Mose Allison – Complete Prestige Recordings – 3CD

3 CD Box Set including a 36-page booklet with session details, photos, original art & liner notes.

-Back Country Suite (PR 7091) 1957
-Local Color (PR 7121) 1957
-Young Man Mose (PR 7137) 1958
-Ramblin' with Mose (PR 7215) 1958
-Creek Bank (PR 7152) 1958
-Autumn Song (PR 7189) 1959

This set contains all 65 tracks included in the six albums Mose Allison recorded for Prestige Records (1957-1959). Be it a vocal solo, a piano chorus or an extended composition, Mose Allison’s work has one distinguishing characteristic—the complete absence of superfluous notes, frilly passages and gaudy backgrounds. In Mose’s own words, “I played around the Southwest and other places for years and the basic elements of my style were pretty well complete when I got to New York in 1956. I have tried to get a unit sound and I think we’re succeeding in that vein with the trio.”

A native of Tippo, Mississippi, Mose Allison (1927) started piano lessons at five and from his early years listened to and absorbed the music of blues singers. Settling in New York in 1956 after a time on the road, he soon had his own trio, playing piano and singing in a style that reflected no trend, no attempt to emulate anything or anyone, just his own striking personality.

In the process he revealed himself as an artist of profound simplicity. “The basis of my jazz conception is the country blues feeling,” he said in 1958. “In the South I’m considered an advanced, be-bop type. In New York, I’m considered a country blues, folk type. Actually, I don’t think I’m either. Maybe a little of both.” Clearly, though much of his charm and intrinsic appeal rests on his elemental blues and the homey country feeling of the vocals, when he launches into his distinctive piano solos it’s jazz through and through.

It was this combination that led Prestige Records to be the first to record him, as the six albums he made for them between 1957 and 1959, all collected here, perfectly illustrate. This is the duality of Mose Allison; it is what sets him apart. Above all, there is the essential characteristic of his music: a relentless, driving energy. “I want to grow within my style instead of looking for new devices,” he said. And he did.

Track Listing:

CD 1:
1. New Ground (Allison) 2:01   2. Train (Allison) 1:46   3. Warm Night (Allison) 1:42   4. Blues (Allison) 1:24   5. Saturday (Allison) 1:21   6. Scamper (Allison) 2:11   7. January (Allison) 1:36   8. Promised Land (Allison) 1:58   9. Spring Song (Allison) 1:19   10. Highway 49 (Allison) 1:36   11. Blueberry Hill (Lewis-Stock-Rose) 2:55   12. You Won’t Let Me Go (Allen-Johnson) 3:42   13. I Thought About You (Van Heusen-Mercer) 3:49   14. One Room Country Shack (Walton) 3:01   15. In Salah (Allison) 3:46   16. Carnival (Allison) 2:59   17. Parchman Farm (Allison) 3:17   18. Crepuscular Air (Allison) 3:43   19. Mojo Woman (Allison) 4:04   20. Town (Allison) 3:21   21. Trouble in Mind (Jones) 3:13   22. Lost Mind (Mayfield) 3:31   23. I’ll Never Be Free (Benjamin-Weiss) 5:36   24. Don’t Ever Say Goodbye (Ellington) 3:12   25. Ain’t You a Mess (Allison) 2:40

CD 2:
1. Somebody Else Is Taking My Place (Howard-Ellsworth-Morgan) 4:03   2. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (Ellington) 2:47   3. Bye Bye Blues (Lawn-Gray) 3:19   4. How Long Has This Been Going On? (Gershwin) 4:07   5. I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out (Fergo-Ellis-Cater) 4:42   6. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (Charles) 3:15   7. Stroll (Mose Allison) 3:55   8. I Hadn’t Anyone Till You (Noble) 2:31   9. My Kinda Love (Siegel) 3:50   10. Sleepy Time Gal (Whiting-Lorenzo-Alden) 5:23   11. I Got a Right to Cry (Liggins) 2:48   12. Old Devil Moon (Lane) 5:08   13. The Minstrels (Allison) 3:27   14. You Belong to Me (Price-King-Stewart) 4:21   15. Stranger in Paradise (Wrighy-Forrest) 5:26   16. Kissin’ Bug (Lampert-Eisenhauer-Lindley) 4:30   17. Ramble (Allison) 3:10   18. Saritha (Allison) 3:54   19. Old Man John (Allison) 2:17   20. Ingenue (Allison) 3:00

CD 3:
1. The Seventh Son (Dixon) 2:36   2. If I Didn’t Care (Lawrence) 4:25   3. Cabin in the Sky (Duke) 4:04   4. If You Live (Mabon) 2:31   5. Yardbird Suite (Parker) 3:21   6. Creek Bank (Allison) 4:34   7. Moon and Cypresses (Allison) 4:00   8. Mule (Allison) 3:51   9. Dinner on the Ground (Allison) 3:14   10. Prelude to a Kiss (Ellington) 4:12   11. Promenade (Allison) 4:09   12. Eyesight to the Blind (Williamson) 1:41   13. It’s Crazy (Rogers-Fields) 3:37   14. That’s All Right (Rogers) 2:27   15. Devil in the Cane Field (Allison) 4:02   16. Strange (La Touche-Fisher) 3:06   17. Autumn Song (Allison) 3:40   18. Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me (Ellington-Russell) 3:11   19. Spires (Allison) 3:03   20. Groovin’ High (Gillespie-Stone) 5:39

Sources CD 1:
Tracks #1-15, from the album “Back Country Suite” (Prestige PR 7091)
Tracks #16-25, from the album “Local Color” (Prestige PR 7121)

Sources CD 2:
Tracks #1-10, from the album “Young Man Mose” (Prestige PR 7137)
Tracks #11-20, from the album “Ramblin’ with Mose” (Prestige PR 7215)

Sources CD 3:
Tracks #1-10, from the album “Creek Bank” (Prestige PR 7152)
Tracks #11-20, from the album “Autumn Song” (Prestige PR 7189) 

Personnel on "Back Country Suite":
Mose Allison, piano, vocals (#4,14); Taylor La Fargue, bass; Frank Isola, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, on March 7, 1957

Personnel on "Local Color":
Mose Allison, piano, trumpet (#21), vocals (#17,22); Addison Farmer, bass; Nick Stabulas, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, on November 8, 1957

Personnel on "Young Man Mose":
Mose Allison, piano, trumpet (#7), vocals (#2,6,8); Addison Farmer, bass; Nick Stabulas, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, on January 24, 1958

Personnel on "Ramblin' with Mose":
Mose Allison, piano, vocals (#11); Addison Farmer, bass; Ronnie Free, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, on April 18, 1958

Personnel on "Creek Bank":
Mose Allison, piano, vocals (#1,4); Addison Farmer, bass; Ronnie Free, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, on August 15, 1958

Personnel on "Autumn Song":
Mose Allison, piano, vocals (#12,14,18); Addison Farmer, bass; Ronnie Free, drums.
Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, on February 13, 1959

Original recordings produced by Bob Weinstock & Esmond Edwards. Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder

“Back Country Suite” Cover photo: Esmond Edwards
“Local Color” Design: Marc Rice / Photo: Esmond Edwards
“Young Man Mose” Cover photo: Esmond Edwards
“Ramblin' with Mose” Cover design & photo: Don Schlitten
“Creek Bank” Cover photo: Esmond Edwards
“Autumn Song” Cover design: Esmond Edwards

This CD compilation produced by Jordi Pujol