Customer Reviews

Back Country Suite

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the best of Allison's blues piano and composition...and no one explored so much modernity while staying so deeply rooted. The Grove Press guide is wrong..."One Room Country Shack" is also a vocal - on a great blues song by Mercy Dee Walton (incorrectly named "Mercy Dee" on the original liner notes).

Mose Allison is a true Jazz Pioneer. And if the former reviewer knew anything about root blues and slow Jazz chops, he would understand this. Mose writes great comical lines, has an interestingvoice with great timing, has a sensitive piano style, reminisent of Amad Jamal, that came from being raised in the south surrounded by tons of black piano players. He has been schooled throughpout his life by many Jazz Giants and has influenced a ton musicians who have had the sensitivity and depth of understanding his root blues/jazz expression. 5 stars easily!

Mose Allison is an amazing artist, a stunning musician and wordsmith. I would encourage anyone to ignore this review and listen to some Mose on Youtube then after seeing how good he is, I'm sure you will want to show support for this under-appreciated mega-talent by buying any of his records that are still in print. Mose kicks-ass, he's one of the swingingest.

If you like Tom Waits, Mose was one of his earliest heroes and had an influence on most of Tom's early records, and remains one of Tom's heroes.

Mose Allison is not all that great. He's not stupid, but he doesn't exert his mind enough to make his ideas really interesting. He's not really jive, and he's not "whitey," but he isn't much else either. His chops aren't too hot, to boot. I guess his appeal is that Pete Townshend of The Who finds himself cheering Mose's songwriting and recorded his "Blue Blues.". I don't figure. Anyway, his voice is humdrum, and his piano playing is not sharp. I dismiss him as being for freshman mentalities. I am reviewing disc one of the twofer "Mose Allison" by Mose Allison, which is the same as "Back Country Suite" (Sides 3 & 4 are his other '57 album, "Local Color".) I docked the album one star because of obscene liner notes by Mr. Townshend.