Mose Allison Recent News

ANTI 2010 Fall Sampler Now Available On iTunes

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:12:00 -0800

Above is a chance to preview the amazing new ANTI-Records 2010 Fall Sampler. It’s eleven absolutely essential artists at the peak of their creative powers, including a song from the amazing new album by DeVotchKa, a preview of the stunning Anti debut from talented singer-songwriter Sean Rowe, Grinderman, Yann Tiersen and much more fine music. Click here to get it on iTunes!

ANTI Fall Sampler Track Listing:

1. Mavis Staples “I Belong To The Band”
2. Devotchka “Contrabanda”
3. Bettye LaVette “Salt Of The Earth”
4. Dr. Dog “Mirror, Mirror”
5. Sean Rowe “The Walker”
6. Grinderman “Heathen Child”
7. Lost In The Trees “Walk Around The Lake”
8. Yann Tiersen “Ashes”
9. The Frames “Falling Slowly”
10. Sage Francis “The Best Of Times”
11. Mose Allison “Modest Proposal”

Get The New ANTI Fall Sampler, Along With 9 Albums On Sale For Under $10

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:11:00 -0800

Beginning this week, Anti-Records is pleased to offer our complimentary Anti Fall Sampler with the purchase of any of our recent releases for a limited time holiday recession friendly sale price. So for under $10, you can receive a new album by one of our acclaimed artists and an additional album featuring a mix of songs by a storied roster that includes the legendary Mavis Staples, Nick Cave’s raucous outfit Grinderman, adventuresome French composure Yann Tiersen, iconic jazz artist Mose Allison and more. This offer will only be available at participating independent record stores while supplies last.

Anti Albums on Sale:

Mavis Staples – You Are Not Alone
Grinderman – Grinderman II
Dr. Dog – Shame, Shame
Sage Francis – Li(f)e
Lost in The Trees – All Alone In An Empty House
The frames – The Cost
Yann Tiersen – Dust Lane
Bettye LaVette – Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
Mose Allison – The Way of The World

Fall Sampler Track Listing:

1. Mavis Staples “I Belong To The Band”
2. Devotchka “Contrabanda”
3. Bettye LaVette “Salt Of The Earth”
4. Dr. Dog “Mirror, Mirror”
5. Sean Rowe “The Walker”
6. Grinderman “Heathen Child”
7. Lost In The Trees “Walk Around The Lake”
8. Yann Tiersen “Ashes”
9. The Frames “Falling Slowly”
10. Sage Francis “The Best Of Times”
11. Mose Allison “Modest Proposal”

Anti Records 2010 Spring Compilation Available Now

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:04:00 -0700

Think of this as a mix tape, like one of those cassettes you sweated over in college to slip to that special someone in your Mass Communications class. That batch of songs that was uniquely you, that would open your murky soul to the broad light of day, and let all see how complex and tortured you really were. These 15 songs unveil the murky soul of ANTI- Records to an unsuspecting and largely unprepared public (just like that college mixtape), and it turns out to be darker and danker than anyone suspected.

Take Roky Erickson, an artist who has done his own share of soul searching, recording with Okkervil River, and his contribution "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" - a haunted cry from the heart, with Roky repeating the lines over and over like some obsessed anti-hero from Dostoevsky. Then there's Bettye LaVette's searing reading of the Rolling Stones' "Salt of the Earth," peering in at the grimy window of the "stay-at-home voter" and the rest of the downtrodden, in lyrics that sound more current today than they did in 1969. New signing Lost In the Trees, musical savants from North Carolina, wrap the saddest story you've ever heard in aching melody and surging strings, everything you'd hope for in a song titled "All Alone In an Empty House." And house dissident Sage Francis offers "Slow Man," with music written for Sage by Calexico - a meditation on the artist's belief that "there's no shame in being a dinosaur with an analog heart, a strained spirit and a photo-book filled with senior moments."

