How many blues artists remained at the absolute top of
their game after more than a half-century of performing? One immediately leaps to mind: Charles Brown. His incredible piano skills and laid-back vocal delivery remained every bit as mesmerizing at the end of his life as they were way back in 1945, when his groundbreaking waxing of "Drifting Blues" with guitarist Johnny Moore's Three Blazers invented an entirely new blues genre for sophisticated post-war revellers: an ultra-mellow, jazz-inflected sound perfect for sipping a late-night libation in some hip after-hours joint. Brown's smooth trio format was tremendously influential to a host of high-profile disciples -- Ray Charles, Amos Milburn, and Floyd Dixon, for starters.
their game after more than a half-century of performing? One immediately leaps to mind: Charles Brown. His incredible piano skills and laid-back vocal delivery remained every bit as mesmerizing at the end of his life as they were way back in 1945, when his groundbreaking waxing of "Drifting Blues" with guitarist Johnny Moore's Three Blazers invented an entirely new blues genre for sophisticated post-war revellers: an ultra-mellow, jazz-inflected sound perfect for sipping a late-night libation in some hip after-hours joint. Brown's smooth trio format was tremendously influential to a host of high-profile disciples -- Ray Charles, Amos Milburn, and Floyd Dixon, for starters.
Brown was born in Texas City, Texas. As a child he loved
music and received classical music training on the piano. He graduated from
Central High School in Galveston, Texas, in 1939 and Prairie View A&M
College in 1942 with a degree in chemistry. He then became a chemistry teacher
at George Washington Carver High School in Baytown, Texas, a mustard gas worker
at the Pine Bluff Arsenal at Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and an apprentice
electrician at a shipyard in Richmond, California, before settling in Los
Angeles in 1943.
He played with the Bardu Ali band before joining Johnny
Moore’s Three Blazers, who modelled themselves after Nat "King"
Cole's trio but retained a bluesier tone within their ballad-heavy repertoire.
With Brown installed as their vocalist and pianist, the Blazers'
"Drifting Blues" for Philo Records remained on Billboard's R&B charts for 23 weeks, peaking at number two. Follow-ups for Exclusive and Modern (including "Sunny Road," "So Long," "New Orleans Blues," and their immortal 1947 Yuletide classic "Merry Christmas Baby") kept the Blazers around the top of the R&B listings from 1946 through 1948. Irked that he was not receiving the same billing or money as guitarist Moore, who neither wrote nor sang, Brown opted to go solo.
"Drifting Blues" for Philo Records remained on Billboard's R&B charts for 23 weeks, peaking at number two. Follow-ups for Exclusive and Modern (including "Sunny Road," "So Long," "New Orleans Blues," and their immortal 1947 Yuletide classic "Merry Christmas Baby") kept the Blazers around the top of the R&B listings from 1946 through 1948. Irked that he was not receiving the same billing or money as guitarist Moore, who neither wrote nor sang, Brown opted to go solo.
If anything, Brown was even more successful on his own.
Signing with Eddie Mesner's Aladdin logo, he visited the R&B Top Ten no
less than ten times from 1949 to 1952, retaining his mournful, sparsely
arranged sound for the smashes "Get Yourself Another Fool," the
chart-topping "Trouble Blues" and "Black Night," and
"Hard Times." Brown's style dominated the influential Southern
California club scene on Central Avenue, in Los Angeles, during that period. He
influenced such performers as Floyd Dixon, Cecil Gant, Ivory Joe Hunter, Percy
Mayfield, Johnny Ace and Ray Charles
Despite a 1956 jaunt to New Orleans to record with the
Cosimo's studio band, Brown's mellow approach failed to make the transition to
rock's brasher rhythms, and he soon faded from national
prominence (other than when his second holiday perennial, "Please Come Home for Christmas," hit in 1960 on the King label).
prominence (other than when his second holiday perennial, "Please Come Home for Christmas," hit in 1960 on the King label).
