CD Review
Charles Wilson
If Heartaches Were Nickels
(Delmark Records - DE-771)
by Dave "Doc" Piltz
Review date: October 2004
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"Keeping the Blues Alive Award" Achievement for Blues on the Internet Presented by The Blues Foundation
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Charles Wilson’s musical voyage has taken him in the opposite direction of many of his predecessors. While many of the most famous artists in the blues chose to make the trek north to Chicago from the Mississippi Delta to find their fame and fortune, Charles Wilson was born on the West Side of Chicago in 1957 and relocated to Greenville, Mississippi in 1999 to get closer to the bulk of his work in the Chitlin’ Circuit followed by many of his predecessors including Bobby “Blue” Bland and Bobby Rush.
Over the years, Wilson has built a loyal following, first taking the stage at the age of nine and taking to the road at the tender age of fourteen. In his youth, Wilson spent a great deal of time with his father at Chicago’s legendary Regal Theater soaking up the influences of the likes of Bobby Bland, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Junior Wells and his well known uncle, Little Milton Campbell. After spending time as the opening act for legends like Z. Z. Hill, Koko Taylor and B. B. King; Wilson cut his first single in 1978, releasing “I Need A Love I Can See In The Daylight,” attracting the attention of Alley Cat Records. Wilson’s most significant recording success came in 1990 with the release of Blues In The Key of C on Ichiban Records.
Charles Wilson’s inaugural release on Delmark Records, If Heartaches Were Nickels, marks Wilson’s return to recording the music that he loves, fighting the synthesizer and drum machine laden music on the radio today with his own classic blues and soul sounds. With a top notch band, the remarkable guitar work of Carl Weathersby and a guest appearance by his uncle, Little Milton Campbell, Wilson has put together a fine recording hitting home with fine renditions of classic tunes by Magic Sam (“You Belong To Me”), Sir Mack Rice (“Cadillac Assembly Line”) and Albert King (“I Walked All Night Long”). Wilson’s vocals are exceptional throughout, whether he is crooning smooth sounding soul on “I Talk To Myself” or edgy blues as heard on “Ain’t No Hoochie Coochie Man” or “”Cadillac Assembly Line”. In addition to Wilson’s stellar vocals, If Heartaches Were Nickels also includes some excellent guitar, most notably on the title track with Carl Weathersby’s stinging guitar and on Little Milton’s guest appearances on his two songs, “Hattie Mae’s” and “Lonely Man.”
Lovers of classic blues and soul are certain to enjoy Charles Wilson’s latest release, If Heartaches Were Nickels. To learn more about this and other fine Delmark CDs, visit the Delmark Records website at www.delmark.com. To learn more about Charles Wilson, you can visit his website at www.mrcharleswilson.com.
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