Mose Allison（莫斯·艾利森）是歌手也是钢琴手，不过他在作曲上的表现较被人肯定，这包括流行音乐界的音乐家与艺人，像是Leon Russell所唱的 I’m Smashed 以及Bonnie Raitt所唱的Everybody’s Cryin’ Mercy，还有Tom Waits、John Mayall、Georgie Fame、the Rolling Stones以及Van Morrison等艺人所唱的曲子。他原本是学习小喇叭，后来转到钢琴。最开始的职业演出的合作对手是Lake Charles（1950年）。他的第一次唱片录音的经验是与节奏蓝调的萨克斯风手Louis Jordan一起合作的。后来他又先回到学校，在路易斯安那州的大学完成英语文以及哲学系的学位。1956年来到纽约市，他与萨克斯风手Al Cohn以及长号手Bobby Brookmeyer 一起演出。1957年他与唱片公司签约，开始有更多机会，接着与萨克斯风手Stan Getz合作之后让他的知名度更高。Mose Allison是一位有传奇色彩的音乐家。 by Richard SkellyNot unlike his namesake, Luther Allison, pianist Mose Allison has suffered from categorization problem, given his equally brilliant career. Although his boogie woogie and bebop-laden piano style is innovative and fresh sounding when it comes to blues and jazz, it is as a songwriter that Allison really shines. Allisons songs have been recorded by the Who (Young Man Blues), Leon Russell (Im Smashed), and Bonnie Raitt (Everybodys Cryin Mercy). Other admirers include Tom Waits, John Mayall, Georgie Fame, the Rolling Stones and Van Morrison. But because hes always played both blues and jazz, and not one to the exclusion of the other, his career has suffered. As he himself admits, he has a category problem that lingers to this day. Theres a lot of places I dont work because theyre confused about what I do, he explained in a 1990 interview in Goldmine magazine. Despite the lingering confusion, Allison remains one of the finest songwriters in 20th century blues. Born in Tippo, MS, on November 11, 1927, Allisons first exposure to blues on record was through Louis Jordan recordings, including Outskirts of Town and Pinetop Blues. Allison credits Jordan as being a major influence on him, and also credits Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller. He started out on trumpet but later switched to piano. In his youth, he had easy access, via the radio, to the music of Pete Johnson, Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis. Allison also credits the songwriter Percy Mayfield, The Poet Laureate of the Blues, as being a major inspiration on his songwriting. After a stint in college and the Army, Allisons first professional gig was in Lake Charles, LA, in 1950. He returned to college to finish up at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where he studied English and Philosophy, a far cry from his initial path as a chemical engineering major. Allison began his recording career with the Prestige label in 1956, shortly after he moved to New York City. He recorded an album with Al Cohn and Bobby Brookmeyer, and then in 1957 got his own record contract. A big break was the opportunity to play with Cohn and Zoot Sims shortly after his arrival in New York, but he later became more well known after playing with saxophonist Stan Getz. After leaving Prestige Records, where he recorded now classic albums like Back Country Suite (1957), Young Man Mose (1958), and Seventh Son (1958-59), he moved to Columbia for two years before meeting up with Nesuhi Ertegun of Atlantic Records. He recalled that he signed his contract with Atlantic after about ten minutes in Nesuhis office. Allison spent a big part of his recording career at Atlantic Records, where he became most friendly with Ertegun. After the company saw substantial growth and Allison was no longer working directly with him, he became discouraged and left. Allison has also recorded for Columbia (before he began his long relationship with Atlantic), and the Epic and Prestige labels. Allisons discography is a lengthy one, and there are gems to be found on all of his albums, many of which can be found in vinyl shops. His output since 1957 has averaged at least one album a year until 1976, when he finished up at Atlantic with the classic Your Mind Is On Vacation. There was a gap of six years before he recorded again, this time for Elektras Musician subsidiary in 1982, when he recorded Middle Class White Boy. Since 1987, hes been with Bluenote/Capitol. His debut for that label was Ever Since the World Ended. Allison has recorded some of the most creative material of his career with the Bluenote subsidiary of Capitol Records, including My Backyard (1992) and The Earth Wants You (1994), both produced by Ben Sidran. Also in 1994, Rhino Records released a boxed set, Allison Wonderland.