BLACK 45’S

The types of black music currently being released on singles are as varied and numerous as ever. We shall attempt to give a cross-section of these, to point out excellence and to document trends, some dominant, others esoteric, that are probably missed by the casual listener. Some of these records have been on the soul charts, while a few even became pop hits. Others get only regional airplay and quickly disappear into the comers of warehouses: A very few are so obscure that even the most arduous collector may have difficulty finding them. When they are not easily available we will try to give addresses.

It is perhaps best to start with the basics the blues. (CHARLES BROWN is one of the most influential, yet underrated of urban bluesmen. A household name arqong the black community in the late forties; Brown developed a mellow piano blues style that was an amalgamation of Texas blues and the night-club jazz of Nat �King� Cole. Brown influenced, either directly or indirectly, practically every city bluesman that followed, particularly Ray Charles. His latest release is ��Merry Christmas Baby� (Jewel 815), a remake of his early fifties hit, and although the season is past, don�t wait until next Christmas to pick it up. Possibly the best side Brown has made in fifteen years, it features his smooth voice, full-bodied piano, and the tastiest wah-wah guitar we�ve heard on a blues record. Another Brown who was big during the same period is ROY BROWN and his influence upon the music of the fifties was even more pronounced. Traces of the �crying� vocal style he developed can be heard in the work of such diverse artists as B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Elvis Presley, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Johnny Fuller, Hank Ballard, Chubby Checker, and Little Richard. Brown�s latest blues, �Love. For Sale� (Mercury 73166) highlights his unique falsetto style and clever tune writing abilities.