Wild Bill Moore

Hailing from Texas, Wild Bill Moore stood out as a tenor saxophonist celebrated for his robust, somewhat extravagant tone. Born William M. Moore on June 13, 1918, he began on alto before moving to tenor in the early 1940s after absorbing the style of Chu Berry. Recognition first arrived for him in Chicago in 1944, the same year he cut his initial sides with Christine Chatman for Decca. In those years he appeared alongside leading players such as Red Allen. Shifting to Los Angeles, Moore steadily built his reputation between roughly 1945 and 1947 through recordings with Jack McVea, Big Joe Turner, Duke Henderson, Shifty Henry, Dexter Gordon, and Wardell Gray. Late in 1947 he moved on to Detroit, where his work included stints with Paul Williams and King Porter. He stayed in the Detroit area into the mid-1970s, releasing two leader dates on Jazzland while participating in the local scene, particularly with Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye. Later he returned to the Los Angeles region and resumed occasional work with Big Joe Turner. Moore died in August 1983.