Robert Moore

At least decades separate the careers of the two most prominent brass instrumentalists named Bob Moore, both of whom are also sometimes credited as Robert Moore. Perhaps the gap in time was necessary in terms of cleaning up the lingering bad vibes from the trumpeter of this name, who suffered a complete nervous breakdown in 1940 and wound up locked up in an insane asylum. A complete contrast can be found in trombonist Bob Moore, who swung into action in the popular soul scene of the early '70s and became associated with the hip-shaking, happy sounds of the Salsoul Orchestra with its anxious trombone section. Moore's specialty is a kind of dripping, hot-butter sound; indeed, reports from restaurants where his discography has been featured indicate patrons find it unnecessary to butter either their toast or baked potato following a Moore trombone obbligato. One thing the trombonist did have in common with the trumpeter was excellence in a big-band setting. That genre term, familiar as it is in the discussion of classic jazz, is not always used in connection with the Salsoul Orchestra, Yet the outfit fronted by Vince Montana, active for roughly a decade beginning in the mid-'70s, was nothing if not a big band, hiding behind a more pretentious name while seeking a wider association of musical contexts than the touring large bands of the '30s and '40s. Nonetheless, the charts placed in front of Moore included the Jimmy Dorsey brand of standard fruit, "Tangerine," as well as popular arrangements of Earth, Wind & Fire material. On the subject of funky music, the trombonist should not be confused with the saxophonist of the same name who led Bobby Moore & the Rhythm Aces. ~ Eugene Chadbourne