These four songs aren't available elsewhere; they are glimpses at farm-fresh, still-in-the-crate, upcoming releases. And the rest of the tracks are all from brand new or recent releases, from our larger stable of ANTI- heroes . How can we do it, you ask? We can get away with the low price of $2.99 because these celebrated artists and this benevolent record company have agreed not to make a profit on this venture. We (and they) feel it's more important that these samples of musical joy be heard. Just don't bring any of this up around our accountants.

Get it on iTunes today!

1. Dr. Dog - "Stranger" from the album Shame, Shame
2. Tom Waits - "Fannin Street" from the album Glitter & Doom Live
3. Mose Allison - "My Brain" from the album The Way Of The World
4. Bettye LaVette - "Salt Of The Earth" from the album Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
5. Roky Erickson - "Goodbye Sweet Dreams" from the album True Love Cast Out All Evil
6. Lost In The Trees - "All Alone in an Empty House" from the album All Alone in an Empty House
7. Sage Francis - "Slow Man" from the album Li(f)e
8. Galactic - "Heart Of Steel" from the album YA-KA-MAY
9. The Swell Season - "Feeling The Pull" from the album Strict Joy
10. The Weakerthans - "Benediction" from the album Live At The Burton Cummings Theatre
11. Alec Ounsworth - "Holy, Holy, Holy Moses (song for New Orleans)" from the album Mo Beauty
12. Islands - "Tender Torture" from the album Vapours
13. Dead Man's Bones - "Pa Pa Power" from the album Dead Man's Bones
14. Rain Machine - "Give Blood" from the album Rain Machine
15. Joe Henry - "Death To The Storm" from the album Blood From Stars

Mose Allison Finds Success With New Album 'The Way Of The World'

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0700

Mose Allison’s new album The Way Of The World has proven an unequivocal success for the influential and ever iconoclastic jazz/blues artist. Since the record’s March 23rd release, the critical response has been one of unanimous and effusive praise. Even more rewarding is the fact that Allison’s first studio album in 12 years has proven an undeniable hit with music fans. Upon its release the record has garnered the #1 position on the CMJ jazz chart for two weeks running, entered the Amazon.com Jazz chart at #1 and is #3 on the Soundscan Jazz chart. In fact, sales numbers are indicating that The Way Of The World will likely be Allison’s biggest selling non greatest hits album ever. Not bad for a fiery 82 year old hepcat with well over twenty albums under his belt.

Acclaim for Mose Allison’s The Way Of The World:

“Too jazzy for pop, too poppy for jazz and too smartass for either, Allison is a tuneful misfit with a killer songbook (covered by the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Clash). Allison's leathery voice, sharp wit and jaunty piano improvisations remain remarkably undiminished. Theological highlight: the Swiftian "Modest Proposal," which suggests that amid global jihad, we should give all gods a vacation. It's timeless beatnik logic for a beat-up world.” – Rolling Stone

“On his first album in 12 years, the blues pianist's voice has caught up with his attitude; he's now 82, but his sardonic wit and clipped delivery retain their sting."
- Time

“Mose Allison sings like a sage and he's not about to change. He bridges the divides between the blues, pop and jazz on The Way Of The World, his first studio album in 12 years. The common denominator on the 12 cuts is the joy with which Allison tackles the task, humming like a child when not singing like a sage. And he has never played better… Is it possible an octogenarian has made the year's best record? Yes.”
– Associated Press

"The Way of the World is a master's course in songwriting." – American Songwriter

“Allison can still deliver his wry, biting lyrics with unmatched authority and wit" - Chicago Reader

"A late-life triumph” – The New Yorker

"Allison remains sharp as broken glass." - Paste

Mose Allison's New Album 'The Way Of The World' Released March 23; Featured on NPR's All Things Cons

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0700

On March 23rd the incomparable Mose Allison will release The Way Of The World his first studio album in twelve years. Allison is one of the true originals, an essential element in the evolution of contemporary music. Sighted by The Kinks’ Ray Davies as the “missing link between jazz and blues,” Allison has returned in peak form. Guided by Grammy winning producer Joe Henry, The Way of the World has all the acerbic subversive wit and effortless blues infused bop that has made Allison a beloved and revered icon. The album also offers some new musical twists in the form of steal guitar, saxophone, percussions and a riveting duet between Allison and his daughter, singer/songwriter Amy Allison. The result is a highly inventive and entirely vital work from a true musical icon.

