washerman's dog: Music for Mint Juleps: Mose Allison (link restored)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Music for Mint Juleps: Mose Allison (link restored)

Witch Horse Mint Julep

Mose Allison was born in the smallest of towns in the southern state of Mississippi over 80 years ago. It was a part of the United States that in summer sweltered in a humid heat and where mint juleps helped keep the races calm and the hours bearable.

This past week or more we’ve been enjoying (?) a long period of high temperatures. The nights are sticky and in the day the sun gnaws at your shoulders and arms. Sort of like the Mississippi of my mind.

Since we haven’t heard the fantabulous Mose in many a month I thought this torpid weather would be an apropos time to reintroduce him into the Washerman’s Dog world.

Mose Allison Plays for Lovers is a cheerily titled and somewhat hard to locate album recorded in 1958-9 but released in the mid 1960s. Here is unadulterated Mr Allison at the keyboard. No singing. No wry commentary. Just the wizard tickling the ivories and making them sing. Indeed, it is exactly the sort of music one can imagine playing on the hifi as the amorous duo down a final mint julep before heading into the bedroom.

By the by, here is a mint julep recipe

4 fresh mint sprigs

2 1/2 oz bourbon whiskey

1 tsp powdered sugar

2 tsp water

Muddle mint leaves, powdered sugar, and water in a collins glass. Fill the glass with shaved or crushed ice and add bourbon. Top with more ice and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with a straw.