The fact that Mose Allison left a great impact on a wide range of artists from the ’60s on continues. Here to confirm it is singer-songwriter Phillip Namanworth’s new album with quite a fitting title – Late Night Cafe.
Many listeners often scorn such direct references, intentional or unintentional, but there should be no such scorn for what Namanworth presents on this album. After all, Namanworth is partly Allison’s contemporary in many respects.
It is Allison’s southern roots to which Namanworth adds that East Village NYC cafe is cool with that combination of jazz and blues notes and equally high-level thinking person’s lyrics.
For those a bit more familiar with Namanworth this should not come as a surprise, as he has songs with Doc Pomus, and composed music for a variety of notable musical artists including George Benson, Melba Moore, Charlie Thomas-lead singer of the Drifters-and Kenny Vance, as well as Saturday Night Live TV, Elliott Randall, Sesame Street Characters, and John Waters’ Hairspray movie.
With such an artistic pedigree, you would expect no less than high quality (very late night) music, and on Late Night Cafe Phillip Namanworth certainly delivers.
