Charles Brown - Someone To Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:00
Size: 105.3 MB
Styles: Blues-Jazz vocals/piano
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Someone To Love
[7:36] 2. I Wonder How She Knows
[3:59] 3. Don't Drive Me Away
[6:25] 4. Not So Far
[4:50] 5. Tell Me You'll Wait For Me
[5:56] 6. Be Sharp You'll See
[4:33] 7. Every Little Bit Hurts
[3:45] 8. I Want To Go Home
[4:09] 9. I Don't Want To Get Adjusted

Acoustic Bass – Tommie McKenzie; Drums – Gaylord Birch; Guitar – Danny Caron; Producer – Ron Levy; Slide Guitar – Bonnie Raitt (tracks: 7); Tenor Saxophone – Bobby Forté, Clifford Solomon; Vocals – Bonnie Raitt (tracks: 1); Vocals, Piano, Organ – Charles Brown.

Bonnie Raitt, who played such an integral role in Charles Brown's successful comeback, guests on two tracks on the pianist's Bullseye Blues encore, Someone to Love, which isn't quite the tour de force that his previous outing was, but is eminently solid nonetheless. Danny Caron and Clifford Solomon once again shine in support of their leader. ~Bill Dahl

Someone To Love mc
Someone To Love zippy

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Charles Brown - So Goes Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:11

Size: 126.3 MB

Styles: Urban blues, West Coast blues

Year: 1998

Art: Front

[4:39] 1. New Orleans Blues

[5:28] 2. My Heart Is Mended

[3:24] 3. Oh Oh What Do You Know About Love

[3:57] 4. Money's Gettin' Cheaper

[4:47] 5. She's Gone Again

[3:47] 6. I'll Get Along Somehow

[4:09] 7. So Goes Love

[3:59] 8. Stormy Monday

[4:57] 9. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child

[6:06] 10. Ain't No Use

[5:58] 11. You'll Never Know

[3:55] 12. Blue Because Of You

Charles Brown - Vocals; Harvey Wainapel - Sax (Alto); Danny Caron - Guitar; Ruth Davies - Bass; Teddy Edwards - Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor); Mary Fettig - Sax (Alto); Allen Smith - Trumpet; Marty Wehner - Trombone; Recorded April 1-4, 1996 at The Plant, Sausalito, California.

Like his previous two efforts for Verve, These Blues and Honey Dripper, So Goes Love doesn't really offer anything new from Charles Brown, but that' hardly a bad thing. Again, he serves up a collection of appealing, laidback blues that often drifts into jazz territory. The repertoire is a tad too predictable ("Stormy Monday," "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child"), but the performances are so lovely that there's no reason to complain. So Goes Love is hardly the first album to pick up if you're beginning a Brown collection, but once you've been introduced to his charms, it's quite welcome. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

So Goes Love   

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Charles Brown - Just A Lucky So And So

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 114.9 MB
Styles: Urban blues
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[5:28] 1. I Won't Cry Anymore
[3:44] 2. Just A Lucky So And So
[5:02] 3. Black Night
[4:03] 4. One Never Knows
[5:20] 5. Driftin' Blues
[5:57] 6. Gloomy Sunday
[5:25] 7. I Stepped In Quicksand
[4:42] 8. The Danger Isn't Over
[5:06] 9. A Song For Christmas
[5:20] 10. So Long

Charles Brown's casual yet stunning phrasing, inventive voicings, and piano accompaniment are wonderfully presented on this ten-song set. Ron Levy's production and the arrangements of Wardell Quezergue and Brown are tasteful, breezy, and geared for his carefully constructed, teasing solos and rich, creamy leads. Such numbers as Brown's classic "Drifting Blues," as well as "Gloomy Sunday" and "I Won't Cry Anymore," convey despair and hurt, yet retain a certain appeal and charm. Brown keeps making fine records, sounding as convincing in the 1990s as he did at the start of his career. ~Ron Wynn

Just A Lucky So And So

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Charles Brown - Blues And Other Love Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:06
Size: 117.0 MB
Styles: Urban blues/Jazz vocals
Year: 1992/2009
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. Do You Want Me
[4:13] 2. Fool That I Am
[4:15] 3. Who's Beating My Time
[7:58] 4. I Put Myself Together
[4:16] 5. What A Life
[9:31] 6. Mint Julep
[3:51] 7. You Are My First Love
[3:33] 8. 'round Midnight
[3:40] 9. Before The Evening Sun Sets
[4:30] 10. I've Got A Right To Cry

This Charles Brown session from early 1992 finds the singer sounding just as natural as he did in the early '50s. Blues and Other Love Songs was originally released on Muse records and is available as a budget title from the excellent reissue label 32 Jazz. Brown is in a typically soulful mood, crooning like a gritty modern day Nat "King" Cole. Backing up the piano and vocals of Brown are soul-groove saxophonist Houston Person, whose smokey tenor chops were an excellent match for Brown's blues. Danny Caron on guitar, Ruth Davies on bass, and Gaylord Birch round out the rhythm section. These ten tracks consist of five originals and five covers featuring a brief version of Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight," showing off Brown's ability to play straight jazz. Person is also heard with Brown on the 32 jazz reissue Lost and Found, which combines the albums Sweet Slumber and Wildflower on one disc. ~Al Campbell

