How do you pick the best from Mose Allison's catalog? You don't. We did it for you.

One of the many benefits of cultivating an expansive 60-year musical career is that you amass an incredible catalog; one of the downsides is that if you're a fan of an artist with an expansive 60-year musical career, it's super tricky to figure out how to share that catalog with friends.

Such is the case with pianist, singer, master of the ironic lyric and all-around legend Mose Allison, who returns Friday and Saturday for what has become an annual (at least) stop at The Jazz Corner on Hilton Head Island. For a 2007 interview for this paper, Allison said his work ethic, through all that time, has remained unchanged. "Try to get a job and get to it. It's the same challenge as it was when I first started playing in nightclubs in Lake Charles, La., in 1950."

In 2010 Allison released "The Way of the World," an album that wrapped his piano in comfortable sheets of mandolin, acoustic guitar and tenor sax. It also found his wry, witty songwriting in sharp-as-ever form -- no small achievement, given that it was his first album in 12 years. In fact, you could pretty easily make a massive Mose playlist -- especially if you count the covers of his songs by the Who, the Clash, Van Morrison and more -- but since this is still a print section, we'll cut it down to 10 Key Mose Allison Tracks.

'My Brain'

The opening number of "The Way of the World" is a jaunty, self-guided tour of Allison's own "cool little cluster" and its status at 82: "My brain is losing power," he sings with a smirk, "1,200 neurons every hour."

'Modest Proposal'

That new album's sharpest moment, a meditation on religion that springs from the same slick places as his best lyrics: "Let's give God a vacation/He must be tired of it all," Allison sings, ending with, "He gave us the power to reason ... so let's let him go for a season and start making sense today."

'Everybody's Cryin' Mercy'

A sly protest with lyrics as classic as they come: "A bad enough situation/Is sure enough getting worse/Everybody's crying justice/Just as long as there's business first."

'Your Mind Is On Vacation'

"... but your mouth is working overtime."

'Monsters Of The Id'

See when he says "My brain," he means it: This is one of the most colorful of his brainmatter-oriented songs. (See also: "Your Molecular Structure.")

'I Don't Worry About A Thing'

Inveterate fatalism has rarely sounded so snappy as "... 'cause I know nothing's gonna be alright."

'Ever Since The World Ended'

Part two of a one-two punch of end-of-the-world songs. "Ever since the world ended," Allison sings, drawing it out, " ... I don't get out that much."

'Your Molecular Structure'

Anyone can write a love song about eyes and kisses and such. Not many can make one fly on the cellular level.

'Meet Me At No Special Place'

Swinging, effortless cool that you can't remotely pull off unless you can play jazz piano, and even then it's a trick.

'Hello There, Universe'

Not a lot of pianists expend much time writing about the space-time continuum, which is probably OK. This one will do on its own.

BONUS: Allison appeared on an episode of PBS' "Soundstage" in 1975 with occasional tourmate Tom Waits; portions are available on YouTube and awesome.

This story was originally published December 2, 2011 at 9:38 AM with the headline "How do you pick the best from Mose Allison's catalog? You don't. We did it for you.."