Mose Allison

Singer/pianist Mose Allison has been popular in jazz circles for over 40 years. Rock musicians know him for his songs - which have been covered by the Who ("A Young Man Blues"), Bonnie Raitt ("Everybody’s Cryin' Mercy"), John Mayall ("Parchman Farm"), Van Morrison ("If You Only Knew"), the Clash ("Look Here"), and the Yardbirds ("I'm Not Talking"), among others - and for a sardonic sense of humor as evidenced in his "Your Mind Is on Vacation (But Your Mouth Is Working Overtime)." The son of a stride jazz pianist, Allison began playing at age six. Later, he also took up the trumpet. He absorbed both jazz and country blues, and when he arrived in New York City in 1956, he played piano with “cool” jazzmen Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and Zoot Sims. Allison’s style blended the simplicity of the blues with modernist harmonies. He began to sing in 1957, when he formed his own trio. For decades to come, his understated and laconically cynical songs would be periodically rediscovered by the rock audience. In the ’90s, Allison’s daughter, Amy, became known for her twangy voice, inspired songwriting, and critically acclaimed alt-country albums.

from the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001)