Mose Allison: "Your Mind is on Vacation" (1962)

It is almost his birthday. Mose John  Allison Jr. was born November 11, 1927 in Mississippi. He would go to school, learn piano, serve in the military and finish college.

He was heavily influenced by the blues and his Mississippi upbringing but of all places, brought it to New York were he played with Stan Getz, Zoot Sims and Gerry Mulligan among others. He would get a record deal in 1957, but his label would not let him sing at all. He would not put out an all vocals album until 1963. It featured his trio doing covers of Sonny Boy Williamson, Willie Dixon and others but it was his original work that stood out. He had a hit with "Parchman Farm", which would be one of his most popular songs.

In 1962, Mose came out with "I Don't Worry About a Thing", which included "Your Mind is on Vacation."  Reviewer Alan Kurtz gives us these observations: 

"In the culture-clash of jazz and psychiatry, shrinks have gotten short shrift. Mose Allison, however, plays Devil's advocate, enacting the role of long-suffering clinician who's endured more bellyaching than even the highly compensated can tolerate. "You're sittin' there yakkin' in my face," declares Dr. Allison at wit's end. "I guess I'm gonna have to put you in your place." Technically called counter-resistance, this can seriously impair the doctor-patient relationship. But when delivered with Mose Allison's Laid-back Sage of the Mississippi Delta aplomb and set to his funky down-home piano, such in-your-face attitude is delectably therapeutic."

You're sitting there yakkin' right in my face
I guess I'm gonna have to put you in your place
Y'know if silence was golden
You couldn't raise a dime
Because your mind is on vacation and your mouth is
Working overtime

His songs are thoughtful, yet playful at the same time. You can jut picture him sitting in a bar in the Village laying this song on the audience.

Mose, now in his 80's has well over 40 albums to his credit.  He has influenced the likes of The Who, Elvis Costello and Hendrix while his songs have been covered by countless musicians.
We believe him to be one of the most talented songwriters and underrated jazzman ever.

Several staff at Monahan's Song saw Mose walk into a bar at Disney World and sit down at the piano and play ten songs. Someone who did not know it was him walked up and dropped a dollar on the piano as a tip. Mose burst out laughing...