BLUSD Blue Ink March 2008:

 

"I enjoyed this CD, particularly Cuba."   ...Peter 'Cornbread' Cohen, STLBlues.net

Long Island Blues Society:

I Wouldn't Lie To You-Charles Burton Blues Band
A good recording that has some guitar chops and interesting technique. Burton does some fine jazz axe too. Vocals are OK, songs are OK from a San Diego band that does things pretty alright. He goes low, rocks, funks and swing boogies decently. I'd definitely try to see him if I was local. There's a fine groove and personality that makes the tunes fun. Bests-instrumental jazz "Cuba", jumping "Swing It". funkin' "How We Do It Downtown" and good ol' Windy City "Pull Her Over." SoCal's got some blues.

 

 

"BLEWZZMAN" of Mary4music.com says:

Although this is the first review of a CHARLES BURTON release, regular and attentive readers of Mary4Music.com reviews may recall having heard his name mentioned here before. CHARLES appeared as a guest guitarist on Michele Lundeen's 2005 release, "Song Inside Me", reviewed here back in 2005. Back then, I only got to hear him on 2-3 tracks, now I get to appreciate him even more.

     On "I WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU", an all originals disc, CHARLES BURTON, on vocals and guitar, is joined by EDUARDO SABOGAL on drums and RICK NASH and STEVE WELLS on bass.

     The disc opens with the title track, "I WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU". Now I don't know about you, but whenever I hear that line, I can't help but think it's a lie in itself. As a matter of fact, that line should be right up there with the two other biggest lies in the world....."the check is in the mail" and .......oh never mind, you get my drift. On this track CHARLES appears to be telling some hot babe the many different ways that her boyfriend is mistreating her - in hopes that she'll go home with him instead. Wait a minute.....who's the real snake here? Great rhythm from STEVE and EDUARDO behind some great guitar highlights by CHARLES already have me thinking this may be one of the best tracks on the disc.   

     Jazz, and blues fans alike, will appreciate the instrumental track titled "CUBA". This one's all about CHARLES and his guitar. It's four and a half minutes of absolute skillful mastery over an instrument.

     Very sharp drum work by EDUARDO leads the band in several tight grooves on "YOU CAN'T TREAT ME THAT WAY", "BIG EYES", "THIS LITTLE NUMBER" and "I HAD TO PULL HER OVER". These tracks pretty much emulate what this band is all about. You've got three very talented musicians doing what they do best- laying down tight rhythm, putting on virtuoso guitar performances and singing perfect sounding vocals. No trickery necessary!

     If you think that a title like "MY BABY DON'T LOVE ME" might be some low down dirty blues song, then we think alike. Happily, that's exactly what it is - the kind of stuff that lights my blues flame. CHARLES nails the mood with the vocal tempo and the blues licks on guitar are the best on the disc. This is good stuff.

     Another instrumental, this one titled "SWING", has me very impressed. As proficient as this band is musically, I find myself uncharacteristically thinking I could easily enjoy many more of these instrumentals. Not since Ronnie Earl has a guitar player impressed me as much as CHARLES BURTON is now doing.

     Other tracks on "I WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU" include "HOW WE DO IT DOWNTOWN", "BLOCK PARTY", "SEE MY BABY" and "I'D LIKE TO KNOW".

     I've said this before and I'll say it again. if you're going to make it as a three piece band, you better be damn good, and THE CHARLES BURTON BLUES BAND is damn good. Check them out at www.charlesburton.com and tell them the Blewzzman is talkin' 'bout 'em.

PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO, © July, 2007

Blues Power!
Blueskonsert, bluesleksjon, blueshistorie, show - alle ingredienser var med i konserten med Hooter's Blues Band.

For 4. året på rad hadde vi besøk av Hooter's Blues Band - denne gang med gjesteartist Charles Burton fra San Diego (http://www.charlesburton.com/), foruten trommis Snorre Smørgrav og Hooter selv. Bandet ga oss et utvidet sett med både standardlåter og Burtons egne låter; og vi fikk oppleve både deltablues, countryblues, chicagoblues, cajunblues. I tillegg var bandet innom cubansk-inspirert gitarjazz.

Burton viste seg som en svært habil gitarist og vokalist, og bandet fikk etter hvert lokket iallfall deler av publikum ut på dansegulvet. Etter konserten var det mange som slo av en prat med musikerne, og kanskje plukket opp et og annet tips til egen musikalsk utvikling.

RON of

www.rootstime.be says:

His second piece of work is this "I Wouldn't Lie To You" by Charles Burton, the bald headed guitarist from California. With his debut, the eponymous Charles Burton Bluesband" he had already showed to be an all round guitar player. Then already I heard a lot of influences of Robben Ford in his playing style, but also in his way of singing, a kind of crossover jazzy blues, carefully tended, with a somewhat polished sound. With this CD this impression is strengthened. The opener "I wouldn't lie To You" is blues rock but of a civilised kind, just as "Big Eyes", a shuffle in Albert King style but with the sharp edges nicely rubbed down. In between there has been "Cuba", a beautiful laid-back jazzy instrumental with some Latin-American influences. A bit later Charles shows he can do it more roughly in "That's How We Do It Downtown", a funky blues rock song where he lets himself go to some extent, and doesn't colour within the lines as in the other songs. The word 'slow blues' gets its full meaning in the extremely slowly sung, strange tune "My Baby Don't Love Me", that sounds as if it it's been recorded after a huge dose of valium. Standing apart is also "Block Party", a funky shuffle wherein Charles again show he's a guitarist belonging to the great. The Charles Burton Bluesband is a trio, which leaves little room for a lot of variation, unless that would come from Charles' guitar and we may say that this is a minor weakness of this album. Charles is an excellent guitar player, who sadly enough keeps on that same sound for each song, for a boogie song as well as for jazz or slow blues. There's just little variation in the sound of the guitar itself . Nevertheless this is a beautiful blues release of a excellent guitar player who filled this CD with exclusively his own material. (RON) (translation Antoine Légat, August 14th 2007)

Mojo Blues Bar, Copenhagen

Charles Burton er en unik Amerikansk bluesman med en meget bred teknisk formåen.
Hans interesse for de forskellige stilarter blander han så godt at man bliver bjergtaget med det samme. Hans smagfulde frasering og en dejlig skæv vinkel til moderne blues gør ham til en af San Diego’s bedst bevarede hemmeligheder – lidt endnu.

