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| Mose Allison at the Artists' Quarter by Don Berryman ,Jazz Police Contributed by In 1974 a friend of mine gave me a record saying "this sounds like the kind of stuff you would like." That album was "Mose Allison: a Retrospective" and she was dead right. That record is still one of my favorites. I fell in love with that sound right away. He had a voice drenched in the blues combined with impeccable jazz chops on the piano. That was over 30 years ago and he has continued to write and perform his own songs and put his stylistic stamp on classics like "Seventh Son" by Willie Dixon. He is simultaneously a down home Mississippi Bluesman and a urbane jazz hipster. In his half a century in the profession he has recorded albums for Prestige, Columbia, Atlantic, and Bluenote records. A tireless perform who still still tours throughout the year, he will grace Saint Paul Minnesota with a three night engagement at the Artists' Quater, September 23rd through the 25th Allison writes songs full of wit and wry observations, with lines like: "You say you're jogging but I call it running arround" and "I don't want much in this world -It's the simple things I treasure /- 'Till I die I would get by on fame, riuches and sensual pleasure". His songs have been recorded by many blues, jazz and rock artists including the Who, Charlie Musselwhite, Bonnie Raitt, Karyn Allyson, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Elvis Costello, Leon Russel, Hot Tuna, Georgie Fame, John Mayal, Jeff Beck, The Clash, even Roy Rogers, and Van Morrison (who recorded a tribute album: "Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison" with nothing but Mose Allison tunes). Pete Townsend (The Who) said of Mose "" ... his voice was so right that I felt it was the voice of a gentle giant. The man, the musician, with the strength to change the world, but the humility and the character to stand alone, live his own life and await his natural time."" His most recent Grammy nomination was for one of his two newest recordings, Mose Chronicles, Live in London, Vol. I on Blue Note Records. Mose Chronicles , Vol II was just released last year. Also Among recent releases are a dozen reissues on CD including Allison Wonderland and a double CD retrospective on Rhino, and High Jinks, a three CD package on Legacy. Blue Note has also re-released a collection of past recordings, Mose Allison, Jazz Profiles. His music has often been used in movies, and he can be seen performing in the recently released movie, The Score, starring Robert DeNiro and Marlon Brando. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Jazz News :: home page |