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 Saturday, 20 March 2010 |
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Wild Man on the Loose: Mose Allison at the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, 11/16-20 |
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Written by Don Berryman
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Thursday, 10 November 2005 |
 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. Mose Allison was born on November 11th in 1927. In over 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 Chicago with a six night engagement at the
Jazz Showcase/a>, November 15th through the 20th.
Allison writes songs full of wit and wry observations, with lines like: "Everybody's cryin' 'Justice', just as long as it's business first" 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.
Come and catch that 'gentle giant' himself at the
Jazz Showcase/a>, November 15th through the 20th |
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