If You're Going to the City: A Tribute to Mose Allison for Sweet Relief ［CD+DVD(PAL)］

モーズ・アリソンの偉大さが伝わる豪華トリビュート作。
2016年に亡くなったジャズ・ピアニスト/シンガー、モーズ・アリソン。本作にはタージ・マハール、ジャクソン・ブラウン、ベン・ハーパー、クリッシー・ハインド、イギー・ポップなど多彩な面々が参加していることで、その影響力の大きさを窺い知ることができる。DVD(PAL方式)にはポール・バーネイが制作したBBCのドキュメンタリー「Ever Since I Stole The Blues」を収録。
(C)オンライン:青木 正之

米・ミシシッピ州出身のジャズ・ピアニスト／歌手モーズ・アリソンのトリビュート・アルバム。モーズ・アリソンは、57年に『バック・カントリー・スイート』でソロ・デビュー以降、40枚超のアルバムを発表し、楽曲はザ・フー、ジョニー・ウィンター、エルヴィス・コステロ、ザ・クラッシュ、ヴァン・モリソンら多くのミュージシャンにカヴァーされている。

〈Fat Possum Records〉からリリースされた本作には、タージ・マハール、ジャクソン・ブラウン、フィオナ・アップル、ベン・ハーパー、クリッシー・ハインド、イギー・ポップ、ボニー・レイト、エルヴィス・コステロ、モーズ・アリソンの娘エイミー・モリソンなど豪華な面々が参加。ジャンルも多岐にわたることから、モーズ・アリソンがいかに音楽シーンに影響を与えてきたか、その偉大さが伝わる内容といえるでしょう。
DVD(PAL)にはポール・バーネイが制作したBBCのドキュメンタリー「Ever Since I Stole The Blues」を収録。

本作は病気などで活動が困難なミュージシャンを支援している団体〈Sweet Relief〉に寄付されます。

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 isnt always easy to concisely describe what Allison was doing, but its 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. 2019s If Youre 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 Allisons best songs. While some of the musicians play with the frameworks of Allisons music -- most notably Robbie Fulks fractured reading of My Brain and the electro-processed New Orleans vibe of Iggy Pops If Youre Going to the City -- most are content to find a middle ground between their own signature approach and Allisons laid-back but emphatic groove. Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders sings Stop This World like she was born to it, Loudon Wainwright IIIs sardonic tone is just right for Ever Since the World Ended, Bonnie Raitt sounds just as bitterly rueful as she should on Everybodys 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 Blacks 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 Moses 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 Musicians Fund (who provide financial assistance for musicians facing health problems), so theres really no reason not to add If Youre Going to the City to your collection. ~ Mark Deming