Blues And Other Love Songs

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Houston Person - Lost & Found

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 73:26
Size: 118,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:10)  1. Late Night Lullaby
(6:08)  2. No Denial Blues
(6:29)  3. The Glory of Love
(5:36)  4. Never Let Me Go
(5:16)  5. Trust in Me
(4:10)  6. When I'm Not With You
(4:36)  7. Sweet Slumber
(7:47)  8. Preachin' and Teachin'
(7:36)  9. Dameron
(6:58) 10. Wildflower
(6:07) 11. Ain't Misbehavin'
(5:25) 12. My Romance

This single CD from 1997 has all of the music recorded by tenor saxophonist Houston Person for his 1977 album Wildflower, plus a completely unissued session from 1993. The latter teams the soulful Person with the classic pianist/vocalist Charles Brown in a quintet also including guitarist Danny Caron, bassist Red Callender and drummer Gaylord Birch. It is a particular pleasure hearing Brown fare so well in a jazz setting. The earlier date has five fairly long jams, with Person joined by trumpeter Bill Hardman, guitarist Jimmy Ponder, the underrated organist Sonny Phillips, drummer Idris Muhammad and percussionist Larry Killian. In addition to a couple of familiar standards ("Ain't Misbehavin'" and "My Romance"), the title cut, and a Phillips original, the band debuts a previously unknown Tadd Dameron ballad titled "Dameron." All in all, this is a well-rounded CD easily recommended to fans of soul-jazz, hard bop and Charles Brown. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-found-mw0000025251

Personnel: Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Bill Hardman (trumpet); Charles Brown (piano, vocals); Sonny Phillips (organ); Jimmy Ponder, Danny Caron (guitar); Red Callender (bass); Idris Muhammad, Gaylord Birch (drums); Larry Killian (congas, percussion).

Lost & Found

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Charles Brown - Boss Of The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:33
Size: 118.0 MB
Styles: Early R&B, Urban blues
Year: 1963/1991
Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Driftin' Blues
[4:05] 2. Through The Courtesy Of Love
[4:08] 3. Since I Fell For You
[2:48] 4. You Are My First Love
[3:42] 5. To You My Love
[3:15] 6. Not In My Wildest Dreams
[2:20] 7. Pledging My Love
[3:10] 8. Tomorrow Night
[3:26] 9. I'm Just Fooling Myself
[2:31] 10. The Glory Of Love
[2:49] 11. Blueberry Hill
[2:52] 12. I Won't Cry Anymore
[2:30] 13. I Miss You So
[2:59] 14. Harbor Lights
[3:38] 15. I Know
[3:16] 16. Cottage For Sale

More 1963-1964 Mainstream sides with some duplication -- the first six tracks here also appear on the DCC compilation. Tracks 7-16 find Brown surrounded by strings as he smoothly intones "Pledging My Love," "Blueberry Hill," and "Cottage for Sale" (they didn't even let him sit down at the keyboard at all for these dates!). ~Bill Dahl

Boss Of The Blues

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Various - New York Rock And Soul Revue: Live At The Beacon

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 66:33

Size: 152.3 MB

Styles: Soul, Blues, Jazz, Rock

Year: 1991/2010

Art: Front

[0:52] 1. Donald Fagen - Intro

[4:18] 2. Donald Fagen - Madison Time

[3:55] 3. Michael Mcdonald & Phoebe Snow - Knock On Wood

[4:39] 4. Donald Fagen - Green Flower Street

[3:40] 5. Phoebe Snow - Shakey Ground

[5:31] 6. Phoebe Snow - At Last

[5:25] 7. Michael Mcdonald - Lonely Teardrops

[5:30] 8. Boz Scaggs - Drowning In The Sea Of Love

[4:08] 9. Charles Brown - Driftin' Blues

[6:28] 10. Donald Fagen - Chain Lightning

[4:24] 11. Eddie And David Brigati - Groovin'

[6:12] 12. Michael Mcdonald - Minute By Minute

[5:18] 13. New York Rock And Soul Revue - People Got To Be Free

[4:58] 14. Donald Fagen - Pretzel Logic

[1:08] 15. Donald Fagen - Madison Reprise

Ain't no crime in having a good time and everybody partied at the New York Rock & Soul Revue held live at New York's Beacon Theater; the lineup of Phoebe Snow, Donald Fagen, Charles Brown, Michael McDonald, and Eddie and David Brigati (the Rascals) saw to that. While some performances come off as perfunctory and there's nothing you could label outstanding, the soul is real and heartfelt. Top performances come from Brown (the oldest person in the show), Snow and McDonald, Boz Scaggs ("Drowning in the Sea of Love"), and Fagen (a jazzy "Madison Time," which he performs accompanied by Jeff & the Youngsters in a full-blown reprise that closes the concert). ~Andrew Hamilton

