Mose Allison: Mose Allison Sings

There's nobody else quite like Mose Allison. Try to think of a musician who even comes close. He's so unique that we all know from the very start who we're listening to. And nobody else can fill that niche. But Allison didn't start out as a singer. He was Stan Getz's pianist in 1956-57, and he began recording for Prestige as a pianist who also played trumpet in 1957. His piano trio did bebop instrumentals, and Allison added an occasional vocal. The blues was always a part of him, though, and that sound has never left him.

Allison gave us a sample of his contemporary performance in the film The Score (2001), starring Robert DeNiro as a jazz club owner (and thief), in which his nightclub performance lent considerable credence to DeNiro's character.

This reissued album comes with three bonus tracks: "Blueberry Hill, "Trouble in Mind and "Creek Bank, all instrumentals from previous Prestige albums. In fact, the original album, Mose Allison Sings, was a compilation drawn from six previous Prestige albums: Creek Bank, Local Color, Back Country Suite, Autumn Song, Young Man Mose and Ramblin' with Mose Allison, all released in the late 1950s. Transferred to digital at 24-bit resolution, the genuine sound of this reissue honors the artist.

Allison plays trumpet on "Trouble in Mind, a slow blues that he interprets convincingly. He's best with a heartfelt theme like this one, but his tongue-in-cheek humor can keep you laughing out loud. When it comes to Mose Allison, it's best not to talk favorite songs or favorite albums. His performances are always enjoyable. This compilation of his earlier recorded singing (and instrumental performance) fits like a comfortable pair of shoes that will never show any wear or tear.