Hear an entertaining and informative profile about Allison on the popular NPR radio show All Things Considered by following the below link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125065807

Early Acclaim For The Way Of The World:

"The Way of the World is a master's course in songwriting." "A great Mose Allison album, one that is as fun to listen to as it is to study, another album beyond imitation." - American Songwriter

“Allison can still deliver his wry, biting lyrics with unmatched authority and wit" - Chicago Reader

"After a decade of silence, it's a treat to have Allison back in action and in form." - Downbeat

"The prolonged absence impaired neither Allison’s humor nor his acerbic wit, and the disc’s 12 selections nicely balance sentimental musings with caustic commentary. Henry’s restrained production and occasional smart musical flourishes (steel guitar in some places; terse, animated saxophone inserted on other occasions) provide the final touch to a wonderful comeback date." – Jazz Times

“The unhippest hipster you've ever seen and one of the most original, understated songwriters to ever tackle the mysteries of the blues" - LA Times

“A late-life triumph.” – The New Yorker

"Allison remains sharp as broken glass." – Paste

“Too jazzy for pop, too poppy for jazz and too smartass for either, Allison is a tuneful misfit with a killer songbook (covered by the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Clash). Allison's leathery voice, sharp wit and jaunty piano improvisations remain remarkably undiminished. Theological highlight: the Swiftian "Modest Proposal," which suggests that amid global jihad, we should give all gods a vacation. It's timeless beatnik logic for a beat-up world.” – Rolling Stone

Mose Allison Performance Dates:

April 2 & 3, Jazz Corner, Hilton Head, SC
April 10, The Township Jazz Festival, Madison, MS
June 4, Narrow Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
June 5, Scullers, Cambridge, MA
June 30, Madison Square Park, NYC
July 13-18, Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA

Mose Allison Honors The Who at Carnegie Hall Concert

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0800

In anticipation of the 3/23 release of his phenomenal new album The Way of the World on Anti-Records, legendary jazz/blues artist and sardonic social commentator Mose Allison performed last night at Carnegie Hall's "Tribute to the Who" concert. At an event featuring punk icon Patti Smith as well as Bettye LaVette, Robyn Hitchcock, The Gaslight Anthem, Bob Mould and others performing songs by the revered English band, Allison instead performed his own song "Young Man Blues," which the Who immortalized on their blistering concert recording "Live At Leeds.". Rolling Stone Magazine observed of the Carnegie Hall show, "Mose Allison, looking pretty spry for 82, was the only performer who did an original. He played "Young Man Blues" (which was a staple of the Who's set list in the 1960s and '70s) and its recent sequel "Old Man Blues."

The Mississippi born Allison has long been sighted as a key influence by the English rock community with artists such as the Who, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Clash and others sighting Allison's unique music as an integral part of their musical development. It is a relationship which Allison is deeply appreciative of. "The English rockers saved my life," Allison explained recently to GQ Magazine. "And they've made me acquainted with a younger audience. Pete Townshend, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt... They kept me from falling into obscurity."

American Songwriter Magazine called Allison's new Joe Henry produced The Way of the World, "a master's course in songwriting" while Downbeat wrote. "No one will be disappointed in the subversive mix of irony and cracker-barrel attitude he's pulled together here - After a decade of silence, it's a treat to have Allison back in action and in form."

