Charnett Moffett – Bass

Another from the discography of Wynton Marsalis, this is a ‘throwaway’ piece from the 1985 Wynton Marsalis ablum, ‘Black Codes (From The Underground)’. It was probably improvised on the spot for the purposes of creating an extra track to make sure there was enough material for a full album but I am speculating and Marsalis could have spent months composing it. It is the simplest of duets between Marsalis and the bassist in this recording, Charnett Moffett (Ron Carter also plays on one track).

Charnett Moffett (June 10, 1967 – April 11, 2022) was an American jazz bassist and composer. He worked with Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, Pharoah Sanders, Dizzy Gillespie, Ellis Marsalis, Sonny Sharrock, Stanley Jordan, Wallace Roney, Arturo Sandoval, Courtney Pine, David Sanborn, David Sánchez, Dianne Reeves, Frank Lowe, Harry Connick, Jr., Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Kenny Garrett, Kenny Kirkland, Kevin Eubanks, Lew Soloff, Manhattan Jazz Quintet, Melody Gardot, Mulgrew Miller and Tony Williams.

Moffett died at Stanford University Hospital on April 11, 2022, due to a heart attack. He was just 54.

(biographical; details from Wikipedia)

The transcription shows a sophisticated understanding of the Blues form and there is a lot to learn in these 10 choruses. It doesn’t have to be frantic to be profound.