If You're Going to the City: A Tribute to Mose Allison for Sweet Relief

Overview

Mose Allison was a tough man to pigeonhole. He had one foot in the blues with the subtle but solid melodic construction of his songs, while the other rested comfortably in jazz with the easy stride of his piano playing and his willingness to let his tunes go where they will. And while the hipster wit of his songs was frequently hilarious, the playful surfaces and ineffable cool of his music disguised the very smart turn of his melodies and the neo-beatnik literacy of his lyrics. It isn't always easy to concisely describe what Allison was doing, but it's easy to enjoy and appreciate the skill and easygoing joy of his music, and Allison had the respect of his fellow musicians as well as a dedicated fan base. 2019's If You're Going to the City: A Tribute to Mose Allison for Sweet Relief is a loving homage to the man and his music, with a dozen-plus artists of note in a program of 15 of Allison's best songs. While some of the musicians play with the frameworks of Allison's music -- most notably Robbie Fulks' fractured reading of "My Brain" and the electro-processed New Orleans vibe of Iggy Pop's "If You're Going to the City" -- most are content to find a middle ground between their own signature approach and Allison's laid-back but emphatic groove. Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders sings "Stop This World" like she was born to it, Loudon Wainwright III's sardonic tone is just right for "Ever Since the World Ended," Bonnie Raitt sounds just as bitterly rueful as she should on "Everybody's Crying Mercy," Richard Thompson takes a rare detour into the blues on "Parchman Farm," and Taj Mahal is casually masterful on "Your Mind Is on Vacation." Frank Black's interpretation of "Numbers on Paper" is the only contribution that truly misses the mark, and the late Allison (who died in 2016) even makes a cameo appearance with the inclusion of "Monsters from the Id," a duet between Elvis Costello and Mose's daughter Amy Allison that appeared on her 2009 album Sheffield Streets. The music is often great, and proceeds from the album benefit the Sweet Relief Musician's Fund (who provide financial assistance for musicians facing health problems), so there's really no reason not to add If You're Going to the City to your collection. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	11/29/2019
Label:	Fat Possum Records
UPC:	0767981171517
Rank:	94267

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Taj Mahal   Primary Artist,Vocals
Jackson Browne   Primary Artist,Vocals
Iggy Pop   Primary Artist,Vocals
Anything Mose!   Primary Artist
The Tippo All Stars   Primary Artist
Frank Black   Primary Artist
Charlie Musselwhite   Primary Artist,Harp,Vocals
Peter Case   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Loudon Wainwright III   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Robbie Fulks   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Phil Alvin   Primary Artist,Vocals
Richard Thompson   Primary Artist,Vocals
Dave Alvin   Primary Artist,Guitar
Amy Allison   Primary Artist,Vocals
Bonnie Raitt   Primary Artist,Vocals
Chrissie Hynde   Primary Artist,Vocals
Ben Harper   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
David Ralicke   Horn
Mark Goldenberg   Guitar
Ricky Fataar   Drums
Fred Tackett   Guitar,Guitar (Electric)
Mose Allison   Piano
George Marinelli   Guitar
Jason Mozersky   Guitar
Dave Rokeach   Drums
George Galt   Harmonica
Ryan Hedgecock   Guitar
John Chin   Piano
Kyle Crusham   Piano
Mark Williams   Bass
Jim Murray   Drums
Jimmy Paxson   Drums
Greg Leisz   Guitar (Steel)
Fiona Apple   Vocals,Featured Artist
David Garza   Guitar (Nylon String)
Don Heffington   Drums,Percussion
Eric Drew Feldman   Piano,Mellotron
Bob Crawford   Piano
David Witham   Keyboards
David J. Carpenter   Bass
Sebastian Steinberg   Bass
Richard Julian   Vocals
Reid Paley   Guitar,Harmonica
Matt Flinner   Mandolin
James "Hutch" Hutchinson   Bass
Benmont Tench   Piano
Tony Maimone   Bass
Elvis Costello   Vocals,Featured Artist
Bob Glaub   Bass
Shad Cobb   Fiddle
Leron Thomas   MIDI,Trumpet,Keyboards
Black Francis   Vocals
Dennis Crouch   Bass
Buddy Zapata   Guitar
Mike Finnigan   Keyboards
Jesse Ingalls   Bass
Noam Pikelny   Banjo

Technical Credits

Ben Harper   Producer
Jeremy Goody   Engineer
Mose Allison   Composer
Reuben Cohen   Mastering
Alex Haley   Mixing,Engineer
Morgan Stratton   Engineer
Michael Perez-Cisneros   Mixing,Engineer
John Chin   Producer
Pete Keppler   Engineer
John Allison   Liner Notes
Larry Fergusson   Mixing Assistant
Michael Ochs   Cover Image
Andrew Felluss   Engineer
Geoff Neal   Engineer
Kerri Mahoney   Artwork
Rafael Cadavieco   Engineer
Grant Blackstock   Assistant Engineer
Sheldon Gomberg   Executive Producer,Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Ethan Allen   Engineer
Don Heffington   Engineer,Producer
Gavin Lurssen   Mastering
David Vaught   Mixing
Ryan Freeland   Mixing
Robbie Fulks   Producer
Mark Schwartz   Engineer
Richard Thompson   Producer
Michael Simmons   Liner Notes
Reid Paley   Producer
Dave Sinko   Mixing,Engineer
Simon Tassano   Engineer
Taj Mahal   Producer
Tony Maimone   Mixing
Amy Allison   Executive Producer
Bob Wayne   Piano Engineer
Kevin Smith   Engineer,Mixing Assistant
Leron Thomas   Producer
Bonnie Raitt   Producer
Joe Henry   Composer
Stewart Lerman   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Jason Gossman   Engineer,Mixing Assistant