Charles Moffett

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Charles Moffett (September 6, 1929 – February 14, 1997) was an American free jazz drummer.<ref name="allmusic" />

Biography

Moffett was born in Fort Worth, Texas,<ref name="allmusic" /> where he attended I.M. Terrell High School with Ornette Coleman.<ref name="litweiler" />Template:Rp Before switching to drums, Moffett began his musical career as a trumpeter.<ref name="litweiler" /> At the age of 13, he played trumpet with Jimmy Witherspoon,<ref name="allmusic" /><ref name="tsha" /> and later formed a band, the Jam Jivers, with fellow students Coleman and Prince Lasha.<ref name="litweiler" />Template:Rp After switching to drums, Moffett briefly performed with Little Richard.<ref name="tsha" />

Moffett served in the United States Navy, after which he pursued boxing before studying music at Huston-Tillotson College in Austin.<ref name="tsha" /> Moffett married in 1953 (Coleman was best man, and performed at the wedding),<ref name="litweiler" />Template:Rp then began teaching music at a public school in Rosenberg, Texas<ref name="tsha" />

In 1961, Moffett moved to New York City to work with Ornette Coleman,<ref name="tsha" /> but the saxophonist soon went into a brief retirement period.<ref name="allmusic" /> Moffett worked with Sonny Rollins, appeared on Archie Shepp's album Four for Trane, and led a group that included Pharoah Sanders and Carla Bley.<ref name="allmusic" /> When Coleman returned to performing in 1964, he formed a trio with Moffett and bassist David Izenzon.<ref name="allmusic" /> Moffett also performed on vibraphone.

Moffett began teaching music at New York Public Schools as a way to make ends meet when Coleman made only sporadic performances.<ref name="tsha" /> Moffett taught at P.S. 58 (Carrol School) in Brooklyn and at P.S. 177 M (under the Manhattan Bridge and now defunct). He also taught at a Brooklyn High School. Moffett moved to Oakland, California, where he served as the city's music director, and was later the principal of the alternative Odyssey public school in Berkeley in the mid-1970s.<ref name="tsha" /> The title of his first solo album The Gift is a reference to his love of teaching music. His then seven-year-old son Codaryl played drums on that album. Moffett later returned to Brooklyn, New York, and taught at P.S. 142 Stranahan Junior High School (Closed in 2006) and at P.S. 58 Carroll School.

His children are double bassist Charnett Moffett, drummer Codaryl "Cody" Moffett, vocalist Charisse Moffett, trumpeter Mondre Moffett, and saxophonist Charles Moffett, Jr.<ref name="allmusic" />