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| This is one of the first LP albums I ever bought. It was released in 1963. All the songs are vintage Mose - toe-tapping and finger-snapping! In 1966 I was a "poor college student" in San Francisco. One day I was getting my shoes shined downtown near where I lived and the shoe shine man had Mose's "Seventh Son" cranked up all the way on his radio. "I'm the Seventh Son!" he yelled out above the city traffic sounds. "I'm the Seventh Son!" And there was no reason not to believe him! [Click the Mose Sings album cover to hear his cut of Willie Dixon's "Seventh Son."] |
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| He was a country-boy, born in the Mississippi Delta on his grandfather’s farm near the village of Tippo. We went to see him perform back in the '80s in Eugene, Oregon. It was a small venue, as most of his dates were - outdoors. But he played non-stop for two hours. I mean, there was no talking. And at the end he just said, "Thank You!" [Click Mose to hear him perform live his famous rendition of the Bukka White song, "Parchman Farm." You'll also get treated to his characteristic beat-punctuating "Uh-uh-uh!" ] |
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He was also a city-hipster. In the '50s Mose headed for New York City where 52nd Street was the mecca for the coolest of the cool. He jammed with the likes of Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Phil
Woods. [Click Mose scribing to hear one of his coolest, "I Ain't Got Nothing
But The Blues." It's got that great lyric at the end, "
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| Mose was noted for scalpel-sharp lyrics. One of the best examples is his "Your Mind Is on Vacation." Click this Mose pic to hear/see a live performance which includes the lyric, "All I can say is if the shoe fits wear it/If you must keep talking please try to make it rhyme/'Cause your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working/Overtime." |
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| His musical musings got more reflective, more personal as the piano notes and the years flew by. Click the photo to check out his "I Looked In The Mirror," which contains the afore-mentioned, "... mixing up the boogie with the do-si-do." |
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| One of my favorite tracks is Mose's version of the old Sons of the Pioneers ballad, "Tumblin' Tumbleweeds." Here he teams up with the impeccable Kenny Burrell (guitar) to give this ol' cowboy standby a feeling that could be at home on the coldest urban street. |
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| Mose was no moon-spoon-June guy! He was capable punching out devastating one-liners, like, “ever since the world ended, I don’t go out so much." Clicking the photo reveals the rest of the song. |
I could listen to Mose Allison all day. And I've been known to do so! If you want more Mose, here are two more tunes:
- Lost Mind
- Certified Senior Citizen
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