The Word from Mose
1964 album by Mose Allison
The Word from Mose is a 1964 jazz album by the jazz pianist and singer Mose Allison. The album, described by Allmusic as "light, swinging jazz with a distinctly rural, Southern influence", has been listed as one of the "core collection" albums for jazz fans by the Penguin Guide to Jazz. Originally released on Atlantic Records 1424, the album was released on CD by WEA International in 2000 and subsequently by Rhino in 2001 and 2005.
Critical reception
At the time of its release, Stereo Review dubbed it "one of Mose's best recordings", praising it as "one of his most consistently intriguing albums". Much later, Allmusic reviewer Eugene Chadborne noted that some of the songs do not rise to the level of quality of others, but overall praised Allison's reworking "material from the real country blues heritage...into his own style, to brilliant effect", calling out specifically the track "New Parchman" as "a performance that only the most hardened individual would be able to listen to without a smile cracking their face". The Penguin Guide to Jazz includes the album as part of its recommended "core collection" for fans of jazz music.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “The Word from Mose” is 1964 album by Mose Allison. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Word, Mose and album, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “1964 album by Mose Allison” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Object files, edition statements, performance records and contemporary criticism preserve different stages of the work’s history. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 7, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q7775797. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1964, 1424, 2000 and 2001.
Titles can refer to several editions, objects or performances, making precise identification essential before interpretation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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The original object or edition, catalogue raisonné, performance record, rights file and holding institution.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “The Word from Mose” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.