Charles Moffett

Charles Moffett is most significant for being the drummer with <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette Coleman</a>'s 1965-1967 trio and for being the father of a remarkable musical family that includes bassist <a href="spotify:artist:57CUkoMQiO1joq1JTWeDoI">Charnett</a>, drummer Codaryl, vocalist Charisse, trumpeter Mondre, and tenor saxophonist Charles Jr.

Charles Moffett, Sr. actually started out as a trumpeter, playing with <a href="spotify:artist:6vth8u6Wp7k2bbzDQMCmrb">Jimmy Witherspoon</a> and other groups as a teenager. He switched to drums while in college. Moffett worked as a high school teacher in Texas (1953-1961), but also played with jazz and R&B bands on the side. He first joined <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Ornette Coleman</a> in 1961, but the altoist soon went into retirement for three years. Moffett worked with <a href="spotify:artist:1VEzN9lxvG6KPR3QQGsebR">Sonny Rollins</a> in 1963, recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:7C2DSqaNkh0w77O5Jz1FKh">Archie Shepp</a> (Four for Trane), and led his own group, which included <a href="spotify:artist:3JLUCojZaHrX2LaUkSj7Ud">Pharoah Sanders</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4Byg6TGm4z9TEkUDvEJBGO">Carla Bley</a>. When <a href="spotify:artist:47odibUtrN3lnWx0p0pk2P">Coleman</a> began playing again, Moffett was a part of his classic trio that also included bassist David Izenzon; a couple of Blue Note records resulted. In 1970, he moved to Oakland, where he directed a music school and played locally with <a href="spotify:artist:1fJEAxQLhUQdBmUjsj3vIF">Steve Turre</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4RuQdmPbC0hK099wjXGeOf">Prince Lasha</a>. He later played with <a href="spotify:artist:5oUw6Uc3gqee9yccwr9mur">Frank Lowe</a> in New York and continued teaching. Charles Moffett recorded two albums as a leader: A Savoy set in 1969 that featured him also playing trumpet and vibes and a 1974 outing for LRS with his children. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi