Cody Moffett: My Favorite Things

What do the names Moffett, Marsalis, Ammons, Brubeck, Rowles, Monk, Moncur, Drew and Coltrane have in common? They all represent families with two generations of jazz musicians. Like his bandmate Kenny Drew Jr., drummer Cody Moffett is playing the same instrument as his famous father. And also like Drew, Moffett is doing it by establishing his own style and identity. The drummer’s My Favorite Things (TCB) is a family affair, as the band includes brothers Charnett on bass and Mondre on trumpet. Guitarist Stanley Jordan, who’s been recently absent from the straightahead jazz scene, is back with his trebly bag of tricks and actually gets pretty spacey on the medium-tempo arrangement of “Naima.” The leader has recorded three original pieces here: “November in New York,” a showcase for vocalist Cherelle Shabazz (good voice, but it’s a shame she doesn’t have better lyrics to sing); a brisk 6/8 performance of “Simone,” which includes violinist Leonardo Suarez Paz; and the stirring “Jambalaya Suite,” which shows you can play free and out without becoming cacophonous. The only disappointment is the title track. The bass and drums lock up but the rest of this arrangement is a bit of funky fluff. It fades out with good reason.

Originally Published November 1, 2002