New Song From Mose Allison Premieres At Spinner.com

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:02:00 -0800

The first song from the anticipated new Mose Allison album The Way Of The World out 03-23 is currently available for free download at Spinner.com. The song, entitled “My Brain” is a classic Allison mix of ultra cool entirely original jazz-blues sound with an inspired dose of sardonic humor detailing the imagined degeneration of the legendary hepcat’s brain. The song is the lead off track from The Way of the World, Allison’s first studio outing in twelve years which was guided by Grammy Award winning producer Joe Henry. You can read an intriguing in depth profile/interview of Allison currently at Allaboutjazz.com and another in the March issue of Mojo Magazine on stands now. Download the song “My Brain” at Spinner.com

“The unhippest hipster you've ever seen and one of the most original, understated songwriters to ever tackle the mysteries of the blues.” – LA Times

“Allison can still deliver his wry, biting lyrics with unmatched authority and wit.” – Chicago Reader

Allison will be performing a series of selected live dates in anticipation of the new album’s release.

Mose Allison Live Dates:

February 26, Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe AZ - Get Tickets
March 2, Tribute to "The Who," Carnegie Hall, NYC
March 3, City Winery, New York, NY - Get Tickets
April 2 & 3, Jazz Corner, Hilton Head, SC - Get Tickets
June 4, Narrow Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA - Get Tickets
June 5, Scullers, Cambridge, MA - Get Tickets
July 13-18, Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA - Get Tickets

Acclaim For Mose Allison Los Angeles Performances; Influential Artists' Shows Anticipate Triumphant

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Music icon Mose Allison dazzled Los Angeles audiences this last weekend with a series of riveting shows at the Largo at the Coronet. Warming up for the release of his brand new album The Way of the World out March 23rd on Anti Records, Allison demonstrated the gifts that have earned him the moniker the “William Faulkner of jazz” and inspired an assortment of rock luminaries to proclaim his influence and cover his songs. The performances left little doubt that the veteran has plenty left to say, an enthusiasm echoed by the city’s two prominent newspapers.

The LA Times said of the recent shows: “Allison is like an antidote to winter doldrums. … showcased the breezy cool and biting wit that have made him an inspiration to generations of artists, including Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and even the Clash, which covered Allison on the double-album “Sandinista!”…the pianist's arsenal of warmth and wit seemed endless, especially when taking on his own material. His "Monsters of the Id," riding a dark, snaking melody, was first recorded in 1969 but could have been written yesterday with comparisons of those in power to “prehistoric ghouls” and “resurrected Huns.”

The LA Weekly was equally admiring, proclaiming: “Mose Allison has always been a misfit. Not a misfit in the sense of a James Dean or even a Chet Baker - but a true unclassifiable… that was Mose when he blew everyone away in the 1950s and 1960s with those Prestige and Atlantic albums, and that was Mose last night at the Largo at the Coronet stage -- the unhippest hipster you've ever seen and one of the most original, understated songwriters to ever tackle the mysteries of the blues… He's the anti-Springsteen: Mose's tramps were not born to run, but to wake up with a hangover and take to the piano to tell their woes with a wry smile.

A recent feature in All-About-Jazz details the collaboration between Allison and producer Joe Henry: “… while the playbook in such projects tends to dictate that producers working with long-dormant icon types defer to the scraped-to-the-bone-essence treatment, Henry has taken the other road, surrounding Allison's wry, sharp verbal edge and piano-based bop with a warm, comfortable-sounding and surprisingly full band… the record's most crackling moment, delivers a "Modest Proposal" on religion that springs from the same sharp, dark corners as "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy" or "Your Mind Is On Vacation": "Let's give God a vacation/He must be tired of it all," Allison sings, "Rigging the game/taking the blame/24 hours a day on call."

Upcoming Mose Allison performances:

February 4 -7, Jazz Showcase, Chicago, Ill.

February 26, Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe AZ.

