Mose Allison - Swingin' Machine

[Shawn]

Mose Allison - Piano, Vocals

Jimmy Knepper - Trombone

Jimmy Reider - Tenor Sax

Addison Farmer - Bass

Frankie Dunlop - Drums

In a departure from the normal trio format we get this swingin' little trombone/tenor sax front line that has a really distinct little groove happening. Knepper is especially noteworthy and really digs into these tunes, particularly the instrumentals. There are some definitive vocals tracks on this one as well. Stop This World and If You're Goin' To The City never sounded better than on this recording. Then there's the HIP take on Ellington's I Ain't Go Nothing But The Blues which was the first Mose Allison track I ever heard and I've been a fan ever since.

Anybody else dig this one?

[Hot Ptah]

I do. I like most of what I have heard from Mose Allison in the 1950s and 1960s.

[Free For All]

I haven't heard it, but it certainly does look interesting.

I haven't heard Jim Reider on much else other than the Gerry Mulligan CJB.

[BillF]

Years since I heard it, but I do recall it lived up to its title!

[Chuck Nessa]

Back in the day (probably now too) I preferred his trio records and tolerated the vocals as the price to pay for my pleasures. Adding horns seemed to dilute the Allison qualities I liked.

[Shawn]

Back in the day (probably now too) I preferred his trio records and tolerated the vocals as the price to pay for my pleasures. Adding horns seemed to dilute the Allison qualities I liked.

In most cases I completely agree with you, but this record seems to be the exception to the rule. Mose sounds very inspired by the company and plays some great solos. It's half instrumental/half vocal and the originals are well written and arranged.

[jostber]

That looks like a groover, must check that out.

There seems to be a new reissue of this classic from 1976 out on Rhino now too:

[Tom Storer]

Back in the day (probably now too) I preferred his trio records and tolerated the vocals as the price to pay for my pleasures. Adding horns seemed to dilute the Allison qualities I liked.

Tolerated the vocals?? Mose has never been exactly bel canto, but his wry delivery of hip lyrics, his down-home accent, and his straight-faced irony are why he's great! I like his piano playing, too, of course.

This was my introduction to Mose:

I think his last two greatest records were "Ever Since the World Ended' ("Ever since the world ended/I don't get out as much"):

and "Gimcracks and Gewgaws":

[kh1958]

Lessons in Living is another excellent one with a horn player (Lou Donaldson) --it's live at Montreux, also with Jack Bruce.

[paul secor]

Listening to clips, it sounds like there's some good Jimmy Knepper on this one. Might pick it up just for that.

[GA Russell]

My favorite song of his from the Blue Note years is "I'm not downhearted, but I'm getting there."