egroj world: Mose Allison • Down Home Piano

Monday, May 27, 2024

Mose Allison • Down Home Piano

Review by Stewart Mason
Although Mose Allison is perhaps best known for his enjoyably idiosyncratic vocal style, he is first and foremost a marvelous piano player with a unique style pitched somewhere between a New Orleans bordello and the rhythmic and harmonic experimentation of Thelonious Monk or Sun Ra. This well-chosen 1966 compilation (released after Allison had split for Atlantic Records) pulls together ten of his best instrumentals from four of his six Prestige albums, and it makes a strong case for Allison as one of the most inventive piano players and composers of his generation. The selection runs from the definitive performance of Allison's signature ballad "Crepuscular Air" (which foreshadows nearly the entire career of West Coast cool pianist Vince Guaraldi) to the witty, technically impressive and musically joyous post-bop workouts "Devil in the Cane Field" and "The Minstrels." Throughout, Allison's interplay with his longtime bassist Addison Farmer is fantastic; Allison's left-hand walking bass runs are usually in counterpoint to Farmer's inspired comping, adding greatly to the songs' rhythmic complexity. Mostly, however, Down Home Piano is just enormous fun to listen to.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-home-piano-mw0000593830

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Reseña de Stewart Mason
Aunque Mose Allison es quizás más conocido por su agradable e idiosincrásico estilo vocal, es ante todo un maravilloso pianista con un estilo único a medio camino entre el bordello de Nueva Orleans y la experimentación rítmica y armónica de Thelonious Monk o Sun Ra. Esta recopilación de 1966 (publicada después de que Allison se separara de Atlantic Records), muy bien escogida, reúne diez de sus mejores instrumentales de cuatro de sus seis álbumes Prestige, y demuestra que Allison es uno de los pianistas y compositores más inventivos de su generación. La selección abarca desde la interpretación definitiva de la balada característica de Allison «Crepuscular Air» (que prefigura casi toda la carrera del genial pianista de la Costa Oeste Vince Guaraldi) hasta los ingeniosos, técnicamente impresionantes y musicalmente alegres ejercicios post-bop «Devil in the Cane Field» y «The Minstrels». A lo largo de todo el disco, la interacción de Allison con su bajista de toda la vida, Addison Farmer, es fantástica; las pasadas del bajo con la mano izquierda de Allison suelen estar en contrapunto con la inspirada composición de Farmer, añadiendo una gran complejidad rítmica a las canciones. Sin embargo, Down Home Piano es, sobre todo, muy divertido de escuchar.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-home-piano-mw0000593830

moseallison.com ...

Tracks:
1 - Dinner On The Ground - 3:16
2 - Crepuscular Air - 3:42
3 - Mule - 3:53
4 - Creek Bank - 4:37
5 - Town - 3:20
6 - Devil In The Cane Field - 4:03
7 - The Minstrels - 3:25
8 - Moon And Cypress - 4:03
9 - Carnival - 3:00
10 - Mojo Woman - 4:00

Credits:
    Bass – Addison Farmer
    Drums – Nick Stabulas (tracks: 2, 5, 9, 10), Ronnie Free (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8)
    Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
    Piano – Mose Allison
    Remastered By – Phil De Lancie
    Supervised By [Supervision] – Bob Weinstock

Notes:
Anthology of instrumental performances taken from four Prestige recording sessions in Hackensack, NJ:
Tracks 2, 5, 9 and 10 recorded November 8, 1957;
Track 7 recorded April 18, 1958;
Tracks 1, 3, 4 and 8 recorded August 15, 1958;
Track 6 recorded February 13, 1959.

Label:    Prestige – PR 7423, Transatlantic Records – PR 7423
Country:    UK
Released:    1966
Genre:    Jazz
Style:    Cool Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/1636815-Mose-Allison-Down-Home-Piano