Occasionally recording without causing much of a stir
during the '60s and '70s, Brown began to regroup by the mid-'80s. One More for
the Road, a set cut in 1986 for the short-lived Blue Side logo, announced to
anyone within earshot that Brown's talents hadn't diminished at all while he
was gone (the set later re-emerged on Alligator). Bonnie Raitt took an
encouraging interest in Brown's comeback bid, bringing him on tour with her as
her opening act (thus introducing the blues vet to a whole new generation or
two of fans). His recording career took off too, with a series of albums for
Bullseye Blues (the first entry, 1990's All My Life, is especially pleasing),
and more recently, a disc for Verve.
In his last years, Brown finally received at least a
portion of the recognition he deserved for so long as a genuine rhythm and
blues pioneer. But the suave, elegant Brown was by no means a relic, as anyone
who witnessed his thundering boogie piano style will gladly attest; he returned
in 1998 with So Goes Love before dying on January 21, 1999 from congestive
heart failure in Oakland, California. (Compiled and edited from All Music, Wikipedia
& Britannica.com)
2 comments:
For “Charles Brown - The Cool Cool Sounds of Charles Brown - All-Time Classic Hits and R&B Chart Hits 1945-1961” go here:
https://www65.zippyshare.com/v/M4w7gba4/file.html
Disc 1
JOHNNY MOORE'S THREE BLAZERS lead vocal Charles Brown
1. JOHNNY'S BOOGIE
2. IT AIN'T GONNA BE LIKE THAT
3. WITH MY HEART IN MY HAND
4. I WANT YOU I NEED YOU
5. BOBBY SOX BABY
6. PASADENA
7. DRIFTIN' BLUES
8. WHY IS LOVE LIKE THAT
9. BE FAIR WITH ME
10. SO LONG
11. YOU LEFT ME FORSAKEN
12. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY
13. MORE THAN YOU KNOW
14. WALKIN' IN CIRCLES
15. IF YOU DON'T WHY DON'T YOU
16. I'M LOOKING FOR LOVE
CHARLES BROWN
17. GET YOURSELF ANOTHER FOOL
18. A LONG TIME
19. IT'S NOTHING
20. TROUBLE BLUES
21. IN THE EVENING WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN
22. HOMESICK BLUES
23. MY BABY'S GONE
24. AGAIN
25. HOW HIGH THE MOON
Disc 2
1. BLACK NIGHT
2. I'LL ALWAYS BE IN LOVE WITH YOU (1951 Version)
3. SEVEN LONG DAYS
4. DON'T FOOL WITH MY HEART
5. HARD TIMES
6. STILL WATER
7. BABY DO YOU KNOW THE GAME
8. EVENING SHADOWS
9. I LOST EVERYTHING
10. LONESOME FEELING
11. CRYIN' AND DRIFTIN' BLUES
12. CRYIN' MERCY
13. HONEY SIPPER
14. FOOL'S PARADISE
15. HOT LIPS AND SEVEN KISSES
16. PLEASE DON'T DRIVE ME AWAY
17. I'LL ALWAYS BE IN LOVE WITH YOU (1956 Version)
18. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY (1956 Version)
19. I WANNA GO HOME - CHARLES BROWN & AMOS MILBURN
20. EDUCATED FOOL - CHARLES BROWN & AMOS MILBURN
21. LOVE'S LIKE A RIVER
22. SING MY BLUES TONIGHT
23. PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (Christmas Finds Me Oh So Sad) (Teem)
24. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY (1961 Version)
25. PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (King)
There are many blues stars but only some of them are legends and Charles Brown falls firmly into the legend category.
50 fantastic tracks across 2CDs featuring fifteen of his billboard R&B chart hits between 1945-1961, including: 'So Long', 'More Than You Know' and 'Merry Christmas Baby' which was revived by Elvis Presley. Plus let's not forget 'Driftin' Blues' which has been recorded time and time again by many artists.
On top of his game for more than half a century his influence is still felt since these classic recordings were made and a certain Ray Charles owes pretty much his entire early career to this man.
A big thank you to mijas @ ACM2 blog for original link.
As I was saying: Thanks! This looks like a really good collection of CB's earlier work. Besides, I'm glad to be reminded about his "Pasadena" (referring, as it happens, to the town where I live).
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