Mose Allison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mose Allison
Allison in 1975
Background information
Birth name	Mose John Allison Jr.
Born	(1927-11-11)November 11, 1927 Tippo, Mississippi, U.S.
Died	November 15, 2016(2016-11-15) (aged 89) Hilton Head, South Carolina
Genres	Jazz jazz blues blues
Instruments	Piano vocals trumpet
Years active	1956–2015

Mose John Allison Jr. (born November 11, 1927 – died November 15, 2016) was an American musician. He was a talented jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. Mose Allison was known for mixing blues music with modern jazz. He sang and played the piano in his own special way.

After moving to New York in 1956, he worked with many famous jazz musicians. These included Stan Getz, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. He also made many recordings. People called him "one of the finest songwriters in 20th-century blues." His songs often created a certain mood. They also had a unique, funny, and subtle humor. Many well-known artists recorded his songs. For example, Pete Townshend of the Who recorded "Young Man Blues". John Mayall and Georgie Fame also used many of his songs.

In the 1980s, Mose Allison became even more popular. New fans loved his special mix of modern jazz. He started recording more often in the 1990s. Famous musicians like Van Morrison and Georgie Fame worked with him. They made a tribute album called Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison. The band Pixies even wrote a song called "Allison" to honor him. Mose Allison's music influenced many other artists. These include Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Tom Waits. In 2006, he was added to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

Mose Allison was born on November 11, 1927. He grew up on his grandfather's farm in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi. The farm was known as "the Island" because a bayou (a slow-moving stream) surrounded it. He started piano lessons at age five. As a child, he also picked cotton. He played piano in elementary school and trumpet in high school. He wrote his first song when he was 13 years old.

Allison attended the University of Mississippi for a short time. Then, he joined the U.S. Army for two years. After leaving the army, he went to Louisiana State University (LSU). He graduated in 1952 with a degree in English. He also studied philosophy. In 2008, LSU gave him an honorary doctorate degree.

Music career

In 1956, Mose Allison moved to New York City. This is where he began his jazz career. He played with famous musicians like Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan. His first album, Back Country Suite, came out in 1957. In 1958, he started his own music group called a trio. It included Addison Farmer on bass and Nick Stabulas on drums.

In 1963, his record company let him release an album of only his singing. It was called Mose Allison Sings. This album featured songs that honored other artists. But one of his own songs, "Parchman Farm," became very popular. For over 20 years, it was his most requested song. He stopped playing it in the 1980s. He explained that the Mississippi Delta had changed, and the song no longer fit the modern times.

Allison in 2007

Record companies tried to make Allison a pop star or a blues artist. Some even thought he was black because he sang the blues. His album The Way of the World came out in 2010. This was his first album in 12 years. In 2012, he received a special marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail. In 2013, he was named a Jazz Master. This is the highest honor in jazz music in the United States.

Mose Allison wrote about 150 songs. His performances were described as relaxed and conversational. He had a southern accent when he sang. His unique style and humor made his music special.

Influence on other artists

Mose Allison was seen as a social critic before Bob Dylan. He was also a music satirist before Randy Newman. His music had a big impact on many blues and rock artists. These include Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Tom Waits. The Who often played his song "Young Man Blues" at their concerts. Georgie Fame said Allison was "more important than Bob Dylan."

Allison helped bridge the gap between white and black musicians in blues music. He showed that a white person from Mississippi could play blues music well. He even wrote about this challenge in his song "Ever Since I Stole the Blues."

Many artists covered his songs. The Clash covered "Look Here." Elvis Costello recorded "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy." The band Pixies wrote their song "Allison" about him. His song "I Don't Worry About a Thing" was featured in the movie The Whole Nine Yards.

Mose Allison was nominated for three Grammy Awards. He received the NEA Jazzmasters Award in 2013.

Personal life

Mose Allison married his wife, Audre, in 1949. They lived in Smithtown, New York, on Long Island. They had four children, including a daughter named Amy Allison, who is also a musician. Audre said that Mose "generated his own joy." She also mentioned that he always paid attention to world events and loved to read.

Mose Allison passed away on November 15, 2016. He was 89 years old. He died at his home in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Discography

As leader

• 1957: Back Country Suite
• 1957: Local Color
• 1958: Young Man Mose
• 1958: Ramblin' with Mose
• 1958: Creek Bank
• 1959: Autumn Song
• 1959–1960: Transfiguration of Hiram Brown
• 1960: I Love the Life I Live
• 1959–61: Takes to the Hills
• 1962: I Don't Worry About a Thing
• 1962: Swingin' Machine
• 1963: Mose Allison Sings
• 1964: The Word from Mose
• 1965: Wild Man on the Loose
• 1965: Mose Alive!
• 1968: I've Been Doin' Some Thinkin'
• 1969–70: Hello There, Universe
• 1971: Western Man
• 1972: Mose in Your Ear
• 1976: Your Mind Is on Vacation
• 1978: Pure Mose
• 1982: Middle Class White Boy
• 1982: Lessons in Living
• 1987: Ever Since the World Ended
• 1989: My Backyard
• 1993: The Earth Wants You
• 1996: Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison
• 1997: Gimcracks and Gewgaws
• 2000: The Mose Chronicles: Live in London, Volume 1
• 2000: The Mose Chronicles: Live in London, Volume 2
• 2006: American Legend – Live in California
• 2009: The Way of the World

Compilations

• 1963: Mose Allison Sings
• 1966: Down Home Piano
• 1967: Mose Allison Plays for Lovers
• 1970: The Best of Mose Allison
• 1971: Retrospective
• 1972: Mose Allison
• 1994: Allison Wonderland: The Mose Allison Anthology
• 1994: High Jinks! The Mose Allison Trilogy
• 1997: Jazz Profile: Mose Allison
• 2010: Mose Allison: The Collection
• 2014: The Mose Allison Collection 1956–1962
• 2015: Seven Classic Albums
• 2016: I’m Not Talkin’: The Song Stylings of Mose Allison 1957–1972
• 2021: The Complete Atlantic/Elektra Albums 1962-1983

See also

In Spanish: Mose Allison para niños