This twofer from the Mississippiborn pianist, trumpeter, vocalist, composer and NEA Jazz Master, Mose Allison, follows the 3CD Complete Prestige Recordings 1957-1959 released towards the end of 2014 on Fresh Sound Records. It also shares some of the same material, namely the albums Creek Bank, featuring an especially fine interpretation of Duke Ellington's ‘Prelude to a Kiss’ (Ellington being one of Allison's most important touchstones) and the rather Monkish title track, plus Young Man Mose from which the lazy swing of ‘Somebody Else Is Taking My Place’ is a highlight. The collection opens with the eight-part Transfiguration of Hiram Brown, a programmatic suite in which a naïve country boy moves to the city with big dreams, has his illusions shattered and despairs, before being transfigured. Five standards, including a bracing ‘Baby, Please Don't Go’, complete the date. I Love The Life I Live includes four Allison tunes, of which ‘Night Ride’ is a standout, Allison's dynamic pianism illustrating why he claimed runner-up spot in the new pianist category in DownBeat’s International Critics’ Poll in 1958. The CD booklet includes original liner notes by Teo Macero, Ira Gitler and Billy James.