March 2, Tribute to "The Who," Carnegie Hall, NYC

March 3, City Winery, Get Tickets New York, NY

Mose Allison Announces Tour Dates; Legendary Artist To Play Selected Dates In Anticipation Of New Al

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:01:00 -0800

Mose Allison, whose new Joe Henry produced album The Way of the World will be released an Anti Records this March 23rd has just announced a string of selected live performances in the following weeks. The record is Allison's first in twelve years after swearing off formal recording. It was Grammy winning producer Henry who finally lured the inimitable musician back into the studio. "I became fairly obsessed with the notion that Mose might yet have something more to tell us," Henry explains. "And so I embarked on an old-fashioned letter writing campaign by way of lobbying his participation."

When the two eventually teamed up in Henry's California studio, Allison found his most sympathetic setting in years, surrounded by young, vibrant players, who added a surprising slide guitar and some sinewy saxophone to the classic Mose sound; The Way of the World also features Mose' first-ever duet with his daughter, singer Amy Allison. Yet this album is all Mose, from the solo song "Modest Proposal," a sly scalpel taken to organized religion, to the modernist, Monkish changes he takes the band through on the lone instrumental, "Crush."

The brilliant Mississippi born Allison has long been referred to as the "William Faulkner of jazz" and is renowned for his profound influence on musical luminaries including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and more. Ray Davies of the Kinks said of Allison, "When I discovered Mose Allison I felt I had discovered the missing link between jazz and blues" and the New Yorker Magazine pronounced Allison "nothing less than a National Treasure."

Mose Allison live dates:

January 7, 8 & 9, Blues Alley, Washington, D.C
January 15, California State University, Bakersfield, CA.
January 16 & 17, Largo at the Coronet Theater, Los Angeles, CA
January 18, Kuumba Santa Cruz, CA.
February 4-7, Jazz Showcase, Chicago, Il
February 26, Tempe Center for the Arts, Tempe AZ

Mose Allison To Release ANTI Debut 'The Way Of The World' March 23

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:11:00 -0800

Mose Allison's new album and ANTI- debut The Way of the World arrives March 23rd, 2010, marking his return to the recording studio after a 12 year absence. Working with maverick producer Joe Henry, Allison has found his most sympathetic setting in years, surrounded by young, vibrant players, who add surprising slide guitar and some sinewy saxophone to the classic Mose sound; The Way of the World also features Mose' first-ever duet with his daughter, singer Amy Allison. Yet this album is all Mose, from the solo song "Modest Proposal," a sly scalpel taken to organized religion, to the modernist, Monkish changes he takes the band through on the lone instrumental, "Crush." Remarking on the outsized influence that Allison has had on several generations of musicians, producer Henry writes in his heartfelt liner notes, "For many of us, Mose Allison has long stood as a great swaying bridge, spanning our strange, stormy times: linking the fifties to the present; the mystical country blues to the urbanity of jazz; tough beat poetry to wistful self-reflection; seduction to candor, heart to mind, wit to wisdom; Mark Twain straight through to Willie Dixon, with Chico Marx barking directions from the backseat, James Stewart at the wheel."

Allison occupies a hallowed place in blues songwriting, sitting alongside Dixon and Percy Mayfield in bringing a witty, urbane sensibility to the modern blues. Also well documented is his sway over a generation of British rockers - most rock fans know the Who's blistering run-through of "Young Man's Blues" on Live at Leeds, but are less aware of Mose' influence on John Mayall, Van Morrison, Ray Davies, and the Yardbirds, all the way through to the Clash, who covered "Look Here" on Sandinista. Then there is that subtle, indefinable fact of Mose' voice, that laconic, laid-back singing style without which we would have no Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Belle and Sebastian, and Schoolhouse Rock. Not to mention Allison the respected pianist, with his nods to Monk and Garner, and a slew of five-star Downbeat reviews in his piano bench. The Way of the World finds Mose playing and writing with a new looseness, a playfulness and verve that belies his years, while behind the offhand swing lies the weight of those years, in the slowburn vitriol of Mose's mind in full gear. That canny blend of easy swing and lyrical incision makes The Way of the World an instant classic, in Mose' or anyone else's repertoire.