Charles Brown

Charles Brown was the architect of the smooth West Coast blues piano style, a classically trained pianist whose mellow, sophisticated approach (influenced by Leroy Carr and Nat King Cole) defined the sound of postwar Los Angeles blues. His recordings with Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, particularly 'Driftin' Blues' (1945), established a template that influenced Ray Charles, Amos Milburn, Fats Domino, and the entire West Coast R&B school. His holiday classic 'Merry Christmas Baby' remains a perennial favorite. After years of diminished visibility, he made a triumphant comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, recording acclaimed albums for Alligator and Bullseye Blues that demonstrated his undiminished artistry.