Consumer Guide Album

Mose Allison: The Way of the World [Anti-, 2010]
At 82, Allison has written a great song, which may seem odd given that it deals with neuron degeneration, and found an ideal producer, which is not how I usually describe Joe Henry. Ben Sidran offered him a sympathetic ear at Blue Note too, especially on 1997's Gimcracks and Gewgaws. But Sidran is a jazz loyalist with a songwriting sideline who brought out the player in him. Henry is a singer-songwriter with a jazz jones who conceived settings that would serve the lyrical gift that made Allison famous. "My Brain" is as right for Peter Townshend in 2010 as "Young Man Blues" was for Roger Daltrey in 1969. "Modest Proposal" and "The Way of the World" bring cosmic wisdom down to earth. "I'm Alright" is a big thumbs-up for anyone who flosses. B+