His boogie woogie and bebop-laden piano style is innovative and fresh sounding when it comes to blues and swing, but it is as a songwriter that Mose Allison really shines.  Catch him at New Orleans' renowned Snug Harbor for two nights.

"For over thirty years, this premier songwriter, singer and pianist has stared down the oncoming doom, peppering his idiosyncratic blend of bop and blues with mordant wit and unflinching honesty." --Village Voice

Mose Allison was born in the Mississippi Delta on his grandfather’s farm near the village of Tippo.  At five he discovered he could play the piano “by ear” and began “picking out” blues and boogie 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, Nat Cole of the King Cole Trio.  He played trumpet in the marching and dance bands and started writing his own songs.

After a year at the University of Mississippi, he went to the Army in l946, playing in the Army Band in Colorado Springs and performing with accomplished musicians from around the country in small groups at NCO and Officer’s clubs. Returning to “Ole Miss” he joined the dance band as arranger, piano and trumpet player, but shortly left to form his own trio, playing piano and singing in a style heavily influenced by Nat Cole, Louis Jordan and Erroll Garner.  After a year on the road, Mose married, returned to college at Louisiana State University and graduated in 1952 with a BA in English and Philosophy.

He worked in nightclubs throughout the Southeast and West, blending the raw blues of his childhood with modern pianistic influences of John Lewis, Thelonius Monk and Al Haig.  His vocal style was influenced by blues singers Percy Mayfield and Charles Brown.  Arriving in New York in 1956, Mose received encouragement, work and a record date from Al Cohn.  In 1957 he secured his own first recording contract with Prestige Records, recording Back Country Suite, a collection of pieces evoking the Mississippi Delta, released to unanimous critical acclaim.  Mose went on to play and record with modern music greats Stan Getz, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and Gerry Mulligan as well as with his own Mose Allison Trio.

Mose continued working with his own trio, writing and singing his own songs.  His songs are a fusion of rustic blues and modern improv,  embellished with profound and often humorous lyrics.  As a pianist, while admiring improvisational music masters Bud Powell and Lenny Tristano, he also learned from composers such as Bartok, Ives, Hindemith and Ruggles.  The fusing of these diverse elements into a cohesive performance continues today.  A biography, One Man’s Blues: The Life and Music of Mose Allison, written by Patti Jones, was published in 1995 by Quartet Books Ltd. Of London.

Mose continues to write and perform all over the world.  His songs have been covered by Van Morrison, John Mayall, The Who, The Clash, Eric Clapton, the Yardbirds, Elvis Costello and Bonnie Raitt to name a few.  Van Morrison recorded a tribute album, Tell Me Something, The Songs of Mose Allison, on Verve Records, and rockers like Pete Townshend, Bonnie Raitt, Ray Davies and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones have frequently cited Mose Allison as a major influence.  During a recent London engagement, Time Out, the major entertainment weekly, praised Mose:

Mose Allison’s popularity in the UK dates from the ‘60s, when his mixture of Delta-born blues feel and his gift for writing a song with a sting in the tail made him a prime source of inspiration for the UK’s new generation of blues/rock artists.  Not just namechecked but lionized by the likes of Pete Townshend, Jack Bruce, Brian Auger and Georgie Fame, he became British rock’s most popular modern improv musician.  His piano style is notable for its strange mixture of classical-influenced sophistication and blues-based intimacy, and there’s still none like him with a lyric.

His most recent Grammy nomination was for his 2001 recording, Mose Chronicles, Live in London, Vol. I on Blue Note Records.  Mose Chronicles , Vol II  was released in 2002.  In 2005, British born director Paul Barnays produced a one hour documentary on Mose entitled, Mose Allison; Ever Since I Stole the Blues, for the BBC4 in the UK. Among recent releases are a dozen reissues on CD including Allison Wonderland and a double CD retrospective on Rhino, and High Jinks, a three CD package on Legacy.  Blue Note has also re-released a collection of past recordings, Mose Allison, Jazz Profiles. His music has often been used in movies, and he can be seen performing in the 2001 movie release, The Score, starring Robert DeNiro and Marlon Brando.

Snug Harbor is New Orlean's premier jazz club with live music seven nights a week. Ellis Marsalis is on stage most Fridays and Charmaine Neville sings most Mondays. A nice restaurant with great burgers and steaks is located separately on the premises. Two shows are scheduled nightly at 8pm and 10pm.  All ages are welcome, including quiet children (please use good judgment in this arena). During performances, quiet is requested. Recording performances by any means (photos, video, audio) is not allowed.

The room is set up very similarly to a cabaret theatre with a stage showcasing the performers, small cocktail tables and wood chairs. Upstairs a balcony area overlooks the show. All seating is done on a first come first served basis so no specific seating can be reserved. Handicapped patrons who alert the club to their need at the time of purchasing advanced tickets will be seated on the first floor. Shows frequently do sell out so it is always a good idea to call ahead to buy tickets for shows in the club and/or make dinner reservations for the restaurant.

Please note that Snug Harbor is not a dinner theater; the dining room is separate from the music club.  Occasionally a light menu is offered but patrons planning a full dinner should make reservations for the restaurant as the club is limited in table space and this menu is intended primarily to provide light snacks.

All ticket sales are final and credit cards are charged only for tickets, any drinks or food will be an additional charge to be paid to the server. Tickets may be picked up at “Will Call” at the show room door beginning one hour before the first show at which time seating will also begin. A receipt for purchase will be include with tickets. 

Snug Harbor is in the Marigny -- the other side of Esplanade from the French Quarter.