Mose Allison - I Love The Life I Live (1960) [vinyl, mono>flac]

Here’s my tribute to a great musician, singer & composer.

Recorded In the mid-1960, this Mose's second album with Columbia Records, captures the artist and his trio as he develops as a pianist, vocalist and composer. With signature passion and prowess, Mose Allison has created another ripe with personality. Known for his work on the trumpet as well as the piano Mose has played with the likes of Stan Getz and Zoot Sims among others as he has spread his own version of blues inflected jazz across the land. Sticking to the piano on this outing Mose sings and plays a few of his own compositions and a nice selection of other works. His piano presence is light and tasty and the blend of the trio sounds just right ever changing directions from song to song as Mose follows his muse.

When this album was recorded in 1960, this laconic Mississippian wasn't the brilliant lyricist he would later become. But he had great taste. The title track, written by Willie Dixon, sure sounds like a Mose song; "Fool's Paradise" is another gem. Mose's four tunes are instrumentals. The production by Teo Macero makes it feel like you're perched on one end of the piano bench. ~ by Mark Allan, AMG.

Columbia Records, CL 1565 [Mono], 1960

Recorded 28^th June, 1960 - 9^th September, 1960

Personnel:

Mose Allison - Piano, Vocals

Henry Grimes - Bass (#A1,A2,B4)

Addison Farmer - Bass (#A3,A4,B1,B3)

Bill Crow - Bass (#A5,B5,B6)

Paul Motian - Drums (#A1,A2,B4)

Jerry Segal - Drums (#A3,A4,B1,B3)

Gus Johnson - Drums (#A5,B5,B6)

Tracks:

A1. I Love The Life I Live, I Live The Life I Love {Willie Dixon} (2:29)

A2. News {Mose Allison} (3:21)

A3. Fool's Paradise {Jerry Fuller, Robert Geddins, Dan Rosenbaum} (3:39)

A4. You Turned The Tables On Me {Louis Alter, Sidney Mitchell} (4:01)

A5. Isobel {Al Cohn} (4:09)

A6. You're A Sweetheart {Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh} (2:18)

B1. Night Ride {Mose Allison} (3:16)

B2. Path {Mose Allison} (3:37)

B3. Mad With You {Lightnin' Hopkins} (2:12)

B4. Hittin' On One {Mose Allison} (3:36)

B5. I Ain't Got Nobody {Roger Graham, Don Peyton, Spencer Williams} (1:53)

B6. Can't We Be Friends {Paul James, Kay Swift} (4:31)

Credits:

Producer - Teo Macero

Cover Photo - Bernie Friedman (Columbia Records Studio)

Liner Notes - Mose Allison

Mose Allison - My Backyard

By special request: Mose checks out his 'backyard' by coming to New Orleans and recording with most of Astral Project.

AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos
Mose Allison's career in his golden and quite fruitful years has yielded many surprises and challenges, not the least of which is this delightful offering. He continues to write attractive, bouncy, and fun tunes carried by his signature roiling piano style and sly lyrics. For this effort, producer and Allison disciple Ben Sidran hooked him up with musicians from the modern New Orleans jazz scene, including Astral Project members -- the extraordinary drummer John Vidacovich, tenor saxophonist Tony Dagradi, and guitarist Steve Masakowski. Veteran bassist Bill Huntington rounds out this very talented ensemble that happily works with Allison step by step to produce some of the singer/songwriter/instrumentalist's most enjoyable music, a tall order but easily recognizable once the listening commences. John D. Loudermilk's "You Call It Joggin'," with the retort "but I call it runnin' around," is one of the all-time classic skeptical lyric lines, as applicable to contemporary lifestyles as anything in the urban lexicon. His revisit of "That's Your Red Wagon" is another timeless tale of emotional baggage; Percy Mayfield's "Stranger In My Own Hometown" is purely autobiographical; while "Sleepy Lagoon" is an easygoing, romantic fantasy theme. Of the eight Allison originals, "The Getting Paid Waltz" depicts every musician's nightmare playing in a nightclub, impatiently waiting for the cheapskate owner eventually to pay up. "Was" is a light waltz for has-beens; "Sentimental Fool" talks about the paradox that he "messed around and got humanized"; and the New Orleans shuffle "Big Brother" -- including smart tradeoffs with Dagradi -- is a post-technology cautionary tale, even more relevant in modern times with the advent of Skype, Twitter, and Facebook. A statement on the music industry and jazz in particular, the slinky "Long Song" delineates in four minutes what need and not need be present in popular commercial or creative progressive music, and is a perfect companion to his song "My Top 40 Hit Record." Allison is always a delight to hear, a consistently marvelous piano player, and in very good company with this expert band that suits his style and personality perfectly. My Backyard is one of the best records of his career.

