Mose Allison, 'American Icon: Live In California,' IBis Recordings [REVIEW]

A generation and more got turned on to Mose Allison when The Who recorded his "Young Man's Blues." Then, when The Yardbirds, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Van Morrison, John Mayall and The Clash covered him, he became the icon that he is today. American Icon: Live In California (IBis Recordings) has this retired genius in rare form at the age of 79.

It's his sense of humor, his sly vocals, his choppy piano playing and his unerring sense of timing that catapults him up. "Your mind is on vacation and your mouth is working overtime" is a perfect example of one of his lines. So is "Meet me at no special place and I'll be there at no particular time."

Backed by bass and drums, Allison runs through 19 songs, is in fine voice and choppy as ever on piano. His covers are delectable (Percy Mayfield, Duke Ellington and Big Joe Williams). But it's his originals that continue to funk it up and leave you smiling...if not laughing out loud. He "Don't Want Much" (he just wants it all). "Everybody's Cryin' Mercy (But They Don't Know The Meaning Of The Word)," "Certified Senior Citizen," "Ever Since The World Ended," "Middle Class White Boy" and John D. Loudermilk's "You Call It Jogging" (he calls it running around) are perfect examples. My only complaint is the exclusion of "Young Man's Blues" and "I'm Smashed" plus his cover of Willie Dixon's "I Love The Life I Live" where he slurs the line "don't talk about me 'cause I could be high." It's so insouciant, it's the epitome of cool.

Still, this is about as close as you'll get to the soul of the man. He's a hardy type. Self-possessed, intrigued with the world around him yet too lazy to do anything about it, fascinated with the hippies, yippies, gangstas, crooked politicians, freaks and weirdos, he comes off as just wanting a soft place to fall. It's not an exaggeration to say he's been a singular figure in American jazz for decades with no real precedent and nobody even close ever since he landed in New York in 1956 from his native Mississippi. Yeah, he's one-of-a-kind.