Welcome to BluesRow

I bought this CD from Mr. Mean, who sat in with Charlie and his Silky Smooth Band at Kingston Mines in Chicago when I was there in February. Since I couldn’t pay the full $15.00, Mr. Mean let me have it for $10. And it’s worth every penny.

The CD came in a plain jewel case with no liner. Charlie’s picture is on the CD, and the copyright is 2003. I had to do some searching to find the original release info, but it was first published by Lovemil Records in 1998.

Charlie and his band are well known in Chicago and play regularly at Kingston Mines and elsewhere. The music is a potent stew of Chicago blues, R&B, and some jazzy beats (hence the silky smooth name). The band on the CD is definitely smooth, especially the harp player who has to remain nameless, in the absence of any liner notes. But his contributions range from understated melodies to some classic distorted Chicago harp sounds.

But Charlie’s vocals are also silky smooth, and you can hear a bit of Motown there as well, especially on “Refund”. There’s definitely some Otis Redding on “Somebody Have Mercy”.

The band is understated but tight in the pocket, supporting the songs instead of taking over, allowing Charlie’s voice to be front and center. It’s a great mix, and if you like your blues with a little bit of soul, I think you’ll like this one. Here’s hoping they get another CD out soon. In the meantime, you can pick this one up at CDBaby here.