This obscure
Mose Allison LP has the pianist/singer/lyricist using a larger band than usual, an octet with
Richard Williams and
Jimmy Nottingham on trumpets, altoist
Jerome Richardson, either
Joe Henderson or
Joe Farrell on tenor,
Pepper Adams or
Seldon Powell on baritone,
Bob Cranshaw and
John Williams on bass, and drummer Joe Cucuzzo. The truth is, most of the other musicians are really not needed, for their solos take away from
Allison's vocals and piano solos.
Allison (who also plays a bit of organ) contributed nine of the ten songs on the album (all but "Blues in the Night"), best known of which are "Hello There, Universe" and "Wild Man on the Loose," although there are no hits or future standards included. This album, therefore, is a gap-filler rather than an essential recording. ~ Scott Yanow