J.C. Moses (October 18, 1936 – 1977)[1] was an American jazz drummer.

He was born John Curtis Moses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States,[1] and first began playing around Pittsburgh in the 1950s with Stanley Turrentine and brother Tommy Turrentine. In the 1960s, he worked with Clifford Jordan, Kenny Dorham and Eric Dolphy.[1] In 1963, he performed and recorded with the New York Contemporary Five,[1] a group that included Archie Shepp, John Tchicai and Don Cherry among its members. In 1964, he played with Tchicai and Roswell Rudd in the New York Art Quartet, and following this with Bud Powell, Charles Lloyd, Roland Kirk, Andrew Hill and Sam Rivers.[1] He moved to Copenhagen around 1969, where he was house drummer at the Montmartre Club, playing with Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon among others.[1] He played less in the 1970s due to failing health, and returned to Pittsburgh, where he played with Nathan Davis and Eric Kloss.[1] He never recorded as a leader.

Moses died in 1977, aged 41.[1] According to jazz writer Francis Paudras, he was an adherent of the Black Muslim movement.[2]

Discography

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With Eric Dolphy

With Kenny Dorham

With Andrew Hill

With Clifford Jordan

With Rahsaan Roland Kirk

With Charles Lloyd

With The New York Art Quartet

With Bud Powell

With Joe Sample

  • Try Us (Sonet, 1969)

With Archie Shepp

With Marzette Watts

References

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Footnotes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1761. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ Paudras, Francis (1998). Dance of the Infidels. Da Capo Press.
General references