NM/NM
Atlantic 1456
1966 Mono
Editor's Note: Sadly, Mose died on November 15, 2016, shortly after I posted this blog.
Last week I picked up a NM/NM mono copy of Mose Allison's terrific 1966 release "Wild Man On The Loose." The album is 50 years old, and both the vinyl and the jacket look like they were made yesterday. Wow!
Mose is a national treasure who was born near Tippo, Mississippi in 1927. His birthday is November 11, so next week (as I write) he'll be 89 years old. When he retired in 2012, Mose had been performing and recording for 65 years. He released his first album in 1957. "Wild Man" came out in 1966 and was his 12th album in nine years!
Growing up in the Mississippi Delta, Mose was steeped in the blues. And according to his official web site, he was also drawn toward jazz at an early age. "At five he discovered he could play the piano by ear and began "picking out" blues and boogie woogie tunes he heard on the local jukebox. In high school, he listened to the music of Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Louis Jordan, and his prime inspiration, "The Nat King Cole Trio."
Mose's piano style is best described as free form. He plays staccato trills and runs over a percussive left hand. His solos can stretch out from a few measures to a few minutes. He is playful, inventive, and nearly always unpredictable. But what really distinguishes Mose as a jazz musician is the fact that he is a terrific singer, and many of his songs have wry lyrics which Mose delivers in his distinctive, deadpan style.
The title track "Wild Man On the Loose" is a good example. It begins:
Look out, stand back, wild man on the loose.
Been in the country for 30 days.
Saved up some money, got some hell to raise.
Soaking up that juice, wild man on the loose.
Look out, stand back, panther on the prowl.
Get yourself some coffee and a glass of water,
lock up your wife and hide your daughter.
Here's a man got to howl, panther on the prowl.
"Wild Man On The Loose" was recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York in January of 1966. On the album, Mose is accompanied by drummer Paul Motian and bassist Earl May. The mono version was issued with the iconic red/white/purple "black fan" label you see above (used by Atlantic from 1962-66). The black fan label is so-called because of the Atlantic logo at center right that looks like an electric fan. The stereo version has the same design on a green/white/blue label.
The deadwax info is:
Side 1: A-12385-A LW AT W
Side 2: A-12386-A AT LW W
From the runout we can determine that the disk was mastered at the always solid Atlantic Studios in New York city (AT) and plated by Long Wear Stamper (LW) on Long Island. There is no pressing plant indication in the deadwax or on the label (Atlantic didn't start adding the pressing plant suffix code to its matrix numbers until 1967). However, given its 32/70mm pressing rings, the disk was almost certainly pressed at Presswell Records in Ancora, NJ. The vinyl is flat and quiet, with a great "in the room" mono sound. [The "W" in the runout indicates that the blank lacquer used to cut the master was sourced from Audiodisc USA. "W" has nothing to do with Audiodisc, it was just the code used by Atlantic.]
I've got about 35 Mose Allison albums in my collection, and every one is a treat. If you see any in the used bins, my professional advice is you should buy them.
Enjoy the music! (And RIP, Mose.)
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