The 24 selections on this Classics CD (their third Charles Brown release) were all recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers, a trio consisting of guitarist Moore, bassist Eddie Williams, and the real star, pianist-vocalist Charles Brown. The final three numbers add Moore's brother, Oscar Moore (formerly with the Nat King Cole Trio), on second guitar. Unlike with their earlier pre-"Driftin' Blues" material, the emphasis is generally on slower tempos with Brown having a vocal on every selection. Most notable is the hit version of "Merry Christmas Baby"; other highlights include "Was I to Blame for Falling in Love With You," "Huggin' Bug," "St. Louis Blues," "Juke Box Lil," and "New Orleans Blues." The Blazers' style, a more bluish version of the Nat King Cole Trio, is always pleasing…

This Classics CD features pianist/vocalist Charles Brown on his first 22 recordings, when he was a sideman with guitarist Johnny Moore's Three Blazers. Brown already sounded quite distinctive, and as it turned out, the 21st song ("Drifting Blues") was his biggest hit. The music, due to the instrumentation (a trio/quartet with bassist Eddie Williams and sometimes Oscar Moore on second guitar), is a bit reminiscent at times of the Nat King Cole Trio, but it had a special soul and feeling of its own. Frankie Laine makes a couple of early appearances, but Brown takes care of the bulk of the vocals, and there are also eight excellent instrumentals.