J.C. Moses
b. John Curtis Moses, 18 October 1936, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 1977. Moses began as a percussionist, learning congas and bongos, with drummer Paula Roberts. Between 1958 and 1960 he played with Walt Harper, then relocated to New York. His accurate, expansive timekeeping was embraced by the progressive jazz community, most notably Eric Dolphy, who used him on the sessions which produced the little-known masterpieces CONVERSATIONS and IRON MAN (1963). Other musical associates included pianists Cedar Walton and Herbie Hancock and bebop trumpeter Kenny Dorham. In 1963 he left for Europe with the short-lived New York Contemporary Five and later appeared on fellow-Fiver Archie Shepp's FIRE MUSIC (1965) and ON THIS NIGHT (1966). Between 1965 and 1967 he drummed with Roland Kirk. For the next two years he freelanced, playing with John Coltrane, Sonny Stitt, Jackie McLean, Hal Singer and singer Nancy Wilson. In 1969 he left for Denmark and became house drummer at the famous Cafe Montmartre in Copenhagen. As well as working with fellow expatriates Dexter Gordonand Kenny Drew he accompanied Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Ted Curson and Tete Monteliou, and also recorded with John Tchicai's Cadentia Nova Danica orchestra ( AFRODISIACA, 1969). After 1970, problems with his kidneys limited his activities and he returned to Pittsburgh, where he played with Nathan Davis and Eric Kloss. His death in 1977, aged 41, deprived the world of a drummer who could relate both to New Thing iconoclasts and swing veterans.