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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZMOFFETT familyDrummer Charles Moffett (b 11 September 1929, Lake Como TX; d 14 February 1997) played trumpet in R&B bands, switched to drums, served in US Navy, attended university and worked as a high school teacher in Texas for nearly a decade. He went to NYC '61 and worked with Ornette Coleman (also played vibes). He said that Ornette taught him to play trumpet according to the way that it is built, e.g. from the relationships of the valves. 'It opened my head up ... it gave me so much more freedom, so many ideas. I didn't have to worry about playing from a chord structure to express myself. That's what he gave me and that's what I gave Charnett when he was five years old.' He later relocated to Oakland CA; had worked with Sonny Rollins, Prince Lasha, Archie Shepp and others, recorded with Coleman and Shepp, made albums Blaster Master and Big Time with the Keshavan Maslak Quartet; his own group included Pharoah Sanders and Carla Bley '64; his album The Gift '69 on Savoy included Wilbur Ware and Codaryl (Cody) Moffett. With roots in the Swing Era he brought traditional aspects to free jazz, and remained active as a teacher, raising his own talented brood: he produced The Charles Moffett Family c.1974 on Codaryl (LRS Records) with his sons. Bassist Charnett (b 10 June 1967; d 11 April 2022) recorded with Wynton Marsalis, Frank Lowe, Tony Williams, Mulgrew Miller, Stanley Jordan etc, his own albums Net Man '87, Beauty Within '89 (including drummer Cody, Kenny Drew and Jordan), and Nettwork '93 (with two Moffetts including Charisse) were on Blue Note, Planet Home '93-4 and trio Still Life '96 on Evidence, Charnett playing electric bass on the latter with Cindy Blackman on drums, Rachel Z on keyboards. Cody's Evidence '93 was on Telarc, including Charnett, Kenny Drew Jr, Ravi Coltrane: the younger generation was taking up the reins. Africano '94 on Venus by the Moffett Family Jazz band included Charnett and Cody, Charles Sr, Charles Jr on reeds, Mondre Moffett on trumpet, Larry Willis on piano, and Lafayette Thomas on guitar. This was made in NYC, whence Charles Sr had returned '80 to continue teaching; he played on three of the first 15 superbly recorded releases on the new CIMP label (Creative Improvised Music Projects), with Frank Lowe and Sonny Simmons trios and the Joe McPhee Quartet '95-6. |