Mose Allison

Born in Tippo, MS, in 1927, jazz pianist Mose Allison has managed to bridge the gap between jazz and blues with more than 30 albums that cover both genres. He learned to play the piano as a child in the Mississippi Delta. When he came of age he enlisted in the army and played in the Army Band. Upon his discharge he attended Louisiana State University, earning a B.A. in English in 1950. In 1956 he moved to New York City to pursue a career as a musician, and played with such jazz figures as Zoot Simms, Gerry Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer and Stan Getz. He recorded albums for a variety of labels, including Prestige, Columbia and Atlantic, where he stayed for 16 years. He left that label in 1978 and in 1982 signed with Elektra, where he put out two albums before moving over to Blue Note-Capitol Records. Mose Allison died at his home in Hilton Head, SC, on Nov. 15, 2016.