Joseph Patrick Moore

Joseph Patrick Moore handles the bass with a supple, wide-ranging technique that comes across whether he is leading his own jazz recordings, contributing as a session player to other artists’ projects, working within group formats, or supporting the stage productions of Carol Channing and Jerry Lewis. His interest in playing an instrument surfaced early; in fourth grade he began on alto saxophone and stayed with it until his sophomore year of high school, when he entered the marching band and switched to drums. A few years later he adopted the electric bass and studied with Rusty Holloway, a former sideman with Woody Herman. Around the same time Moore began performing nightly with the group Sage in local clubs.

From 1989 to 1991 he attended the University of Tennessee on a full scholarship, continuing lessons with Holloway while also working with Donald Brown and Jerry Coker. During that period he appeared with Salsa Blue, performed alongside Judy Collins and the Knoxville Symphony, and played with Gil Scott. In 1991 Moore transferred to the University of Memphis, believing the city would supply more professional opportunities. He soon joined the Charlie Wood Trio for a two-year run of nightly engagements while also teaching and handling studio sessions. The Milton J. Hinton Scholarship he received in 1993 allowed him to deepen his jazz studies.

Between 1994 and 1997 he performed with the Memphis Groovetet, whose lineup included pianist Alvie Givahn and drummer Renardo Ward. In 1996 Moore issued his debut album, Never Never Land, on the label he had founded, Moore Music Productions. The following year the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences nominated him for an award. Also in 1997 he relocated to Atlanta, where he met Colonel Bruce Hampton; the encounter led to a yearlong engagement with Hampton’s Fiji Mariners. When Hampton later formed Planet Zambee, Moore joined that ensemble as well.