Bob Moses (musician)

For the electronic duo, see Bob Moses (band).
For the civil rights activist, see Bob Moses (activist).
Bob Moses
Background information
Also known asRa-Kalam Bob Moses
Born
Robert Laurence Moses

(1948-01-28) January 28, 1948
New York City, U.S.
GenresJazz, avant-garde jazz
OccupationsMusician, composer, bandleader
InstrumentsDrums, percussion
Years active1964–present
LabelGramavision
Formerly ofThe Free Spirits, Gary Burton bands, Michael Gibbs Big Band, Steve Kuhn bands

Robert Laurence Moses (born January 28, 1948)[1] is an American jazz drummer.

Biography

He was born in New York, United States.[1] Moses played with Roland Kirk in 1964–65 while he was still a teenager.[1] In 1966, he and Larry Coryell formed The Free Spirits, a jazz fusion ensemble, and from 1967 to 1969 he played in Gary Burton's quartet, including drumming for the Grammy-nominated album Gary Burton Quartet in Concert.[1] He played on the landmark 1967 Burton album A Genuine Tong Funeral, but due to creative disputes with the album's composer Carla Bley, he was credited as "Lonesome Dragon".[2] Moses and Bley would later reconcile and he became a vocal booster for her music.

Moses recorded with Burton in the 1970s, in addition to work with Dave Liebman/Open Sky, Pat Metheny, Mike Gibbs, Hal Galper, Gil Goldstein, Steve Swallow, Steve Kuhn/Sheila Jordan (from 1979 to 1982), George Gruntz, and Emily Remler (from 1983 to 1984).[1] In the early 1970s he was a member of Compost with Harold Vick, Jumma Santos, Jack Gregg and Jack DeJohnette.[1]

His first release as a leader was 1968's Love Animal. His second release was 1973's Bittersuite in the Ozone. His records for Gramavision in the 1980s were critically acclaimed.[1]

He is the author of the drum method book Drum Wisdom, published in 1984.[3]

Moses performs alongside John Lockwood, Damon Smith, Jaap Blonk, Don Pate, and John Medeski with guitarist Tisziji Muñoz and teaches at New England Conservatory.

In 2022, he recorded a trio album with the Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and Slovenian guitarist Samo Šalamon entitled Pure and Simple, after Šalamon had an extensive interview with him.[4]

Discography

As leader

  • Bittersuite in the Ozone (Mozown, 1975)
  • Tributaries with Richard Sussman, Andy LaVerne (Inner City, 1979)
  • Family (Sutra, 1980)
  • When Elephants Dream of Music (Gramavision, 1983)
  • Visit with the Great Spirit (Gramavision, 1984)
  • The Story of Moses (Gramavision, 1987)
  • Drumming Birds with Billy Martin (ITM, 1987)
  • Wheels of Colored Light (Open Minds, 1992)
  • Time Stood Still (Gramavision, 1994)
  • Devotion (Soul Note, 1996)
  • Love Everlasting with Tisziji Muñoz (Amulet, 1999)
  • Nishoma (Grapeshot, 2000)
  • Love Animal (Amulet, 2003)
  • Meditation on Grace with Michel Lambert (FMR, 2008)
  • Father's Day B'hash (Sunnyside, 2009)
  • The Illuminated Heart (Ra-Kalam, 2012)
  • Ecstatic Weanderings with Greg Burk (Jazzwerkstatt, 2012)
  • Ultra Minor with Jon Catler (FreeNote, 2018)

With The Free Spirits

With Compost

With Open Sky
(Trio with Dave Liebman and Frank Tusa)

  • Open Sky (PM, 1973) – rec. 1972
  • Spirit in the Sky (PM, 1975)

As sideman

With Gary Burton

With Michael Gibbs

  • In the Public Interest (Polydor, 1974)
  • Directs the Only Chrome-Waterfall Orchestra (Bronze, 1975)
  • Big Music (Venture, 1988)
  • By the Way (Ah Um, 1993)

With Steve Kuhn

With Dave Liebman

  • Drum Ode (ECM, 1975)
  • Homage to John Coltrane (Owl, 1987)
  • Spirit Renewed (Owl, 1991)

With Steve Marcus

  • Tomorrow Never Knows (Vortex, 1968)
  • Count's Rock Band (Vortex, 1969)
  • The Lord's Prayer (Vortex, 1969)

With Tisziji Muñoz

  • The Paradox of Independence (Anami Music, 2014)
  • When Coltrane Calls! Session 3: Living Immortality (Anami Music, 2015)
  • Scream of Ensoundment (Anami Music, 2017)

With others (listed chronologically)

References

Footnotes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. p. 1761. ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
  2. ^ Iverson, Ethan (May 13, 2018). "A Lifetime of Carla Bley". Culture Desk. The New Yorker.
  3. ^ Moses, Bob; Mattingly, Rick (1984). Drum Wisdom. Modern Drummer.
  4. ^ Salamon, Samo (September 15, 2021). Samo Šalamon & Bob Ra-Kalam Moses interview. YouTube. Dr. Jazz Talks. Vol. 116. Retrieved 2026-01-02.
General references
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