Mose Allison, an Unsung Music Legend

Mose Allison's music is hard to classify. Is it rock and roll? Is it blues? Is it jazz? His work has been covered by artists in all of these genres.

The Covers

The best known cover is The Who's version of his "Young Man Blues" on the "Live at Leeds" album.

Other artists who have covered him include The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Yardbirds, The Bangles, and The Kingston Trio. John Mayall and the Blues Breakers with Eric Clapton covered "Parchman Farm", a song about an infamous Mississippi chain gang prison. And Blue Cheer's wall-shaking cover of "Summertime Blues" was one of the iconic rock and roll hits of the 1960s. In 1996, Van Morrison released an entire tribute album of Mose Allison music.

Mose

Mose Allison is Mississippi born and white. His songs are an intoxicating enigma, laid-back but with a deep inner intensity. While his vocals and drawl are as languid as a Mississippi summer afternoon, he plays his piano as if his life depends on it.

From 1957 to 1975, Mose recorded most of his albums on the Prestige and Atlantic labels. Until 1997, he recorded for jazz label Blue Note. For 13 years, he didn't step inside a recording studio.

The Comeback

In 2009, singer-songwriter and record producer (and Madonna's brother-in-law) Joe Henry came to the rescue. With some resistance, he was able to lure Mose Allison back to the recording studio. After all, in 2002, Henry produced soul music legend Solomon Burke's Grammy-winning comeback album, "Don't Give Up on Me."

Mose Allison's "Way of the World" album includes a duet with his daughter, alt-country star Amy Allison.