"...Swingin'
Machine..."
Like
myself (and so many others I suspect) - I became aware of the mighty American
Jazz swinger Mose Allison via England's Modfather Georgie Fame.
In
fact in a 2016 interview, Fame admits that in 1964 an introduction by a
musician friend to one of Allison's imported US Hard Bop LPs, Georgie initially
nicked Moses' scat vocal styles/cadences to such a point that it was hard at
times to tell the two apart! Only three songs into this uber-groovy UK CD
compilation brought to us hipsters by those cool types over at Ace Records on
their Beat Goes Public imprint label (BGP) - and you can so hear how true that
is. Lifetime fan Georgie boy was (you have to say) always on the style money –
seventh son of a seventh son indeed – he knew the one.
Culling
tracks from Allison albums on Prestige (Fifties) and Columbia, Epic and
Atlantic (Sixties and Seventies) - you get 18 cuts in glorious Stereo and 6 in
pin-sharp Mono - Allison on Piano and Vocals throughout. Let's get to the
Swingin' Machine...
UK
released Friday, 28 October 2016 (4 November 2016 in the USA) - "I'm Not
Talkin' - The Song Stylings Of MOSE ALLISON 1957-1971" by MOSE ALLISON on
Ace/Beat Goes Public (BGP) CDBGPD 304 (Barcode 029667077828) is a 24-Track CD
Compilation of Remasters that plays out as follows (61:32 minutes):
1.
I'm Not Talkin' (from the 1964 US LP "The Word From Mose" on Atlantic
SD 1424 in Stereo)
2.
Parchman Flying (from the 1958 US LP "Young Man Mose" on Prestige
PRLP 7121 in Mono)
3.
Foolkiller (from the 1964 US LP "The Word From Mose" on Atlantic SD
1424 in Stereo)
4.
If You Only Knew (from the 1971 US LP "Western Man" on Atlantic SD
1584 in Stereo)
5.
Baby, Please Don't Go (from the 1960 US LP "Transfiguration Of Hiram
Brown" on Columbia CS 8240 in Stereo)
6.
The Seventh Son (from the 1958 US LP "Creek Bank" on Prestige PRLP
7152 in Mono)
7.
I'm Smashed (from the 1970 US LP "...Hello There, Universe" on
Atlantic SD 1550 in Stereo)
8.
Wild Man On The Loose (from the 1966 US LP "Wild Man On The Loose" on
Atlantic SD 1456 in Stereo)
9.
If You're Goin' To The City (from the 1963 US LP "Swingin' Machine"
on Atlantic SD 1398 in Stereo)
10.
Everybody Cryin' Mercy (from the 1968 US LP "I've Been Doin' Some
Thinkin'" on Atlantic SD 1511 in Stereo)
11.
I Love The Life I Live (from the 1960 US LP "I Love The Life I Live"
on Columbia CS 8365 in Stereo)
12.
Young Man's Blues (from the 1957 US LP "Back Country Suite For Piano, Bass
And Drums" on Prestige PRLP 7091 in Mono)
13.
Back On The Corner (from the 1962 US LP "Takes To The Hills" on Epic
BA 17031 in Stereo)
14.
You Can Count On Me To Do My Part (from the 1966 US LP "Wild Man On The
Loose" on Atlantic SD 1456 in Stereo)
15.
Lost Mind (from the 1958 US LP "Young Man Mose" on Prestige PRLP 7121
in Mono)
16.
Eyesight To The Blind (from the 1959 US LP "Autumn Song" on Prestige PRLP
7189 in Mono)
17.
Your Mind Is On Vacation (from the 1962 US LP "I Don't Worry About A
Thing" on Atlantic SD 1389 in Stereo)
18.
Jus Like Livin' (from the 1968 US LP "I've Been Doin' Some Thinkin'"
on Atlantic SD 1511 in Stereo)
19.
If You Live (from the 1958 US LP "Creek Bank" on Prestige PRLP 7152
in Mono)
20.
V-8 Ford Blues (from the 1962 US LP "Takes To The Hills" on Epic BA
17031 in Stereo)
21.
Your Molecular Structure (from the 1968 US LP "I've Been Doin' Some
Thinkin'" on Atlantic SD 1511 in Stereo)
22.
Hello There, Universe (from the 1970 US LP "...Hello There, Universe"
on Atlantic SD 1550 in Stereo)
23.
Western Man (from the 1971 US LP "Western Man" on Atlantic SD 1584 in
Stereo)
24.
Swingin' Machine (from the 1963 US LP "Swingin' Machine" on Atlantic
SD 1398 in Stereo)
Track
11 by The Mose Allison Trio, all other tracks by Mose Allison
Tracks
1, 3 to 5, 7 to 11, 13, 14 and 17, 18 and 20 to 24 are in STEREO - Tracks 2, 6,
12, 15, 16 and 19 are in MONO
Compiled
and Annotated by long-time Ace Records associate DEAN RUDLAND - the 16-page
booklet features informative liner notes and all those oh-so cool 50ts and 60ts
album covers - Mose sat in a wicker chair for "Young Man Mose" and our
Al looking a bit more man-about-town and with-it for "The Word From
Mose" - a 1964 album that contains two of his most popular tunes in
Blighty - "I'm Not Talkin'" and "Foolkiller" - covered by
The Yardbirds and Brian Auger & The Trinity. Those rare Esquire Records
British EPs for "Back Country Suite" and "Mose Allison" are
pictured as are label repros for American 7" singles you never see either like
"Parchman Farm" (Prestige PR 295) and "The Seventh Son"
(Prestige 150). Very tasty...
DUNCAN
COWELL has done the Audio Mastering and all sounds tickety-boo (as you would
expect from labels like Prestige, Columbia and Atlantic).
I’ve
always loved his suave covers of the Joe Williams, Willie Dixon and Sonny Boy
Williamson Blues and R&B classics "Baby Please Don't Go", "The
Seventh Son" and "Eyesight To The Blind" - and the way he makes
the witty lyrics sound like he penned them all along. He also gives Percy
Mayfield a whirl on his version of "Lost Mind", but just in case
you’re thinking he can’t cut a laugh himself – try out the sexy "Your
Molecular Structure" or the deprecating "Wild Man On The Loose" or
sly jabbing in "Your Mind Is On Vacation". Even in the early
Seventies when he was wearing Afghans, tie-dye shirts and beads – he still
managed to feel hip and swinging on cuts like "Hello There, Universe"
and "I'm Smashed".
For
sure his style of vocals and almost tripping-over-itself deadpan delivery may
not be to everyone’s tastes, but if ever a CD compilation was an ample
advertisement for why so many thought Mose Allison so influential and worthy of
worship – them "I'm Not Talkin'" is it. Yeah baby and nice job
done...
