There is often a dreadfully fine line that exists between cheesy and hip when it comes to dated and highly stylized music. The Gentle Rain, throughout the duration of Moody, the band’s sole 1973 record, have one foot firmly planted on either side of that line. A labor of love of sorts for English producer/arranger Nick Ingman, Moody was the end result of two days in the studio with a cast of session musicians, including the always-impressive Canadian flugelhorn player Kenny Wheeler. Consisting of twelve covers of songs by artists as diverse as the Beatles, Laura Nyro, Stevie Wonder, Carole King, and others, the Gentle Rain’s arrangements are very much a product of their era.
Having had an initially limited pressing that went out of print decades ago, Moody has been long sought after by record collectors and crate diggers alike. The album is something of an anomaly that more or less epitomizes the term crossover jazz in terms of the structure of its compositions and orchestrations. But the inclusion of so many covers at the expense of original compositions has the effect of likening the Gentle Rain’s music to muzak as much as it does the jazz/rock hybrid form that spawned in the early ‘70s. And while much of its material is actually quite strong, many of the record’s more well-known pieces, such as the opening cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” have achieved the level of elevator music over time and through numerous paradigm shifts. Also serving as something of a distraction is the inclusion of now-kitschy instrumentation such as the moog synthesizer. Once the moog kicks in on several of these pieces, most notably on the cover of Johnny Worth’s “Gonna Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse,” the tracks take a decidedly cheesy turn that causes the suppression of a snicker to be a considerably arduous task.
On the positive side, Moody is a beautifully produced and lushly arranged album that is perhaps one of the most eloquently expressive examples of crossover jazz ever recorded. Its obscurity makes it difficult to pin down just how influential it was at the time, but upon giving it a spin one recognizes the Gentle Rain’s album as the source from which a number of recognizable samples have been lifted. Possessing cinematic overtones that associate it with the numerous blaxploitation soundtracks of the era; it’s difficult to avoid thinking Ingman may have taken a cue or two from Isaac Hayes’ Shaft score (we’ve heard that wah-wah pedal before). However anachronistic Moody may be, it certainly does, however, feature moments of brilliance. Kenny Wheeler’s flugelhorn solos are melodic and seductive, and complement the somewhat funky nature of the arrangements, as do Ingman’s flute solos. An underlying vibe of eeriness, which is enhanced by the ensemble’s vibraphone playing and haunting Fender Rhodes electric piano, persists throughout the album as well. By and large, the Gentle Rain’s Moody is a curiosity that is pleasing to the ear and well worth seeking out as an artifact of the ‘70, particularly now that it’s in fact possible to do so.
