James Moody, jazz saxophonist and flutist, whose improvised solo on a recording of "I'm in the Mood for Love" became a jazz classic. The recording, made in Stockholm in 1949, became a rare jazz hit as an instrumental. When singer King Pleasure recorded Eddie Jefferson's lyrics for Moody's improvisation in 1954, it became a cross-genre hit, subsequently recorded by singers ranging from Van Morrison, George Benson and Aretha Franklin to Tito Puente and Amy Winehouse. Moody, himself, frequently sang the version with lyrics in his live performances. In addition to his continuing jazz performances, he backed the likes of Elvis Presley, Redd Foxx, Liberace and the Osmonds. In 2005, he made a cameo appearance in the Clint Eastwood-directed film, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil," as a porter in a law office who walks an imaginary dog. Moody frequently joked about the fact that he only had one line to say: "Yessir. Patrick do like his morning walk." He was 85 and had pancreatic cancer.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-james-moody-20101210,0,5483254.story
