Mose Allison: Complete Prestige Recordings 1957 - 1959 auf 3 CDs

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 Allisons work has one distinguishing characteristicthe complete absence of superfluous notes, frilly passages and gaudy backgrounds. In Moses 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 were 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 Im considered an advanced, be-bop type. In New York, Im considered a country blues, folk type. Actually, I dont think Im 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 its 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.