Jemeel Moondoc Explained

Jemeel Moondoc
Background:	solo_singer
Birth Date:	August 5, 1946
Birth Place:	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Instrument:	Alto saxophone, clarinet, piano
Genre:	Jazz
Occupation:	Musician
Website:	https://www.jemeelmoondoc.com/

Jemeel Moondoc (August 5, 1946 – August 29, 2021)^{[1] [2]} was a jazz saxophonist who played alto saxophone.^[3] He was a proponent of a highly improvisational style.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois, United States,^[2] and studied clarinet and piano before settling on saxophone at sixteen. He became interested in jazz largely due to Cecil Taylor and at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, he was a student of Taylor's. After that he moved to New York City, where he founded "Ensemble Muntu" with William Parker, Roy Campbell, Jr., and Rashid Bakr.^[2] The group also had its own Muntu record label, but eventually faced financial difficulties. In 1984, he formed the Jus Grew Orchestra, which secured a residency at the Neither/Nor club in the Lower East Side.^[2] He worked with Parker again in 1998's album, New World Pygmies.^[4]

He died in August 2021, at the age of 75 from the effects of sickle cell anemia.^[1]

Discography

As leader

• First Feeding (Muntu, 1977)
• The Evening of the Blue Men (Muntu, 1979)
• New York Live! (Cadence Jazz, 1981)
• The Intrepid Live in Poland (Poljazz, 1981)
• We Don't (Eremite, 1981; issued 2003) - with Denis Charles
• Judy's Bounce (Soul Note, 1982)
• The Athens Concert (Praxis, 1982)
• Konstanze's Delight (Soul Note, 1983)
• Nostalgia in Times Square (Soul Note, 1986)
• Tri-P-Let (Eremite, 1996)
• Fire in the Valley (Eremite, 1997)
• New World Pygmies (Eremite, 1998)
• Revolt of the Negro Lawn Jockeys (Eremite, 2001)
• New World Pygmies vol. 2 (Eremite, 2002)
• Live at Glenn Miller Café Vol 1 (Ayler, 2002)
• Live in Paris (Cadence, 2003)
• Muntu Recordings (NoBusiness, 2009) reissue of First Feeding and The Evening of the Blue Men plus previously unreleased live material
• Two (Relative Pitch, 2012) - with Connie Crothers
• Yellow Back Radio Breakdown (Six Gallery Press, 2013) - with Michael Hafftka
• The Zookeeper's House (Relative Pitch, 2014)
• Cosmic Nickelodeon (Relative Pitch, 2016) - with Hilliard Greene
• The Astral Revelations (RogueArt, 2018)

with the Jus Grew Orchestra

• Spirit House (Eremite, 2001)
• Live at the Vision Festival (Ayler, 2003)

As sideman

with Active Ingredients (Chad Taylor, Moondoc, Tom Abbs, Steve Swell)

• Titration (Delmark, 2002 [2003])

with Denis Charles

• Captain of the Deep (Eremite, 1998)

with Steve Swell

• This Now! (Cadence Jazz, 2003)
• Swimming in a Galaxy of Goodwill and Sorrow (RogueArt, 2007)

External links

• [{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p107001/biography|pure_url=yes}} All Music]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jemeel Moondoc, Intrepid Saxophonist and Composer Who Carved a Path Through the Avant-Garde, Is Dead at 76. September 9, 2021. Wbgo.org. September 30, 2021.
2. Book: The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz. Colin Larkin. Guinness Publishing. 1992. First. 0-85112-580-8. 291–2.
3. Book: Such, David Glen. Avant-garde jazz musicians: performing "out there". 1993. University of Iowa Press. 978-0-87745-435-9. 67–70.
4. Web site: New World Pygmies - Jemeel Moondoc | Songs, Reviews, Credits . AllMusic. July 30, 2021.