The Bookshelf, The Parlor, The Young Texas Reader, and the Monthly

The Texas Bookshelf is different from the The Texas Parlor, http://texasparlor.blogspot.com/ . The Texas Parlor carries "general" bookish information and non-book information and even different Texana news and notes of use to the bibliographically challenged and other nosey folks intersted in historical, literary, and cultural observations. Will's Texana Monthly may carry material from either blog, but extends itself beyond those, especially for longer compilations or treatments. The Monthly, the Bookshelf and the Parlor are all companions. So, is the Young Texas Reader http://youngtexasreader.blogspot.com/ which specialized on books and such things for the youngest to the teenagers.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Beaumont Boy (CD music) - Ezra Charles


Beaumont Boy. [musical CD]


By Ezra Charles and His Band. Sycamore Records. 2001, 2005. 10 tracks. $15.00 http://www.ezracharles.com/


Maybe Van Cliburn stole the Tchaikovsky, but Ezra Charles must have stolen the piano because it’s smoking hot, and this Beaumont Boy tours Greater Texas in piano boogie-woogie blues in another of his string of CDs. It’s snappy, got the heart and beat, and nine of the ten cuts (all but “House of Blue Lights”) are original lyrics and musical arrangements by Ezra.


He started at age 14 with Johnny Winter and has been hunting elephants ever since. His awards began decades ago and continue. His life musical range covers country, rockabilly, jazz, pop, rock and roll, gospel and certainly more. But Beaumont Boy delightfully celebrates Texas. You’ll hear of his adolescent naiveté, prides of Texas and fatherhood, romantic adventures, memorializing Stevie Ray Vaughn, and working Sixth Street. For a pick of the litter take either “Beaumont Boys” or “You Are the Music.” In the “Boys” it must be hard at the same time to run the keyboard and to wave a baton for a band including Harry James, the Big Bopper, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Clay Walker, Tracy Byrd, and Mark Chesnutt all at the same time.


When the smoke clears, you’ll find Mike Seybold, Nancy Dalbey, Damon Sonnier, Derek Sonnier, and James Morado with the instruments, and Erza inhaling, ready to go again. If you’re in Houston, beside his regular gigs, find him in his hometown Bellaire, down at the Triangle in Mojo Mama’s on Casual Tuesdays for a while. The piano’s in the window.

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