Remembering Joel Moss
On Tuesday evening, Caffè Lena hosted "Where the Music Never Dies," a tribute to the life of legendary producer and Saratogian Joel Moss. Here's what some of the people who knew him best had to say.
There’s no possible way to fully capture the essence of a life—let alone a life as illustrious as Joel Moss’—in a single evening. But Tuesday night’s tribute to the late Saratogian—which was complete with a second line parade from Congress Park to the producer’s beloved Caffè Lena as well as a full slate of readings and performances in his honor—got pretty darn close.
I knew Joel as the affable guy who welcomed guests to Caffè Lena shows. And from what I’ve been told, he was probably perfectly happy being known as that. But anyone who knows anything about music could tell that when Joel met Terri-Lynn Pellegri and moved from Los Angeles to Saratoga to be with her in 2001, the Spa City gained a treasure—a world-class, soon-to-be Grammy-winning producer who’d worked with the likes of The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin, and Tony Bennett and was ready to turn his talents loose on the local community.
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Over the course of the last 20-plus years, Joel has been transformational to Caffè Lena’s success, working behind the scenes virtually every night to record, live stream, and archive the performances that take place on that storied stage. He’s also produced music for countless local artists, all while continuing to work on big-name projects, like Ray Charles’ 2004 album Genius Loves Company and the original Broadway cast recordings of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. (All three won Grammys.)
But beyond Joel’s professional success (which he has said “has always been accidental”), it’s his legendary humility and the depth of the relationships he’s made in his 20 years in Saratoga that really struck me in talking with his friends and colleagues on Tuesday.
“He’s the kind of person who made you feel known,” said songwriter Kate McDonnell.
“His baseline was joy,” said Michael Mills, a magician who’s performed several shows at the Caffè.
“He was just a light—so kind and generous,” said Kelsey Dodd, an 18-year-old singer-songwriter who spoke of being surprised that someone with Joel’s reputation would even respond to her email, let alone agree to work with her on her EP, Forever Evergreen.
One of the most emotional parts of the evening came when Joel’s daughter, Rachael, took the stage with her two kids. “When he moved to Saratoga, he was so excited,” Rachael said. “He said, ‘I have found the best place with the best people.’ He really loved you all.”
And Saratoga loved him back, as was evidenced by the turnout at his celebration of life. Between musical performances by everyone from the pint-sized Jazz Pebbles, Caffè Lena’s youth jazz band that recorded three songs with Joel just before he died, to Marc Shaimon, a composer Joel collaborated with on projects including Sleepless in Seattle, I had the chance to chat with some of the people who knew Joel best. Former Saratoga Springs Mayor Joann Yepsen told me about how she officiated his and Terri-Lynn’s wedding in Congress Park, while musician Garland Nelson spoke of teaming up with the producer and his nephew on a song for Autism Speaks. “It didn’t get picked up by the national organization, but it gave me the greatest insight into how Joel produces and how much he loves his family,” Garland said.
While Tuesday evening’s celebration was a beautiful tribute to a man who meant so much to so many people, as Caffè Lena Executive Director Sarah Craig said, Joel’s legacy deserves to live on longer than that one night. That’s why the Caffè has launched the Joel Moss Fund for the Caffè Lena School of Music, which will help house the school’s growing class offerings, as well as the Joel Moss Recording Program, which will enable students to experience the satisfaction of creating high-quality recordings of their own work, as well as those that take place on the Caffè Lena stage.
Of course, fund or no fund, Saratoga won’t soon forget the impact Joel Moss had on the city—and the world. “There are so many who Joel’s life touched and continues to touch,” said Saratoga Poet Laureate Joseph Bruchac. “And through the music that never dies, we will remember.”
Here are a few words from some of those whose lives Joel touched:
In our creative community, Joel cast a big glow. I was lucky enough to bask in that light and I think everyone in our community felt it too. As we continue on without him, it’s not the small details I remember, but the energy he brought to every project, and every friendship. The way he challenged us to keep growing and creating. The way he silently encouraged us and reminded us why we love what we do. The details may fade, but that spark of light and purpose he shared stays with us. His energy and his light live on in me, guiding and comforting me as I move through my own journey.
John Wager
Longtime collaborator and friend
We had been making this record—a cover of Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now—for months, and one day he tells me he used to live next door to Joni Mitchell and actually sang on the chorus of The Circle Game. He so downplayed his achievements.
Cassandra Kubinski
Local musician
Joel has been my mentor for developing my jazz ears. When my inbox starting filling up with jazz queries back around 2018, at first I felt ill-prepared to evaluate them. I can tell you in 10 seconds if a folk or roots artist is worth considering. I was a lot less confident when it came to jazz. I would walk into Joel’s production room and just announce the applicant’s name. Almost always, he knew their music and would give me an immediate, “Yes, get them,” or “They’re good but nobody will come,” or “No, not ready.” He managed to mentally catalog literally thousands of artists, many of whom were really quite obscure or just getting started on their careers—which means the catalog was growing all the time.
Sarah Craig
Executive Director of Caffè Lena
The first time we met, he was mixing and producing the cast recording of the Broadway show Allegiance. I was totally blown away by the work he was doing. And he was just a terrific, friendly guy.
Steve Rosenblum
Arts supporter
Joel was one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met. He was immensely talented, humble, kind, and disciplined in his work, but what I will miss the most is laughing with him and laughing to myself when he was being stubbornly and predictably himself. He could put anyone at ease with the way that he carried himself. His favorite joke at work was to come out from the broadcast studio at Lena’s after a band had sound-checked with some achingly beautiful ballad and say “Do you guys know any pretty ones?”
Reese Fulmer
Musician and Caffé Lena coworker
Joel Moss was indeed a giant. Not in a loud or self-important way, but in the generous way he lived—how he embodied the very best qualities of friendship.
Jim Mastrianni
Collaborator and friend
He had this extremely illustrious career and he was so nonchalant about it. In the booth, I might bring up The Eagles, and he’d say, “Oh, I cut the tape for ‘Hotel California,’ and now all I can hear when I listen to it is ‘thup-thup-thup’—all the places where the tape is glued together.” That was just a regular conversation with Joel.
Mikael Mulholland
Musician and colleague
He was the guy who would tell me who I shouldn’t miss at the Caffè. He was so enthusiastic about helping everybody and promoting everybody.
Nancy Kass
Caffè Lena board member
As soon as he moved here, his wheels started turning—”What can I do?” Everywhere he went, he wanted to do what he could. When I worked for Make-A-Wish, he came in offering to make a CD to donate the proceeds to us.
Mary Alice Cole
Owner of Cole’s Woodwind Shop
One of the things I’m going to miss so much is his hugs. He was one of the most massively talented huggers on the planet. His hugs were like a direct infusion of love into my soul.
Terry DeBrule
Friend
—Natalie