leader for Argo.

This version of I’m in the Mood for Love has become a jazz standard and music critic Will Friedwald credits it with launching an entire new movement in jazz, “vocalese”.

Here’s how Murray Horowitz tells the story: In 1949, Moody recorded “I’m in the Mood for Love” on alto sax, and three years later, Eddie Jefferson wrote lyrics to Moody’s solo. A singer named King Pleasure recorded it, and yes, it became a big hit, but Moody wasn’t on that record. So in 1956, he called Eddie Jefferson and with mostly his regular band recorded this version and it’s what gives the album its title.

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