Charnett Moffett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charnett Moffett
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Moffett at 55 Bar in New York City
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| Background information | |
| Born | June 10, 1967 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | April 11, 2022 (aged 54) Stanford, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, world music |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Bass |
| Years active | 1983–2022 |
| Labels | Blue Note, Manhattan, Evidence, Motéma |
| Associated acts | Manhattan Jazz Quintet |
Charnett Moffett (born June 10, 1967 – died April 11, 2022) was an American jazz musician. He was famous for playing the bass guitar. Charnett came from a musical family and started playing bass at a very young age. He became known for his amazing skills on both acoustic and electric bass.
He worked with many famous jazz artists throughout his career. Some of these included Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Art Blakey, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, and Pharoah Sanders.
Early Life and Music Career
Charnett Moffett grew up in New York City. He went to a special school for music and art called Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. Later, he studied at the Mannes College of Music and the Juilliard School. These are very famous music schools.
In 1983, when he was just 16, he played on an album called Scenes in the City with saxophonist Branford Marsalis. The next year, he joined trumpeter Wynton Marsalis's band. He even played on their Grammy-winning album, Black Codes (From the Underground).
During the 1980s, Moffett also played with guitarist Stanley Jordan. He was on Jordan's popular album Magic Touch. He also worked with drummer Tony Williams on two albums.
In 1987, Charnett Moffett signed with Blue Note Records. This was a big step for him. He released his first album as a leader, called NetMan. It featured famous musicians like Michael Brecker. His second album, Beauty Within, was special because his whole family played on it! His father, brothers, and sister were all part of the music. His third album, Nettwork, showed off his unique piccolo bass and electric bass playing.
Later, Moffett released more albums. One album, Planet Home, included his own version of "The Star-Spangled Banner". It was a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. He also played with Pharoah Sanders's band for several years. In 1996, he appeared on two albums by the legendary Ornette Coleman.
In 2001, Moffett released an album called Mr. P. It was a tribute to another famous bassist, Jaco Pastorius. He also played on music for movies like Glengarry Glen Ross and The Score.
Music from 2008 to 2019
In 2008, Charnett Moffett joined Motéma Music. He released The Art of Improvisation in 2009. On this album, he played many different types of bass. He used electric bass, piccolo bass, and acoustic upright bass. He even added sounds from Asian and Middle Eastern music.
His next album, Treasure, came out in 2010. It also had influences from different cultures. But it focused more on the swinging jazz style he was known for. Moffett used his special "three-pointed bass method" on this album. This meant he played his upright acoustic bass, his fretless electric bass, and his electric piccolo bass.
In 2013, he released two more albums, The Bridge: Solo Bass Works and Spirit of Sound. To celebrate 30 years of making music, he released his first live album, Music From Our Soul. Many of his musician friends played on it.
His last album, Bright New Day, came out in 2019. He made it with his touring band.
His Passing
Charnett Moffett passed away on April 11, 2022. He was 54 years old. He died at Stanford University Hospital from a heart attack.
Discography
As Leader
- Net Man (Blue Note, 1987)
- Beauty Within (Blue Note, 1989)
- Nettwork (Manhattan, 1991)
- Planet Home (Evidence, 1995)
- Still Life (Evidence, 1997)
- The Art of Improvisation (Motema, 2009)
- Treasure (Motema, 2010)
- Music from Our Soul (Motema, 2017)
- Bright New Day (Motema, 2019)
