Mose Allison 'I Don't Worry About A Thing'

A very good song that I first discovered when watching the movie 'The Whole Nine Yards.' It was always a piece that has stuck with me as being one of those occasions where the melody and beat itself are happy, but the lyrics are rather dark and depressing. So its a toe-tapping good time all the way to the graveyard.

It begins with a rather punchy intro, vocals, piano, and a drum set. The vocals come first, with the piano and drums coming in one the last 2 beats for four bars. A very fine way to catch the attentinon of any listener. After that, it settles into the first verse.

As the first verse begins, an Upright Bass is added into the mix, creating a steady beat with the drums. Mose plays the piano, adding in a nice harmony for his own vocals (which, I will admit, I always thought for the longest time were female).

We then have a repeat of the intro, same style and beat, but with different lyrics. After that, he goes into the second verse, very similar to the first verse with just a different change in lyrics. But then, instead of repeating the intro, it goes into a solo for the piano. I will not pretend that I know exactly how many bars it goes on, but I would be inclined to guess either 16 or 32? But it is a wonderful solo, showcasing Mose's talent and making it seem like the piano itself just doesn't care what keys he hits next. A loose style that I believe is lost today with my generation feeling the urge to make everything 'gritty' and 'intense.'

After that, we have the repeat of the intro style, into the third verse. It ends with all of the instruments coming to a short crescendo, before going out on a final note from the piano. What I find very interesting about this piece, is that the chorus, in reality, is at the beginning. But the chorus is not in the lyrics, but the way that the music is played. Now, I am sure that this is not unusual in Jazz, but it is honestly nothing that I have come across before. Then again, I do not usually listen to music intensely like this trying to analyze it, unless I am playing it myself.

Overall, an excellent piece that I hope you enjoy.