 

Robb Bower , Bluesman / Producer of the Julian Blues Bash says:

 

"Charles Burton is a unique styled bluesman. His varied fiery techniques blend so well, he'll astound you. With his tasteful phrasing, and his special slant on modern day blues, he is one of San Diego's best  kept secrets ...not for long!! Go hear this guy play! His new cd made me look him up for our upcoming Blues Bash 10 in 2008!!"                                                                                                

the robbster www.robb-bowerpresents.com  

 

Illinois Central Blues Club

SEPTEMBER/NOVEMBER 2007:

"This band from San Diego shows a lot of promise.  The CD was just released at the beginning of 2007 and they already have tours in Scandinavia coming up between August and November.  The music is solid blues, true to tradition.  The lead guitar is excellent.  Charles has a good, rough voice with a laid back sound.  I enjoyed listening to this CD and would love to have this band some Monday Night."

 

Southland Blues Magazine, August 2007:

Based in San Diego, Charles Burton’s Blues Band interprets his songs with a soulful strut. Like his first album, which was self-titled, this session draws from mainstream influences, such as the three Kings, Johnny Winter and Eric Clapton, in order to express through his guitar and vocals
what is on his mind. Bassist Rick Nash and drummer Eduardo Sabogal provide a strong foundation as Burton sings about

women, blame, guilt, shame and party time. His title track, “I Wouldn’t Lie to You,” rocks comfortably with the grit of a veteran who’s been there, done that, and knows what to expect. Burton’s program carries with it ample variety, giving his audience
a lot to like.
“Cuba,” an instrumental number, sizzles with a smooth texture that recalls the West Coast guitar sound of Wes Montgomery. “My Baby Don’t Love Me” drifts slowly with a country blues ballad demeanor that defines that birth of the blues. Along the way, Burton converses with his guitar as if it were another member of the band. Two jump blues swingers allow the band to relax a bit and take it easy, while several other tracks recall the deep-down swamp atmosphere of a Louisiana bayou. Variety, as the spice of life, provides Burton with an appealing program that everyone can enjoy.
-- Jim Santella

 

Crossroads Blues Society of Northern Illinois

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2008

This is a self-funded CD (read Disc Makers) that came without much side information but with a very nice letter. The Charles Burton Band (Charles: guitar and vocals; drummer, Eduardo Sabogal; and bassist, Rick Nash) hails from San Diego, CA. From the minimalist artwork (just some photos) I didn’t know what to expect. Charles Burton is a tall man with a bald head who resembles, somewhat, any number of villains on TV detective shows. The first song on the CD, “I Wouldn’t Lie To You,” is a typical 12-bar mid-tempo blues tune employing the over-done graveled up voice. My first reaction was, gosh, not again--BORING. At song 2, “Cuba” Burton leaves familiar and clichéd blues territory with a nice samba-esqe instrumental ala Wes Montgomery. Song 3, “You Can’t Treat Me That Way” is familiar walking blues tune that Charles guitar hook makes it unique and enjoyable. A “Crosscut Saw” riff begins song 4: “Big Eyes.” The Charles Burton band seems to favor non-standard blues backbeat drumming for a samba-type beat. Maybe it’s the SoCal location. So just when I think I’ve caught on to their thing, song 5, “This Little Number,” swings out of the speakers dripping of B.B. King/T-Bone Walker. This is yet another car/girl double entendre tune but Charles hooks gets a pass from me. Shoot, the guy wrote everything, so I’ll give him a break. Song 6 again shakes me, wakes me back into the James Gang era of my youth. The funky “How We Do It Downtown” demonstrates another side to this versatile band.

“My Baby Don’t Love Me” is a slow blues that is satisfying if nothing new. “Swing It” which follows is Les Paul without the overdubbing--a very nice instrumental. “Block Party,” the next song is one I’d like to re-write to fit the end of a day at New Orleans Jazzfest where there are literally miles of block parties. Burton’s version involves a car breakdown that turns into a fun time. Hmmmmmmmm, seems there are quite a few car references on this CD. And yes, “Block Party” is VERY samba influenced, but this time with Albert Lee-like country licks over top. Thanks for asking. Song 10 (if you’ve been counting) is pretty standard blues fare and the closest the CD has to “filler.” “I’d Like To Know” is perhaps my favorite on the CD mainly because of the cool chords Burton throws in on top of yet another “Crosscut Saw” beat, again with country guitar licks. The last song on the CD, “Pull Her Over,” is a rockin’ blues tune (again with a car) that brings a nice close to what ended up being a very enjoyable CD experience. Pluses for Burton are that he only gravels up his voice twice; he doesn’t play long solos and what he plays is tasty; and he has a tight band that can play outside of the standard blues box. I look forward to more from The Charles Burton Band and hope to see them live somewhere.

reviewed by Dave Stine