Mose Allison - Autumn Song

A lesser known light amongst the Prestige albums, but it showcases Moses' personal brand of Missisippi BeBop.

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

Mose Allison recorded six albums as a leader for Prestige between 1957 and 1959, an era when he was better known as a jazz pianist than a folk/country blues vocalist and masterful lyricist. On his final Prestige date, Allison (in a trio with bassist Addison Farmer and drummer Ronnie Free) performs seven instrumentals (including "It's Crazy," "Autumn Song," and "Groovin' High") but it's the three vocals ("Eyesight to the Blind," "That's All Right," and Duke Ellington's "Do Nothin' 'til You Hear from Me") that are most memorable. One realizes why Allison was soon emphasizing his vocals; he was a much more distinctive singer than pianist, although his piano playing was actually pretty inventive. This is an excellent all-around set.

Da Imp Dreams DEEP

A new series dedicated to an old friend.

Piano Trios T to Z

Well gang, that's it for the trios this time through - got a new series started and volume 1 already in the can (i.e. coming very soon).

Mose Allison - Local Color and Down Home Piano

And now a world without Mose Allison...sigh...Cool takes a huge hit. Privileged to have seen him a few times. A unique and remarkable pianist as well as song writer/humorist/philosopher and political commentator. I miss him already...

David "Fathead" Newman - Scratch My Back (1979) [vinyl>flac]

Here's another LP by David "Fathead" Newman which has been cast aside; this time from 1979 when Disco/Jazz Funk was trying to counteract the onslaught of Rock music and all its derivatives. This album is arranged and co-produced by William Fischer whom also co-writes with Newman four tunes. Many of the tracks are backed by vocals, especially Side A, but the balance showcase many well-known artists giving the listener many an opportunity to hear some great playing. These include: Randy Brecker, Earl McIntyre, James Buffington on horns, Richard Tee, Kevin Toney on keyboards, Cornell Dupree, Eric Gale on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, Harvey Mason on drums and Bill Summers on congas etc.,. Highlights include "Two Can Do It", "Scratch My Back", "After The Ball" & “The Buggs”. An album easily overlooked or put down by jazz purists but in many ways it is a great example of a new style that was emerging in the late seventies, listen with revived appreciation and enjoy!

Prestige Records, P-10108, 1979

Recorded March, 1979 at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California

Personnel:

David Newman - Flute, Soprano, Alto & Tenor Saxophones

Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis - Trumpet

Earl McIntyre - Trombone

James Buffington - French Horn (#A3)

Jerry Dodgion, Kenneth Harris, George Marge - Flute

Richard Tee - Acoustic Piano (#A1-A3,B3,B4)

Kevin Toney - Electric Piano, Clavinet, Synthesizers

Cornell Dupree - Guitar (#A3,B1-B4)

Eric Gale - Guitar (#A1,A2)

Ron Carter - Acoustic Bass (#A1-A3,B3,B4)

Wilbur Bascomb, Jr. - Electric Bass (#A3,B1,B2)

Harvey Mason - Drums

Bill Summers - Congas, Percussion

Flame Braithwaite, Deborah McGriff, Bessie Ruth Scott, Tanyette - Vocals

and Strings

Tracks:

A1-A2. One Step At A Time_You Gotta Keep Gotta Keep Dancin' {Newman, Fischer} (12:22)

A3. Two Can Do It {David "Fathead" Newman, William Fischer} (6:32)

B1. Scratch My Back {Kevin Toney} (5:51)

B2. Rock Me,Baby [Like My Back Ain't Got No Bone] {Kevin Toney, Bessie Scott} (5:32)

B3. After The Ball {David "Fathead" Newman, William Fischer} (3:40)

B4. The Buggs {Claude Johnson} (3:26)

Credits:

Producer - Orrin Keepnews, William Fischer

Arranger - William Fischer

Recording Engineer - Vince McGarry

Assistant Engineer - James Faber

Art Direction - Phil Carroll

Design - Kris Johnson

Photography - Phil Bray