First listen

[ironbut]

Oh Boy, that sounded nice! You just can't keep you feet from tapping all the way through that album. And even though the famous Van Gelder "hole in the middle" is in evidence  on the vocal cuts Mose's voice fill that void very nicely. Real intimate stuff for the most part and his voice sounds is spot on in the realism department. It kinda reminds me of one of those pictures that you have to look at just the right way to see the baby or the dinosaur but once you see it, you can't not see it. It's that same way with Mose Allison. Once you hear his vocal style, you hear his influence everywhere!
And when this trio swings, it cooks! Farmer and Free just drives this stuff. It must've been such a pleasure to watch Allison play since "fluid" comes to mind every time I hear him. I know he was a big Bud Powell fan and you can hear that on this album but Mose really took that thing to another level and made it his own.
I know I should be saying more about the fidelity of this tape but sometimes the music just doesn't allow that. At least not on the first listen.
BTW Anyone know where this one was recorded. It sure doesn't sound like an apartment in Jersey.

[mikel]

OK; i'm a bit hypothermic from waiting all day at the curb for TP-009......but it turns out to be worth it.

Ironbut nails it nicely, there's not much to add. It's very easy to listen to, a toe-tapper for sure....a bit on the subtle side....in a good way.

i've not listened to Mose before, so i played it all the way thru twice to get a good feel for it. my first impression was of a blues-jazz almost dixiland style.

On the second listen i'd settled into Mose's style and the group's flow, and the second time thru Mose's vocals were just right. I think this music takes a few times thru before the beauty and magic come thru fully (or maybe i'm just slow on the uptake).

I'm not always fully satisfied with Van Gelder's piano recordings as they seem just a bit blunted and closed in......and as the first cut started off i got that impression again. As i continued to listen, whether it was my ears getting use to it or whatever, the piano seemed just right.....lively, open and full bodied but never overdone. As Ironbut noted; there is the typical hole in the middle, and the piano seems a bit in a different acoustic from the drums and bass; but the synergy of the trio is spot on and musically these recording quirks did not detract at all from the enjoyment.

Overall very nice recording and i like it. Creek Bank is distinctive and different in style from most of the other small combo jazz i have and in a good way. i'll go find and buy all the Mose Allison i can find (and afford).

Anyway; another winner you guys.....thanks and Congrats. This one will be in heavy rotation for awhile.

[astrotoy]

I've only gotten a chance to hear the first tape A. I am not a jazz person, and I had never heard of Mose Allison before the TP.  I had a similar impression to Mike on the piano sound in the first pass - not as real as the Waltz for Debby. There is also the hole in the middle which somehow gets fixed on the vocals, which are dead center. I found myself enjoying the music (I guess that is what we should be doing) more than in the Waltz for Debby - more up beat, though I liked the sense of physical space in the Evans album. Interestingly the groups are identical, piano, bass and drums, with the piano on the right.

Is that the standard configuration for pianos? I am used to having the piano in the middle with the pianist sitting on the left of the stage in classical music, so that the piano lid opens so the piano faces the audience. Often the pianist sits behind the other perfomers in a chamber group, but always on the left. It appears that there is no lid on these pianos or the lid is down, and the pianist is way to the right if he is looking toward his colleagues or toward the middle if he is facing away.  It seems a bit odd to me.

In any case, I am getting a good education in learning about these jazz performers whom I think are famous. I have heard a short excerpt from the TP10 and that was great. I'm looking forward to that.  ITP is broadening my musical experience and that is good - especially at my age. Just no late John Coltrane - I got an exposure to that a few years ago and I still haven't recovered!  Larry

[docb]

Last time I saw Mose was in the 80's. It was at Blake's in Berkeley when the basement club was called the Rathskeller, a.k.a. the Rat. They had a row of booths that sort of projected out into the room and the band set up in an area behind them. We sat in the end booth and Mose's piano was right next to us in such a way that we were sitting side by side and I was able to chat a little with him. So I guess the piano was on the right.

Heard some fun music the Rat - Mose, Charlie Musselwhite, Mitch Woods. The house band (the Rat band, IIRC) back then was decent too. I think Robert Cray stole them away from there.

[ironbut]

There isn't any set convention for the piano's position in jazz groups but the tendency is to have the piano on the right with a trio and on the left with a larger ensemble. I've seen it both ways though (on large stages which have no space restrictions that might alter the players preferences). The same goes for how open the player wants the lid. I'm sure Romo or Paul know this as well as anybody but some pianists want "full stick" (completely open) while others want the lid closed or off. Pretty interesting stuff from where I sit.

[docb]

I'm sure Romo or Paul know this as well as anybody but some pianists want "full stick" (completely open) while others want the lid closed or off.

And in some situations the singer makes that decision for the pianist, like a certain blonde chick I know. That's on stage. The same pianist might use a different configuration in the studio. Art plays with the lid closed on stage and I've seen Romo use a stereo mic under the piano in that situation. IIRC we had the lid at half stick when recording the Number White, or maybe it was full stick.

[TomR]

My own previous experience with Mose Allison was the Van Morrison sings the songs of Mose Allison - I think Van is better off focusing on his own material. (The country and western album is really bad, in my view - and I love Van!) So here we go:

I have just listened to side A - and everything positive that has been said before, I have to say again. Wow!

First, the ease with which the music comes off the speakers - relaxed, natural, and just there.

Then - I really like the detail of the drumwork - you can hear the sticks hit the drums and cymbals.

The music is great - toe tapping as pointed out.

[JoeG]

I'm listening to TP009 for the second time at the moment. I have to agree with Mike and Larry about the "naturalness" of the piano. It's not quite the in-the-room balanced tone of "Waltz for Debbie". Glad Mose's voice takes the center fill. He is dead center in my room as well. Not being familiar with Allison's work prior to receiving the reels, one thing that hits me: I keep expecting Leon Redbone to step up to the mic and take the background vocals behind Mose. This is indeed a toe tapper though. It's really growing on me.

[Ben]

Hmm Fresh leather ... Not a new sofa or new car. :)
Even with the AC blasting away and my hi-fi setup in half setup
Side A sounds very sweet indeed. This seems a Just right style
of Jazz to me, the music is there, but it does not over whelm you.
Ben.

[joeljoel1947]

Well something is amiss here.  The left and right channels on this tape are the exact opposite of the cd release (Prestige PRCD-24055-2).  The piano is in the right channel on the tape, as Larry describes above in this thread.  Problem is, on the cd release its in the LEFT channel!  I triple checked everything on my end to be sure before posting this.

I guess I'm the only one who has compared the tape to another format on this one?  Something was done wrong here---either on the tape or the cd.  They are "vice-versa"!  Anyone have the LP on hand to settle the matters as a tie breaker?  ;)