Moe Koffman

Moe Koffman (December 28 1928-March 28 2001) was a Canadian jazz musician and composer. He played the flute, saxophone and clarinet.

He was born Morris Koffman in Toronto in 1928. He attended the Toronto Conservatory of Music, now the Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto but later dropped out of school to perform in dance bands. In 1950, he moved to the United States, where he played with big bands including those of Sonny Durham and Jimmy Dorsey. In 1955, he returned to Toronto where he formed a quartet and later a quintet. He recorded Swinging Shepherd Blues in 1958 which helped establish his reputation as a flutist.

During the 1970s, Koffman recorded several popular albums with arrangements of works by classical composers including Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi. He also was a guest performer with a number of symphony orchestras across Canada.

He performed with Dizzy Gillespie and Peter Appleyard during the 1980s. He often performed with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass. From 1956 to 1990, Koffman booked performers for George's Spaghetti House in Toronto, where he performed weekly.

He was named to the Order of Canada in 1993 and inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1997. His composition "Curried Soul" was used as the theme song for the CBC radio show As It Happens.

He died of cancer in Orangeville, Ontario in 2001 at the age of 72. He had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma about a year earlier.

Although some jazz purists did not appreciate his sensitivity to popular tastes, his ability to adapt to changing styles reflected his technical skill as a musician and diverse musical interests.