New York Rock and Soul Revue: Live At The Beacon 

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Charles Brown - In A Grand Style

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:29
Size: 92.7 MB
Styles: Urban blues, West Coast blues
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[4:03] 1. One Never Knows, Does One
[4:20] 2. Stand By You
[4:54] 3. Black Night
[3:09] 4. You Gave Me Everything But Love
[4:19] 5. Give Me A Woman
[3:33] 6. Hard Times
[1:02] 7. Charles Chopin Liszt
[6:45] 8. Sorry Baby
[3:54] 9. Stumbled And Fell In Love
[4:28] 10. Wouldn't It Be Grand

This posthumously released material -- mostly classic and classy love songs -- puts an exclamation point on the career of a true American music legend, a legitimate grand master in more ways than one. It is not, as the back cover states, a "solo piano album." Charles Brown does, in fact, sing on all the cuts save one, but there's no rhythm section or soloist to help. It's simply Charles Brown, all soulful, with light-colored blues, gently swinging but by himself. There are classics like "Black Night," "Stumbled and Fell in Love," the curious "One Never Knows, Does One?" and Little Walter's slightly raucous "Give Me a Woman." Brown's classical background on "Charles' Chopin Liszt" unleashes a cascading, tinkling, arpeggiated side rarely heard. Other intros also showcase this part of Brown's musicianship. Everything on the record, except for "Liszt," is a slow, cigarette-type smoldering blues that is sometimes downhearted, other times hopeful. But the lyrics of Brown's original "Wouldn't It Be Grand" speaks volumes about his hope for our future: "Wouldn't that be grand, if and when we die, we unite together in the sky/Get together, take our stand, glory land/Wouldn't that be grand." ~Michael G. Nastos

In A Grand Style

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Danny Caron - How Sweet It Is

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:40
Size: 111.4 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues guitar
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:54] 1. Zydeco Boogaloo
[4:37] 2. The Promised Land
[4:30] 3. One For The Road
[4:19] 4. Grand Lake Shuffle
[4:56] 5. E.S.B. Blues
[6:12] 6. The Chicken
[4:22] 7. Need Your Love So Bad
[4:31] 8. Rock Candy
[7:09] 9. Body And Soul
[3:04] 10. Our Miss Brooks

n his own description, Danny Caron sees How Sweet It Is as an extension of Good Hands, and in many ways it is. But to my ears while Good Hands is about incredible guitar work from an incredible guitarist, How Sweet It Is is about musical choices. Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of great guitar work here but the choices make How Sweet It Is the great CD it is.

The first choice, naturally enough, is the music. While mostly slow blues and stylized jazz, there are even a couple of different flavors of zydeco, the jumping Zydeco Boogoloo and the slow, country roots One For The Road. As his bio indicates, this is the range of music Danny has been playing his whole life, and continues to play. All the numbers are beautifully arranged.

The next choice is the musicians. While all the players on this CD are noteworthy, to me the keyboard players deserve special mention: Wayne De La Cruz and Jimmy Pugh driving B-3 and John R. Burr on piano. It doesn’t get better at providing a counterpoint to Caron’s guitar. And though he only appears on a couple of tracks, Jeff Ervin delivers some truly powerful sax.

Did I mention vocals? The late Charles Brown is here; so smooth, like silk, forever. And Barbara Morrison, playful and earthy, like hearing the blues you always knew but never knew you missed quite so much.

For what is primarily an instrumental album, the several vocals on this CD are, on their own merit, worth the price of admission.

In short, How Sweet It Is is a great musical choice. Check it out. ~Karl Cishek

How Sweet It Is

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Charles Brown - Honey Dripper

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 59:37

Size: 136.5 MB

Styles: West Coast blues, Urban blues

Year: 1996

Art: Front

[7:06] 1. News All Over Town

[4:24] 2. I Cried Last Night

[5:10] 3. When Did You Leave Heaven

[3:21] 4. There Is No Greater Love

[3:48] 5. If I Had You

[3:10] 6. Gee

[5:03] 7. The Very Thought Of You

[4:51] 8. You Won't Let Me Go

[4:25] 9. The Honey Dripper

[4:23] 10. They All Say I'm The Biggest Fool

[5:55] 11. At Your Beck And Call

[3:58] 12. Everyday I Have The Blues

[3:30] 13. Precious Lord

[0:26] 14. Charles Brown's Thank You

"Soothing" is not a word normally associated with blues, but its the word that best captures the experience of listening to Charles Brown, and Honey Dripper is no exception. Listening to it is like sipping a fine bottle of cognac. Seventy-two years old at the time of this recording session, Brown sounds agile, almost ageless. Indeed, time seems to stand still when he plays and sings in that same understated, urbane manner he popularized with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers back in the 1940s. Like his other recordings this decade, Honey Dripper features Brown's regular working combo, led by guitarist Danny Caron and including saxophonist Clifford Solomon. The songs range from straight-ahead blues to jazz ballads, with some straddling the line. ~Steve Hoffman

Honey Dripper

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