If I lived in Memphis, I’d already have known who Charlie Wood was. Having begun his career in 1990 as Albert King’s touring pianist, for years Wood and his trio were a fixture on Memphis’ Beale Street, exploring that beguiling intersection where blues, rock, and jazz meet.
But I’d never heard of the guy; I picked up this album on a whim, curious to hear the five cover songs he’d chosen to include. I see no point in covering another artist’s work unless you put a new twist on the original song; on that score, Charlie Wood succeeds brilliantly. He turns Paul Simon’s “American Song” (a tune that Simon himself ripped off from Bach) into an irresistible finger-snapper, and Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” into a menacing slinky tango. He splashes some extra funky swing into Elvis Costello’s “Flutter and Wow,” gives a syncopated jolt of soul to Ron Sexsmith’s “Not Too Big,” and layers lush cocktail-lounge sophistication onto Tom Waits’ wistful “Johnsburg, Illinois.” These covers work so well, in some cases I even prefer them to the originals.
Lured in by the covers, I stayed to sample Wood’s own songs – and I was pleasantly surprised. If that sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, think again. It’s a rare delight to sink into an album this effortlessly pleasurable – the musical equivalent of a damned good read. And there are surprises on every track, for Wood is an absurdly versatile keyboardist. On “Doing the Blah Blah Blah” he channels Allen Toussaint’s elegant brand of New Orleans funk; the boogie-woogie of “Be My Ball” evokes Dr. John, and “Last Dance” dives into a jazz-rock groove in the vein of Donald Fagen. The wordplay and bluesy bop of “Let’s Get Up and Walk Around” are pure Mose Allison, while “Up in the Attic” percolates with Georgie Fame-style pop-infused jazz. By the time Wood hits the gentle samba of “What You Will” (to my ears the standout track on the album) I’ve given up trying to trace the bloodlines of Wood’s eclectic style. Name-checking all those influences makes this album sound derivative; I assure you, it absolutely isn’t.
Article comments
1 - JOANNE
"He turns Paul Simon’s “American Song” (a tune that Simon himself ripped off from Bach) into an irresistible finger-snapper."
Just to clarify, The song is American Tune and not American Song. Bach himself borrowed the tune from Hans Leo Hassler who wrote it in 1601.
2 - Holly A Hughes
Thanks for correcting the title (my mistake -- Wood certainly calls it American Tune). And yes, I knew Bach also had borrowed the melody, though I sincerely doubt that it was Hassler's original that Simon was referencing.