The Word from Mose

The Word from Mose
Studio album by Mose Allison
Released	March 10, 1964
Recorded	1964[1]
Genre	Jazz
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer	Nesuhi Ertegun
Mose Allison chronology
Swingin' Machine (1963) The Word from Mose (1964) Wild Man on the Loose (1965)

The Word from Mose is a 1964 jazz album by Mose Allison, the second full-length album to be released by the jazz pianist and singer.^[2] The album, described by Allmusic as "light, swinging jazz with a distinctly rural, Southern influence",^[3] has been listed as one of the "core collection" albums for jazz fans by the Penguin Guide to Jazz.^[4] Originally released on Atlantic Records 1424, the album was released on CD by WEA International in 2000 and subsequently by Rhino in 2001 and 2005.

Critical reception

At the time of its release, Stereo Review dubbed it "one of Mose's best recordings", praising it as "one of his most consistently intriguing albums".^[5] Much later, Allmusic reviewer Eugene Chadborne noted that some of the songs do not rise to the level of quality of others, but overall praised Allison's reworking "material from the real country blues heritage...into his own style, to brilliant effect", calling out specifically the track "New Parchman" as "a performance that only the most hardened individual would be able to listen to without a smile cracking their face".^[3] The Penguin Guide to Jazz includes the album as part of its recommended "core collection" for fans of jazz music.^[4]

Track listing

Unless otherwise specified, all songs compose by Mose Allison

1. "Foolkiller" — 2:25
2. "One of These Days" — 3:02
3. "Look Here" — 2:12
4. "Days Like This" — 2:51
5. "Your Red Wagon" (DePaul, Jones, Raye) — 2:14
6. "Wild Man" (Everett Barksdale, Stanley Willis) — 1:58
7. "Rollin' Stone" (Muddy Waters) — 2:58
8. "New Parchman" — 3:04
9. "Don't Forget to Smile" — 2:48
10. "I'm Not Talking" — 2:30
11. "Lost Mind" (Percy Mayfield) — 4:08

Personnel

• Mose Allison — piano, vocals
• Nesuhi Ertegun — supervisor
• Lee Friedlander — cover photo
• Phil Lehle — engineer
• Roy Lundberg — drums
• Ben Tucker — bass

References

1. Ertegun, Ahmet M.; Greil Marcus (2001). "What'd I say?": the Atlantic story : 50 years of music. Welcome Rain Publishers. p. 534. ISBN 978-1-56649-048-1.
2. University of Mississippi. Center for the Study of Southern Culture (1998). Living Blues. Center for the Study of Southern Culture, The University of Mississippi. p. 102.
3. Chadborne, Eugene. Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
4. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008) [1992]. The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). New York: Penguin. p. 26-27. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
5. Stereo Review. Ziff-Davis Pub. Co. 1964. p. 149. Retrieved 21 March 2012.