Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison
Encyclopedia
Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison is the twenty-fifth album
by Northern Irish
singer-songwriter
Van Morrison
, Georgie Fame
, Mose Allison
and Ben Sidran
, released in 1996. It charted at #1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.
, the performers were Allison himself, Georgie Fame
, Ben Sidran
, and Van Morrison, a longtime admirer of Allison's work. The horns were arranged by Pee Wee Ellis
. Morrison said he had wanted to make the record for a long time. Liner notes are by Ben Sidran.
Ben Sidran had said this on working with Van Morrison in the studio for the album:
.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
, Mose Allison
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
and Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran is an American jazz and rock pianist, organist, vocalist and writer born in Chicago, noted for his work with the early Steve Miller Band.-Biography:...
, released in 1996. It charted at #1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.
Recording history
The entire recording for this album was done in a day and all of the performances were live first or second takes. Featuring the songs of Mose AllisonMose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
, the performers were Allison himself, Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
, Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran
Ben Sidran is an American jazz and rock pianist, organist, vocalist and writer born in Chicago, noted for his work with the early Steve Miller Band.-Biography:...
, and Van Morrison, a longtime admirer of Allison's work. The horns were arranged by Pee Wee Ellis
Pee Wee Ellis
Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis is an American saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was an important member of James Brown's band in the 1960s and appeared on many of Brown's most notable recordings...
. Morrison said he had wanted to make the record for a long time. Liner notes are by Ben Sidran.
Ben Sidran had said this on working with Van Morrison in the studio for the album:
Heʼs exactly as he appears to be onstage. He never does anything the same way twice. Everything put down in the studio is done live, so whatever you play will likely end up on the finished record.
Track listing
All songs written by Mose AllisonMose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
.
- "One of These Days" – 3:18
- "You Can Count on Me (To Do My Part)" – 3:22
- "If You Live" – 3:47
- "Was" – 3:28
- "Look Here" – 2:09
- "City Home" – 3:26
- "No Trouble Livin'" – 2:15
- "Benediction" – 3:01
- "Back on the Corner" – 2:23
- "Tell Me Something" – 2:40
- "I Don't Want Much" – 2:03
- "News Nightclub" – 2:43
- "Perfect Moment" – 2:13
Personnel
- Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
- vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Georgie FameGeorgie FameGeorgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
- vocals, Hammond organHammond organThe Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard... - Ben SidranBen SidranBen Sidran is an American jazz and rock pianist, organist, vocalist and writer born in Chicago, noted for his work with the early Steve Miller Band.-Biography:...
- vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Mose AllisonMose AllisonMose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
- vocals, piano on "I Don't Want Much" and "Perfect Moment" - Alec DankworthAlec DankworthAlec Dankworth is an English jazz bassist and composer.Dankworth was born in London, the son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. He grew up in the villages of Aspley Guise and Wavendon, living at the Old Rectory, Wavendon, where his parents established the Wavendon All-Music Plan which includes the...
- bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Ralph Salmins - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Guy BarkerGuy BarkerGuy Barker is an English jazz trumpeter and composer. Barker was born in Chiswick, London, the son of an actress and a stuntman. He started playing the trumpet at the age of twelve, and within a year had joined the National Youth Jazz Orchestra...
- trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air... - Pee Wee EllisPee Wee EllisAlfred "Pee Wee" Ellis is an American saxophonist, composer and arranger. He was an important member of James Brown's band in the 1960s and appeared on many of Brown's most notable recordings...
- tenor sax - Leo GreenLeo GreenLeo Green is a British musician, broadcaster, producer, actor, musical arranger, concert promoter.-Early life:Green is the son of the late BBC Radio 2 broadcaster, writer and musician Benny Green and actress Toni Kanal, and is the brother of the writer and musician Dominic Green.-Career in the...
- tenor sax - Robin Aspland - Wurlitzer pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Top Jazz Albums | 1 |