Happy Anniversary: The Word from Mose

50 years ago today, Mose Allison dropped a swinging jazz platter on the masses, and while it may not be seen by all critics as his most seminal ‘60s work, it’s one that can still get people’s fingers snapping when it’s spun on the turntable.

Released on March 10, 1964, The Word from Mose could arguably qualify as a classic Atlantic Records jazz recording simply because it was recorded under the supervision of Nesuhi Ertegun, but what really makes it stand out is the way Allison – ably backed by bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Roy Lundberg, Allison – blends material from other artists, including Muddy Waters’ “Rolling Stone” and Everett Barksdale’s “Wild Man,” with stylistically-similar originals like “One of These Days,” “New Parchman,” and “Don’t Forget to Smile,” and puts together a mixture that’s just as jazzy as it is bluesy.

As noted, The Word from Mose may not be seen as possessing the same level of coolness as, say, I Don’t Worry About A Thing (1962) or I’ve Been Doin’ Some Thinkin’ (1968), but when it comes down to it, we’re hard pressed to suggest that there’s any album by Mose Allison that doesn’t qualify as cool...and, as such, the date of its initial release is certainly a date worth celebrating.