Search - Charles Brown :: So Goes Love

Another Soul-Soothing Release from Charles Brown

James G. Mcgall | Sonora, CA | 05/13/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Old and new fans alike should immediately drop everything and grab this latest polished gem of an album from Charles Brown and company, "So Goes Love" (Verve). Seamlessly pulled forward from a musical time long past, these 12 wonderfully intimate tunes from the West Coast blues master himself are without peer in today's musical arena. No one else could pull this off. Who but Sir Charles could transport us directly to a smoky, 1940's-era LA jazz club and treat us to some of the finest West Coast blues, jazz and R&B around? Who else could lovingly present a 50-year old palette of performances that sound as fresh and new as the day they were written? Check out Charles' version of Billy Eckstine's 1942 hit "Stormy Monday," cozy up to his plaintive solo vocal and piano rendition of the 1946 Blazers' song "Blue Because Of You," tap your toes and heels to the classic remake of "Money's Gettin' Cheaper" (recorded by Brown during his Johnny Moore and the Three Blazers heyday in 1948). Listen carefully as Charles & Co. effortlessly craft their personal rendition of "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child" into a timeless jazz/blues staple. Got the candles lit yet? All the trademark intimacy and silky smooth "cool blues" of Charles Brown fill every nook and cranny of this marvelous new release. The treatments are as soft as a mouth-filling vintage red wine, the band and horn arrangements round and full-bodied, the musical timing always elegant and tasteful. And that voice - that husky, comforting, soulful voice - is simply a treat to hear as Charles weaves his 5th (6th?) decade of musical magic.For the novices still wondering, "Charles who?" - well, it's truly a shame your parents never taught you anything. The ever-handsome Brown (76 this year!) began his recording career with guitarist Johnny Moore, forming the nucleus of the immensely-popular Three Blazers in the 40's. From the immediate post-war peri! od and extending well into the '50s, the Three Blazers (and then Charles in the solo mode) crafted numerous top R&B chart hits for Atlas, Modern, Exclusive, and Aladdin records. The enduring popularity of such songs as "Merry Christmas Baby," "Drifting Blues," "Black Night," "I Miss You So," "Fool's Paradise" and many others are living testament to the popularity and success of the Three Blazers - and especially that of their lead singer, pianist and composer, Charles Brown. Rescued from blues obscurity by none other than Bonnie Raitt, his popularity continues to soar to uncharted heights. Mr. Brown is the recipient of multiple Grammy nominations, a Rhythm and Blues Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, numerous WC Handy awards and the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Award (presented by Hillary Clinton this past year). "So Goes Love" is unquestionably my choice for Blues CD-of-the-Month, and quite possibly my Disc-of-the-Year selection, as well. If this is your first Charles Brown outing, you're in for a treat - then be certain to add his 1992 Bullseye Blues release, "Someone To Love" and the earlier Alligator Records "One More For The Road" to your library. No blues or jazz collection is complete without these recordings from a living legend."

A good man and a legend RIP

Greg Forsberg | las vegas | 11/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I had the major fortune of working on this record. Charles was an incredibly compassionate soul, one of those souls that you could feel the love from just being in the room with him. This record captures that in its whole. The feeling of that record went way beyond that. There was a photographer who tracked me down years later with momentos from the session. I couldn't believe it!! Charles's love drew like people to be around him and I've never seen anything quite like it. If you read this please search for me (greg forsberg) I never got to thank you properly!!"

Simply Beautiful, Great Blues Piano

Rick Bruner | New York, NY USA | 11/17/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sadly, I discovered Charles Brown only after he died, in a rememberance piece on NPR on the occasion of his death, as a matter of fact. I would have loved to have seen him perform. I have a few other of his albums, but this is my favorite, made shortly before his death. Every song is full of swing, soul, irony -- in short, the blues. The guy has a great voice and plays a mean piano. Tightly arranged but lots of room for improvization. I was big into blues a decade ago, but I've collected less blues in recent years, turning more to jazz, both instrumental and vocal. This is just on the cusp of real blues and polished vocal jazz. Hearing it again as I write this review, it may be among my top 10 favorite albums (out of a collection or around 1,000). Every song is a winner."